Is Team USA bad at basketball? Poor performance in Paris Olympics raises doubts

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Paris Olympics has seen too tough and intense basketball action this time as almost all team participating in this sport have been performing extremely well throughout the Olympic journey. Among them, Team USA has outdone them all in the main team event in men's basketball, while targeting their fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal here.

Is Team USA very bad at 3x3 basketball?

However, not much can be said in the 3x3 category of men's basketball as Team USA has lagged behind in terms of performance in this, having not even qualified to the knockout stage in this particular category. Team USA lost five of their seven games here in Paris, and simply crashed out, just like it had done in previous editions of the Olympics. However, there is one simple question in the mind of basketball fans: If Team USA is so good in the main team event of basketball, how come they are not doing well in the 3x3 category?
Even though the players in the squad are similar, and all other playing conditions are also quite similar, Team USA is still not able to get an edge or grip on their games in the Olympics, going down to multiple rookie and average teams.

Difference in play could be a primary reason

Even though the playing conditions may seem similar, the rules, strategy and court are somehow different than the usual basketball events, see in USA's NBA. 3x3 basketball uses only a half court with a single basket, and has a smaller ball dimension, making it indeed a tricky game if you do not strategize and improvise the whole year.

FAQs