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In this episode of No Cap SpaceYahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Jake Fischer and Yahoo Sports senior NBA writer Dan Devine close out the book on Team USA, the gold-winning men’s basketball team led by LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry.
Speaking of Curry, he finally got the international basketball moment he had been missing so far in his career when he scored a combined 60 points in the final two games of the tournament, including a flurry of three-pointers in the latter part of the tournament, to give the US a decisive victory over France in the gold medal race.
Jayson Tatum, and many around him, are upset about his diminished role while playing for Team USA in Paris. Dan explains why Tatum found it difficult to see the court, while Jake explains why Tatum’s style of play doesn’t fit Steve Kerr’s offense. Will the 2028 team be built around Tatum as the aging players retire?
Victor Wembanyama wasn’t happy about losing the gold medal game to the US, saying afterwards that he’s learning more and is worried about future opponents…both in the NBA and internationally. Jake explains why he’s looking forward to seeing Wemby play with Chris Paul in San Antonio, while trying to temper expectations about how high their ceiling is on offense.
The NBA In-Season Tournament has a new name, it’s now called the Emirates NBA Cup and they’ve already released their schedule for the upcoming season. Instead of getting into the matchups, Jake and Dan talk about what they liked about last season’s event and how it can be improved in the future.
Finally, the guys look back at a podcast they did in October, where they made predictions for the season based on made-up over- and underscores, and see who was right and who was wrong.
(01:50) – Team USA wins gold against France
(05:20) – Steph Curry finally got his Olympic moment
(15:25) – Why didn’t Jayson Tatum play more in Paris?
(29:15) – Wembanyama worries about his future opponents
(35:45) – Ways to Improve the Emirates NBA Cup
(47:15) – Were we right with our predictions for the season?
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