In group play of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Team USA has been absolutely dominant and a big part of that has been the play of Los Angeles Lakers superstar big man Anthony Davis. Even though he has come off the bench mostly, Davis has been Team USA’s most effective big man this summer, especially on the defensive end.
Davis’ numbers don’t jump off the page at 8.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 blocks in the three group play games, but he leads Team USA in both total rebounds and total blocks so far and has been Steve Kerr’s go-to big when things have gotten close.
But now, everything gets taken up a notch as the knockout stage begins. Team USA takes on Brazil on Tuesday in the quarterfinals and Davis understands that there is no more room for error as every team is going to give them their best, via Marc J. Spears of Andscape:
“We had three games to kind of just clean everything up,” Davis said after defeating Puerto Rico 104-83 on Saturday. “And now, it’s go time. We play Brazil. We have to get prepared for them. And we have to play mistake-free basketball and also be as perfect as possible knowing that these teams are also playing for gold and trying to compete.
“Every time that we step on the floor it’s somebody’s Game 7 of the [NBA] Finals. We have that mentality to come out and dominate.”
Regardless of how great Team USA looked in group play, one bad game could end their medal hopes and these teams will all be fighting to wind up on that podium. Team USA must be locked in and they have been at their best when Davis has been on the floor patrolling the paint on defense and rim-running on offense.
With players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Anthony Edwards, Davis’ offensive game isn’t needed as much, but there is no one who can match what he does defensively. His ability to protect the rim, clear the glass and switch out on perimeter players is crucial for the success of this team and he is ready to continue to do everything in his power to ensure Team USA comes away with a gold medal.
LeBron James says Team USA must be ready for all challenges in knockout round
Anthony Davis’ Lakers teammate LeBron James has been arguably Team USA’s all-around best player in these Olympics and, like Davis, he knows the road to a gold medal won’t be easy.
LeBron noted the challenges facing them in this knockout stage, pointing out how good both Canada and Germany have looked so far while also acknowledging the likes of Serbia and Australia. Thankfully, Team USA securing the top seed means that their two biggest challenges in Canada and Germany are on the other side of the bracket, but they still must be prepared for whatever comes their way.
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