Kevin Durant might be right: Will Team USA win these games?

It was still March, the playoffs were still to come and Paris was still a long way away. Kevin Durant He captured Team USA’s resonant and defiant ambition in words that sounded nostalgic.

“I really want to make a statement about how dominant our guys are. Win by 40 or 50 points or something. I’d love that,” KD said.

Basketball in the rest of the world has evolved to the point where the United States is able to defeat its rivals by enormous margins. 43 points As in the case of the enchanting dream team of Barcelona ’92.

But Durant proved himself right by addressing the issue. 23 points When we returned to completely strip Serbia Nikola Jokic and Svetislav Pesic 26 point difference (84-110).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3QswwxMuP0

Given the strength of their rivals, it was a margin of victory that at the time amounted to a full 40 points, and Serbia is currently ranked second in the world, regardless of their natural status. The best player on the planet, Nikola Jokic and his coach, Svetislav Pesic, are an experienced sage who knows a thing or two about basketball and a winning mentality. Among other great achievements, the 74-year-old coach broke down what seemed to be an impenetrable psychological barrier and led Barça to their first ever title. Euroleague In 2003.

Paradoxically, Team USA also credited the wisdom of Pesic, who had warned that this U.S. team was “stronger” than the original Dream Team.

If Serbia had kept up the tactical tricks they used in a friendly match they clearly lost last week by the exact same margin (105-79), the United States also crushed the Balkans with a victory that shows the real difference between the two teams. Kevin Durant.

Star Phoenix Suns He dominated the praise after the game, completely overturning the conversation that had previously focused on his calf injury and zero minutes of playing time in the warm-up match.

“Durant is an otherworldly talent.”

LeBron James

“He’s just an out-of-this-world talent,” he said. LeBron In a statement collected by ESPN. Players from across generations celebrate players who live up to each other’s legends King He finished close to a triple-double with 21 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.

Unaffected by the lack of competitive rhythm, having not played a match since April, KD was at his legendary best, dominating the Serbians that had been up against him and even leading after Team USA’s initial response (19-14), a gold medal that has not been missed at an Olympic Games since. Athens, 2004.

Durant was perfect, hitting 8/8 from the field and 5/5 from the triples, scoring 21 of his 23 points at halftime to give the USA control, 49 to 58. All of this came just eight minutes into the first half, when KD came off the bench for the first time with Team USA, and for just the fourth time in his entire career. 36 years.

“I’ve played my whole life, so I simplified it,” Durant said matter-of-factly about his surprisingly dazzling game. “When the ball touched my hands, it was aggressive,” the Suns star added. He also left a mark on his talent with the mid-range jump shot that has become the two-time NBA champion’s signature shot. Warriors.

The brains behind the dynasty from the bench Steve Kerr He knows his forwards well, and the former player’s recital at Golden State proved his words about the immediate potential of a star who hasn’t yet played were no window dressing. If there’s one thing that Kerr always has in his press conferences, it’s that he’s forthright.

“You wouldn’t even notice if he came back from a long absence,” the US coach emphasized. “He’s so skilled and looked in mid-season shape after not playing a real basketball game for a few months (three months actually). It’s so incredible. fear It’s on the other team,” Kerr added.

Through Kevin Durant, Team USA made one of two fears of their opponents come true: even if they were being scored on or the defense was set, their stars would start taking shots, and this fact had a huge impact on the scoreboard. Be depressed See how your rivals are adding points despite playing a superior defense.

“When he comes back after a long absence, you don’t notice it.”

Steve KerrUSA national team coach

Another concern was how unreachable the U.S. team would be when it hit the ground running, and that’s what happened with Serbia. The U.S. didn’t let anyone get away with it. Transitions Or the semi-transitions that the Balkan team went through after a loss or a bad shot. Given the difficulties of having to attack statically at times because of a group of players who have never competed together, coming out quickly on the counter attack is one of the maxims of this Team USA.

In their final friendly, the world champions showed how important it was to produce quality shots and keep possessions in check to prevent the Americans from coming back, but the Americans were unable to pull off a 92-88 win over Germany. Gordon HerbertSerbia also has plenty of offensive resources from the midcourt with Nikola Jokic, but what would happen if Pesic wasn’t the coach?

But the World Runner-Up couldn’t generate any advantage beyond the Triple MVP on that base –Abramovic and Micicwithout worrying enough about a change of pace despite 10 and 11 points, but the failure to make a success from 6.75 on 9/37 also hurt Pesic’s team both offensively and defensively.

Something that surprises and impresses South Sudan It will be a thermometer to gauge how much Team USA has improved since the friendly match. The African team, which only lost by 16 points, 101-100, will face the United States on Wednesday after their win over Puerto Rico. Royal Ivey team and all its players 1.96 Except for the elusive bass Carlick Jones The -1.83- is a match for the physicality of Team USA, who struggled with a slightly different formula than Germany, defining many plays in the first few seconds of possession. For South Sudan, replicating the success of their three in the friendly (14/33) will be key.

But in the meantime, it’s early days, but the U.S. is already at or nearing its peak power after reclaiming Kevin Durant for a cause that culminates in the generational trio of LeBron, Curry and Durant. The leading scorer in Team USA history hasn’t made it past the second round since 2019, losing in the Finals to the Warriors, and is coming off a glorious escape under the Stars and Stripes after an unlucky NBA career following his departure from the Warriors. Raptors After his serious injury Achilles tendon In the fifth match.

Durantula He will make history by becoming the first athlete ever to win four Olympic gold medals, following wins in London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Great KD’s side started by saying that his words should be taken seriously.