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Team USA basketball players are “grumbling” about running head coach Gregg Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs’ style offense at the Olympic Games, according to a report from The Athletic.
Vardon’s report comes after Popovich’s squad lost their group stage opener 83-76 to France – a team led by Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier – on Sunday. It was the Americans’ first Olympic loss in 6,176 days, since being upset by Argentina in the 2004 semifinals.
The report states “the players are frustrated, too, grumbling on their way back to the locker room about ‘running the San Antonio offense’ when apparently they feel like there are better ideas.”
Popovich’s Tokyo roster includes NBA All-Stars Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Jrue Holiday, Zach LaVine, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton and Jayson Tatum.
“I think that’s a little bit of hubris if you think the Americans are supposed to just roll out the ball and win,” Popovich said after the loss. “I mean, we’ve got to work for it just like everybody else.”
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Team USA shot 36 percent from the field (25-of-69) and 31 percent from deep (10-of-32) in the game. The Americans missed their final nine shots, as a 25-game Olympic winning streak came to an end.
“They are better individually,” Fournier, who led all scorers with 28 points, said of his opponents. “But they can be beaten as a team.”
Popovich has struggled as head coach of Team USA since taking over for Mike Krzyzewski, finishing seventh in the 2019 FIBA World Cup and compiling a 6-3 record coaching in major tournament play.
Team USA – which also suffered upset losses to Nigeria and Australia in their warmup schedule – has games against Iran on Wednesday and the Czech Republic on Saturday as they look to bounce back. The Americans will likely need to win both contests to ensure a quarterfinal berth.
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