It has always been the same since the Dream Team had its debut on Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
The team that crushed their opponents won the gold, but only two years later, during the World Cup, none of these players was on the roster.
While the team was still dominant with names like Shawn Kemp, Reggie Miller, Alonzo Mourning, or Shaquille O’ Neal, it was a few steps below. The downward spiral at World Cups continued although things look much better in 2014 when the gold was easily won, but in 2019, the team was only seventh, which has to be considered humiliating.
Still, for anyone following the situation, this was not a surprise.
Game of Names
Firstly, most of the current NBA stars were candidates only in theory, as no one was expecting that LeBron James will play, nor will Kyrie Irving, Chris Paul, John Wall, Stephen Curry Russel Westbrook, and many others. The problem is that many slightly above average players also withdrew without further explanation, so Greg Popovich was left with the team that, in the best possible scenario, could play tight games against the best teams like Spain.
OK, that doesn’t sound awful, as, in theory, that would mean that these guys had enough talent to win it.
There was not much pressure, and with strong leadership on the bench (Steve Kerr was one of the assistant coaches), it didn’t look like a dream. But what many forget is that even with the much better roster, this team would struggle, as the talent is not the main reason for the debacle.
Out of Shape
OK, of course, NBA athletes are best in the world and are exciting to watch as Best Free Sex Games. Still, the problem is that the 2019 FIBA World Cup US team had no time to adjust and play together. Many probably don’t remember that members of the Dream team played together for months, and even struggled during some of the initial games. Even the most talented players in the world need time to adjust and learn about the abilities, tendencies, and positioning of their teammates before everything clicks.
Only a few weeks before the tournament, Popovich lost eight more players, and half of them withdrew. That is eight of 12 players lost, only a few weeks before the start. What is worse, it looked like during the tournament; the team was getting worse, as players lacked motivation because they didn’t know their teammates enough to feel comfortable. Plus, there was no more respect for the team USA. Other teams saw their weaknesses and were not afraid to attack them like they are any other team.
Greg Popovich is one of the best in the business, and if he couldn’t do anything about it, it’s doubtful anyone could save the day. Best Sex Games take time to shape up, and it’s the same thing with basketball teams.
Time to Redeem, Once Again
Even though they performed horribly, team USA managed to qualify directly to Tokyo Olympics in 2020, as one of the top two teams from the Americas, together with Argentina. The Olympic roster will probably be decided by July 2020, and the good news is that superstars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard all wish to play. That would make Greg Popovich a much happier man. Still, there is no doubt that his priority would be to finalize the roster as early as possible, and probably form a strong relationship with players, to make sure they commit and won’t withdraw before the start of the tournament.
At this moment, it’s hard to know what will happen, but knowing the history, it should be expected that the team USA will once again be the top favorite, and exciting to watch like Free Adult Games. Still, something will have to change even if the gold is won. It looks like there is no plan for every World Cups, and that hurts not only the team but the reputation of the NBA. Maybe the core group of players can be given enough to play together at least a month before the championship and look like a team that is ready to be dominant.
It’s evident that leaders of team USA are struggling to make a plan and stick to it. If the seventh place at the World Cup was not enough to make changes, what will be?
Featured Image: Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images
