South Sudan’s Men’s Basketball team garnered a ton of attention after they almost defeated a stacked Team USA in the pre-Olympic exhibitions. Their incredible run-and-gun tested the defensive mettle of the aging USA squad and the team of superstars could only manage a one-point win. Many betting sites had predicted a 40+ points spread in favor of Team USA, but South Sudan put themselves on the map. Therefore, there is a lot of intrigue around the outcome now that the two teams are set to clash in the group stage of the Olympics.
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FS1 analyst Skip Bayless believes that Team USA wouldn’t be overwhelmed in this game like the exhibition affair. On the contrary, he predicted a huge win for them on Wednesday.
On UNDISPUTED earlier today, Bayless argued that the pre-Olympic match-up helped the USA side to get a fair estimate of South Sudan’s true potential. They will know take the team more seriously.
Team USA players now know that the African squad’s playing style revolves around the all-around chops of former G-League star Carlik Jones, who is surrounded by reliable long-range shooters. But Skip doesn’t expect them to hit 14 triples on 42% shooting again as USA’s perimeter defenders would now be ready for them.
The FS1 analyst also believes that the Americans have a chip on their shoulders after the trolling they witnessed following the South Sudan game. The 72-year-old highlighted how the return of Kevin Durant would also enhance Team USA’s chances of victory.
Bayless forecasted a 20+ points win for Team USA as now they are ready to take down the tenacious South Sudan squad. He said,
“I think they [South Sudan] have our attention now and I am sure our guys are gonna take this very seriously. I do think they are on some mission to show they are the greatest USA team ever including the Dream Team. So it is a way to make a statement against the team that embarrassed you even though we held onto win… I think we can win by 22 points in this game.”
Bayless has no doubts about USA’s blowout win over South Sudan. But the American team did face a lot of hiccups during the practice game.
Has Team USA figured out South Sudan?
South Sudan managed to win a 10+ point half-time lead in the exhibition game. The USA defense looked helpless when they were in the fastbreak situation, leading to many easy inside buckets throughout the game. Apart from that, South Sudan’s long-range shooting complicated matters. They made 14 triples compared to USA’s 7.
The emerging squad also had a chance to win the game at the buzzer, but Anthony Davis stopped Carlik Jones’ shot attempt at the basket. But the practice game’s outcome won’t be repeated, as per analysts like Skip Bayless and Keyshawn Johnson.
They believe that the squad has now gained a foothold and is ready to destroy their opponents. It’d be interesting to see how the underdogs South Sudan respond to such claims.
