Team USA vs Czech Republic
Call it a mistake: Team USA's Jerry Colangelo defends Greg Popovich, blasts Kevin Love, predicts Tokyo gold
Joe Vardon
TOKYO — Team USA is entering its final stretch under the guidance of Jerry Colangelo, and most probably, Gregg Popovich, and the Americans have every opportunity for the best of endings.
For Colangelo, 81, the program’s managing director who rebuilt USA Basketball into a three-time gold medalist and two-time FIBA World Cup champ beginning in 2005, one more gold here in Tokyo would be the fitting capper to a brilliant run that came with a bit of a bumpy landing. For Popovich, who is 72, it would be a chance to rewrite the narrative of what has been a disastrous two summers for Team USA with him as coach so far.
While the Americans don’t have to beat the Czech Republic on Saturday (8 a.m. ET) to advance to knockout play, a loss would only further sink a team and program that is trying to shake off an unprecedented six defeats in two years. They’re playing it as though they must win out, which, beginning next week is indeed the case if they are to finish with a gold.
Because of that seventh-place finish at the 2019 World Cup, and the two upsets in Las Vegas exhibitions, and Olympic-opening loss to France (which snapped a 25-game Olympic winning streak), and roster defections and players’ grumbling toward Popovich, Team USA is already facing hard questions that will only get worse if it loses again.
“I want the USA basketball program to be looked up the way it has been looked upon for a number of years — in a very favorable position,” Colangelo said.
On Friday morning, Colangelo sat with a few beat writers to answer those questions. Here are the questions, the answers, and a little context to help following along.
How did Team USA get to this point?
Colangelo: “Just like there are runs in every basketball game that’s played, there are cycles in everything you do. … And so I think we’ve rode the crest early on with commitments from players, top players, who bought into everything we were selling at the time. And the reality is, we live in a different world than it was 15, 16 years ago.”
This was a big sticking point for Colangelo throughout this 40-minute interview. He was lamenting that Team USA is still without most of the top American players, which was not the case when it won gold in 2008, 2012, and 2016. He blasted unnamed players and teams, saying “there were a few players whose teams just didn’t want them to play,” and also, “a lot of them called me and said they wanted to play, and then said, ‘hmm, I’m not so sure.’”
Who did he mean? There can only be a few possibilities, because a number of top players (Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Kyrie Irving) suffered legitimate injuries. Colangelo was hopeful LeBron James would play, but LeBron is 36, already a three-time Olympian, and was always going to be promoting “Space Jam 2” this summer.
Colangelo was counting on Stephen Curry to play, and Zion Williamson, one of the best and certainly most dynamic American bigs, had family and team pressure to consider.
Are Popovich, his staff and the players who did sign up to blame for any of the losses?
Colangelo: “Pop is a very committed guy and he’s very focused, and he’s been, he feels he’s got some things he wants to get accomplished here. He’s got a track record in terms of USA basketball that he would like to see rectified. And so a lot at stake for him. In terms of our total staff, I think they’re terrific guys, great basketball guys. I have great trust in them. I don’t think they are responsible for anything that’s happened, I really don’t.”
Colangelo said it was his intention to step down after the 2016 Olympics, when then-coach Mike Krzyzewski announced he was done. But Popovich, whom Colangelo wanted to hire as a replacement for Coach K said he’d accept if Colangelo stayed on.
As for the players, Colangelo pointed to injuries to Kyle Kuzma, Jayson Tatum, and Marcus Smart that did them in during the World Cup, and the pandemic-condensed schedule that kept a quarter of the roster away because they were in the Finals. And also, this team, as constructed, can still win gold.
“If we had everyone in training camp at one time and we were working collectively toward all of our goals and objectives, we would have been much further along. … If all things were equal, we all had the same time to practice, we all had our rosters set, blah blah blah, I don’t think we’d be having this discussion. I don’t. But that’s not the case. So we are gonna do everything we can to overcome it now, and I believe we will.” — Colangelo
Were mistakes made in roster construction?
Colangelo on Kevin Love: “I didn’t think Kevin Love was gonna play. I wasn’t even sure he had much left to play. He reached out to us and said he was in shape and said he felt he owed us. And on the basis of that, we’re looking at someone with international experience who at one time was a heck of a rebounder and could still shoot the ball. You know, being like a 12th man on a roster. Well, it didn’t work out. He wasn’t in shape. And he was way behind as it turned out. So you move on. Call it a mistake. Call it giving someone an opportunity. Someone who had equity with us. Guys who play for us get a little plus.”
Colangelo on Mason Plumlee: “If you look at the depth chart on bigs in our country it’s very slim. For the most part, the best bigs in the NBA are all international players. So the depth chart based on who was available, wasn’t injured and didn’t have a contract situation — that’s where we were. So it wasn’t that our people felt he was so much better than other names, that’s where we were.”
Colangelo on Trae Young: “I’m happy that he wants to play for USA Basketball. We had him in one of our camps. We know him in USA Basketball. He’s done really well in the NBA. But predicated on what we felt we needed, he didn’t fit the bill this time around. He’s a young player, he has a future with USA Basketball but it was the opinion of our staff that it wasn’t now. It’s for others to make the declaration ‘you made a mistake.’”
Colangelo was asked generally if mistakes were made, and he said he wanted specific examples. He torched Love probably because Love torched them. Not only did Love ask for a spot (to be fair, Popovich said he wanted him on the team), and clearly wasn’t ready, by picking him over, say, a Julius Randle, Randle had moved on with his summer when the time came to replace Love. None of the bigs on the 2019 team performed well; Plumlee was just used as an example of an NBA bench player who suddenly was picked for Team USA (Derrick White was another). Meanwhile, Young, who has blossomed into a dynamic guard, has twice wanted to play for Team USA and been turned away each time.
Can roster continuity ever return?
Colangelo: “Some things are under your control and some things are not. When I took over I did have some control over setting the tone. I did want a three-year commitment. I needed three-year commitments and I got them. Be it from Carmelo, LeBron, Wade, Chris Paul, etc. We had a good format where we had competition every two years. But the powers that be changed the format and they thought it was going to be a positive — and I immediately said it may be good for the rest of the world but it’s not for USA Basketball.”
There are only two players (Kevin Durant, Draymond Green) who were on Team USA for both these Olympics and in 2016. Also, there are only two (Khris Middleton, Tatum) who are on this team and the World Cup team. That’s not how Colangelo designed the program and not how most of the rest of the world does it. The World Cup used to be two years before the Olympics, and Colangelo asked for three-year commitments from stars (with the middle year off, save for a training camp), but FIBA changed the cycle by moving the Cup to the year before the Olympics. Jerry was asked if Team USA should stop sending pros and rely on college/younger players, and he didn’t seem to think that was a solution.
What would a gold do for the program, for you?
Colangelo: “If we win, that’s going to put to rest a lot of the things that have been said. Doom and gloom. If we don’t win, people will have their opportunity to take shots. I’m the one that has to look in the mirror and know that I did my best. I’ll tell you in advance the answer is yes. I believe we’re going to win.”
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