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Team USA will take on France in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics gold medal game on Friday, with the hopes of avenging their group-stage loss to the Frenchmen last month.
The Americans have won the elusive gold medal in the last three Olympics. Kevin Durant and co. are expected to deliver a fourth successive one when the two sides take to the court at the Super Saitama Arena.
3 factors that can help Team USA bag the gold medal at the 2021 Olympics against France
After an unceremonious start to their Olympic campaign, which saw them lose to France in the opener, Team USA rallied strongly and have looked virtually unbeatable at times. Kevin Durant and Jrue Holiday have been in fine form, and their star power has proved to be overwhelming for opposition teams.
However, Team USA will have to be wary of France, who themselves have a plethora of NBA talent. Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum, and Evan Fournier have looked in good touch, and even Euroleague star Nando De Colo has made a major contribution.
Team USA will have to be at their best to prevail over France and bag the gold medal. On that note, let's take a look at three things they need to do to achieve this objective.
#3 - Team USA will have to play stellar defense throughout the game
During the Olympics, Team USA has shown a tendency to switch off on defense, resulting in them giving up points way too easily. The semi-finals game against Australia is the best example. The Boomers led by as many as 15 points against Gregg Popovich's side due to their lackadaisical effort on defense.
However, when Team USA came down to playing lockdown defense, it led to a 30-12 third-quarter run, which essentially sealed Australia's fate and booked a finals ticket for the Americans.
The USA has some brilliant defenders in Draymond Green, Bam Adebayo, and Jrue Holiday. Players like Kevin Durant and Zach LaVine have also fulfilled their duties on the defensive side of the ball with due diligence.
If Team USA play defense as they did against Australia in the second half of the semis, there is little doubt that they will win this exciting clash against France.
#2 - Gregg Popovich will need his bench to thoroughly outplay France's second unit
No team in the Olympics can match up with Team USA's talent, but the disparity further grows if bench units are taken into account.
Team USA's bench has players like Zach LaVine, Jayson Tatum, Khris Middleton, and Draymond Green, which goes on to show the country's pool of wealth in this sport.
Head coach Gregg Popovich will be expecting the aforementioned players to dominate their counterparts when the starters are rested.
Team USA have an extremely balanced bench, with the right blend of scoring and defense. France have a relatively weak bench, and if Team USA's second unit can outscore them by a healthy margin, Popovich's team should have no problem winning this game.
#1 - Kevin Durant will need to be at his best
Kevin Durant had a stellar 2020-21 season despite returning from an Achilles injury, which is considered to be the most brutal injury a basketball player can endure. He had a memorable 2021 playoff run and would have led his team to the Eastern Conference finals if his foot was mere inches behind the three-point line.
Durant has been exceptional in the Olympics as well, proving to be unguardable throughout the event. He dropped 23 points and 9 rebounds against the Aussies in the semi-finals on 52% shooting from the field, effectively taking the game away from them on his own. He has also shown a commitment to play defense, acting as a rim protector when one of Bam Adebayo or Draymond Green is caught out of position.
If Durant continues this terrific run against France in the final, the Frenchmen will not be able to stop Team USA from winning a gold medal in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
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