Serious Trouble Brewing for Team USA? 9X NBA Champ and DPOY Don’t See Eye to Eye as Draymond Green Tactics Flare Issues at FIBA World Cup 2023

Team USA kicked off their 2023 FIBA World Cup tournament with a dominant victory over New Zealand. NBA’s rising stars blew out the Kiwis 99-72 and announced their arrival in the World Cup. With young talent like Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton, Team USA has a strong chance of winning the tournament. It also helps that they have the NBA’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year in their squad.

Memphis Grizzlies center Jaren Jackson Jr. has made quite a name for himself at just 24 years old. Jackson has become the defensive anchor of the Memphis squad in just 5 years. But there has always been one part of his game that has haunted him. 9-time champion Steve Kerr, who is coaching Jackson in the World Cup, pointed out his weakness, which could prove to be a problem for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup.

Steve Kerr and Jaren Jackson Jr.’s disagreement is bad for Team USA

Jaren Jackson Jr. is an elite defender at a very young age. He can protect the rim with his shot-blocking ability and defend players on the perimeter using his quickness and athleticism. But Jackson has always been prone to getting in foul trouble. His aggressiveness and dedication on defense can sometimes lead to hurting his team as he is not available to play in the crucial moments of the match. Even in Team USA’s World Cup opener on Saturday, Jackson fouled out with almost 6 minutes remaining in the game.

Team USA’s coach Steve Kerr, recognized the problem, and Jackson played only 16 minutes in the match. Addressing Jackson’s unavailability, Kerr said, “He’s foul-prone in the NBA. So, there’s always one or two plays where you just want him to let it go, because he’s too important to us.” Kerr knows Jaren Jackson Jr.’s weakness because he is the one who exploited it during the 2022 playoffs, coaching Stephen Curry and Co. Jackson did not agree with the 9-time champion, “If I’m gonna be less aggressive, I’m gonna have less blocks, I’m gonna bring less rim protection, and I’ma have less fouls with all that. Pick one or the other. Which one do you want? Do you want me to be great or not?”

Steve Kerr has seen this movie before

Steve Kerr has a lot of experience with passionate players like Jaren Jackson Jr. because he has been coaching one of the most passionate players in the NBA for a long time. Warriors Center Draymond Green has proven time and again that he can get too aggressive on the court and hurt his team. That happened during the 2016 NBA finals against LeBron James, where he got suspended, and his team blew a 3-1 lead.

Read More: Steph Curry Explains How Important Steve Kerr Was to His Career

“Coach Kerr is using his system. It’s just more or less what Draymond would have run or Looney, and just with better players,” Jackson said about the playing style Steve Kerr is currently using for Team USA.

With Jaren Jackson Jr. and Coach Kerr not seeing eye to eye, this disagreement might prove to be very costly for Team USA in the later stages of the tournament, when the stakes are high. They might cruise through the initial games because of sheer talent, but as their opponents get tougher and smarter, the hole in Jackson’s game can get exploited. Do you think Steve Kerr is right about his Team USA Center?

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