Inside Locker Room: Stephen Curry & Team USA Live in “Appropriate Fear” as Steve Kerr’s Confession Spreads Worry

The star-laden Team USA might truly have no weakness. They have fierce defenders, individual scorers, and expert playmakers. Above all, they have unrivaled acclaim and intimidation. It primarily lingers around the big names of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, the three kingpins of the modern era. The group shouldn’t have much to fear.

Until they did when they faced South Sudan in London before hopping on a train ride to Paris. The fairly new squad pushed the ‘Dream Team 2.0’ to the verge of defeat. If it wasn’t for the unstoppable freight train drive from James, basketball would have seen the biggest upset in the sport’s history.

Likewise, before they face South Sudan again, Stephen Curry admitted to feeling jitters before every game. “We have appropriate fear of everybody,” the Chef told The Athletic.

In particular, the two-time MVP dumped massive praise on Royal Ivey’s men for their succumb and shoot play style. It was something Team USA underestimated when they played in London. After the game, Steve Kerr was the first one to admit his faults. “I did not do a great job preparing our team,” he said at the press conference after the narrow showcase win over South Sudan.

Notably, Team USA didn’t use their practice day to prepare for South Sudan. Additionally, they didn’t have enough study material or film to anticipate what was to come. The result was Ivey’s full-game pressure and volume shooting tactics blindsided them. South Sudan didn’t just take many threes, but they hit the mark at a healthy clip.

“This team was quicker than the teams we played so far, and we had a really hard time guarding the ball the first half and because of that, they were getting open for 3s. “One thing we know well with USA basketball, if teams are going to make 14 3s on us, then they’ve got a real shot,” Kerr added.

During the one-point loss to Team USA, South Sudan shot 14-of-33 from range during the game. The likes of Carlik Jones and Marial Shayok troubled the US defense with their quick handle and ball movement. Additionally, South Sudan also has great size on their team, making life difficult for Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis.

Curry attested to these hurdles too. “I think more so it just challenges you to immensely prepare for a team that might not know a lot about ahead of time from a scouting-report standpoint to then make the necessary adjustments that we’re going to make to have a better showing against them. (South Sudan has) a very high-octane offense, (its players) spread the floor and shoot a lot of 3s and have athleticism. So you just got to be mindful of how to guard them,” Curry admitted.

In their second showdown, Team USA has a blueprint of what to expect. On the other hand, South Sudan will look to chase the history that they came agonizingly close to during their London bout.

Steve Kerr was unhappy with Stephen Curry and Team USA’s London trip

It wasn’t just South Sudan that pushed Team USA. In the next game, even with a practice day and better preparation, Germany nearly dethroned the royal roster. But then once again, LeBron James put on his invisible suit of armor and rescued the day. At the time, Steve Kerr decided to stay level-headed and keep his composure.

That changed the second Team USA lined up for practice in Paris.

“That’s what today is about. It’s the reminder. It’s time. We’re here. “So it’s got to be 40 minutes of force and attention and focus, and we can’t let teams outplay us effort- and energy-wise like we did the other night against Germany like we did against South Sudan,” the USA head coach said to the entire team during practice.

Given the offensive prowess of the team, the US should have no worries about putting points on the board. The main challenge is matching the tenacity of South Sudan. They not only take away any breathing room while defending, but their attack is just as rapid and explosive. Team USA will need to curate a scheme that takes away their three-point volume to avoid another close call.

Do you think Steve Kerr will have a strategy in mind? Let us know your views in the comments below.