Team USA Can Thank Kevin Durant And A Blogger For Changing Everything About This Team

Waking up this morning and watching the first quarter of Team USA's game against the Czech I figured here we go again. Another game where we kinda look like shit and have to hang on to like a 12-point win. Luckily for Team USA, we have Kevin Durant and me. Why? Two main reasons. My first suggestion of moving Jrue to the lead guard and Dame off the ball. I willed that one into existence. 

Jrue has been the 2nd best player for Team USA and it really isn't close. He almost won the France game by himself. He's been our best defender, best guard at breaking down the defense and getting open looks. He's done it all. Dude is that good. I love everything about his game. Also Dame has been real hit or miss for Team USA so moving him off the ball and letting him hunt shots that way is way better. Let Jrue drive and kick, Dame shoot. 

Then there's what I did for Jayson Tatum today. 

Two things can be true - and they are. Jayson Tatum has been quite bad for Team USA from the two games at the World Cup before he got hurt to the exhibition stretch to the start of the Olympics. Jayson Tatum also was on fire in the fourth quarter today when the game was already put away. Good, get some confidence. Tatum needs to be a scorer because up until the 4th quarter he was nearly unplayable. He hasn't been good defensively, he wasn't shooting the ball well, he's just a 38% shooter for Team USA over all his games. Tatum needs to be the guy off the bench with LaVine to score. He should be taking advantage of playing against second strings. We'll see what happens going forward because we're going to have a somewhat brutal draw in the knockout stage. 

The fact is this team is going to go with Durant. He's the best player in Olympic history for Team USA and now the leading scorer. We're starting to get roles identified with him, Holiday and Bam/Draymond. Now everyone else needs to fall in. Middleton needs to be a shooter and defender. Tatum needs to be a better scorer off the bench with LaVine. Booker and Dame need to start knocking down more shots. Time to go win gold.