NBA veteran Oscar Robertson was recently displeased with Team USA’s performance against Nikola Jokic at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, focusing on coach Steve Kerr’s defensive scheme and the team’s general methodology.
Robertson claims that because of their lackluster defensive performance and mismatches, the American players found it difficult to contain Jokic, which allowed the Serbian big man to shine at critical times. He delivered a harsh review during an appearance with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on the “All The Smoke podcast.”
Robertson said, “What bothers me more than anything is how does a guy just come up to you and drive around you so easy. They don’t slide. Jokic made a fool out of USA all because that guard didn’t fight through to get to his man. I would never have screens switched onto my man.”
He added, “Why am I gonna go inside to play through the 7-foot-4 guy and USA kept doing that and Jokic kept scoring bad. What was the coach doing, Kerr? You can’t say you want Steph Curry to switch off on Jokic inside. Well, Curry wouldn’t switch anyways so it wouldn’t really matter.”
He called attention to the stark weakness in Team USA‘s strategy, their failure to control the standout player for the Denver Nuggets. Robertson highlighted Jokic’s capacity to overcome defenses with minimal opposition. He notably criticized Team USA’s players for their poor defensive footwork and effort.
Oscar Robertson Explains How Nikola Jokic Broke The Team USA Defense Flawlessly
Robertson took issue with players flipping on screens, which he claimed resulted in mismatches where smaller players, like Stephen Curry, had to defend the tall Jokic inside. Robertson made an undeniable point when he said that Curry’s tactical blunder enhanced Jokic’s abilities, enabling him to move onto the Serbian player.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
Even if Serbia didn’t win the gold, Jokic’s efforts helped his team win a bronze, and it is still evident that he can compete with the finest teams in the world, including the US.
Against players like Jokic, the United States cannot afford to commit defensive mistakes. Even though Team USA prevailed, his scathing critique implies that they must improve their defensive tactics to keep winning international tournaments.
