Erik Spoelstra Should Replace Steve Kerr As Team USA Olympic Basketball Head Coach

Throughout his second summer season on the helm of Workforce USA (and his first Olympics), Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had an embattled whereas run guiding the Individuals to their fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal in Paris.

On Saturday, the U.S. survived a valiant push from Workforce France — within the nations’ second straight gold medal recreation pairing on the Olympics — to win by double digits late, 98-87. Kerr’s All-NBA Warriors level guard, Stephen Curry, led the best way for the USA, with 24 factors on 8-of-14 taking pictures from the sphere (8-of-13 from lengthy vary), 5 assists, two steals, and one rebound.

Learn Extra: Stephen Curry, USA Basketball Survive Workforce France to Win fifth Straight Olympic Gold Medal

Curry, 36, was showing in his first Olympic video games.

All-NBA Phoenix Suns combo ahead Kevin Durant made Olympic historical past by claiming his fourth males’s basketball gold medal. He scored 15 factors on 5-of-12 taking pictures from the ground (3-of-9 from past the 3-point arc) and 2-of-2 foul taking pictures, whereas additionally grabbing 4 rebounds, passing for 4 assists, nabbing a steal, and blocking one shot.

Learn Extra: Kevin Durant Creates Insane Workforce USA Historical past With Win Over France

Kerr was by no means going to be significantly standard navigating some of the loaded Olympic rosters since not less than the 2008 “Redeem Workforce” squad, and even perhaps because the 1996 or ’92 gold medal-winning golf equipment.

However in maybe his most questionable choice, Kerr sat Boston Celtics All-NBA combo ahead Jayson Tatum for 2 full video games, each in opposition to Workforce Serbia (the eventual bronze medalists).

“I went with the combos that made sense,” Kerr mentioned after the primary incident. “I felt like an fool not taking part in him… [In] a 40-minute recreation, you may’t play greater than 10 [players].”

Learn Extra: Will Jayson Tatum Get Enjoying Time For Workforce USA in Gold Medal Sport Towards France?

Tatum did play in any case for the U.S. at the moment, however completed with simply two factors on 1-of-3 taking pictures from the ground, three rebounds, and a steal in 11 minutes.

The 2 gamers to obtain Kerr’s ire in opposition to a jumbo-sized Workforce France (its finest gamers are a pair of All-Defensive First Workforce facilities, San Antonio Spurs huge man Victor Wembanyama and Minnesota Timberwolves Defensive Participant of the Yr Rudy Gobert) within the gold medal recreation have been Indiana Pacers All-NBA level guard Tyrese Haliburton and Boston Celtics All-Defensive Second Workforce guard Derrick White.

Kerr coached Workforce USA to a fourth-place end on the 2023 FIBA World Cup. That 12 months’s membership was far much less star-studded than this season’s iteration.

It is unclear how lengthy Kerr, 58, will wish to keep on as Workforce USA’s head coach. However his alternative could already be on the bench.

Miami Warmth head coach Erik Spoelstra, who has guided a wide range of very completely different Warmth golf equipment to 5 NBA Finals and gained two, possesses the sort of in-game creativity and positional flexibility wanted on the worldwide stage. Like Kerr, he’ll make troublesome rotation decisions.

However not like Kerr, there is a good likelihood Spoelstra does not essentially kowtow to ceremonial begins for veterans. It was fairly clear that Philadelphia 76ers middle Joel Embiid was a poor match as Workforce USA’s beginning 5, but Kerr began him for many of the membership’s video games.

Exterior of 1 terrific 19-point outburst in opposition to Workforce Serbia within the semifinals, Embiid was roundly outplayed by Los Angeles Lakers All-NBA middle Anthony Davis and Miami Warmth All-Star 5 Bam Adebayo.