With the FIBA World Cup right around the corner, Team USA is getting a taste of what it’s like to play like the Warriors, as relayed in a detailed piece from Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
And why not? The Americans’ coach just happens to be Steve Kerr, also Golden State’s coach. Of course, Team USA does not have Stephen Curry or a young Klay Thompson. So without that type of shooting, it’s unlikely the Team USA offense will be exactly that of the Warriors. But it may be close.
“We’re not really looking to set up the same shots that we would get for Steph or Klay, but we’re (using) similar actions to get floor spacing, to get balance, to attack certain areas of the floor,” Kerr said, via Vardon. “We’re keeping it simple, but we’re trying to execute it really well.”
Team USA is currently practicing in the United Arab Emirates in preparation for its World Cup opener vs. New Zealand on Aug. 26. The roster features the likes of Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, and Nets forward Mikal Bridges, among many other names you know.
Oh, and Clippers coach Tyronn Lue is an assistant. He just happened to face Kerr and the Warriors four times in the Finals when coaching the Cavaliers.
“Now I’m finally getting a chance to coach the actions that we played against for four years,” Lue said, via Vardon. “A lot of the quick action that we run (on Team USA), with the high pick away with the bigs and the guards coming off that screen, we get a lot of that. And then we really haven’t had a chance to see the end-game stuff because there hasn’t been a lot of close games, but in end-of-game situations in practice, like the need-3s and need-2s (the Warriors run), we’ve gotten a chance to see them a lot as well.”
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