USA Basketball

Marc D'Amico

BOSTON – Three Boston Celtics played key roles in Team USA’s 102-86 victory over Australia during the wee hours of Thursday.

Following a 5:30 a.m. ET tip-off (7:30 p.m. local in Melbourne, Australia), Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored in double-figures while combining to score 45 of Team USA’s 102 points, which amounts to 44.1 percent of the team's scoring. Walker started and led all scorers in the game with 23 points. Brown, who also started, and Tatum matched each other with 11 points apiece.

There were three stretches of the game during which all three Celtics were on the floor together. Those moments proved to be some of Team USA’s best of the contest.

The trio, flanked at different moments by Kyle Kuzma, Mason Plumlee, Harrison Barnes and Joe Harris, led Team USA while it turned an eight-point lead into a 15-point lead during the final 3:09 of the third quarter. The USA squad never relinquished control of the contest from that moment on.

Each of Boston’s players made an impact on the game and had some very strong moments. Below is a synopsis of each player’s performance against the Aussies.

Walker started at point guard and heated up as the contest unfolded. He scored two points during the first quarter, five during the second quarter, seven during the third quarter and nine during the fourth quarter to total his game-high 23 points. He shot 9-of-22 overall from the field.

Most of Walker’s early attempts came from the mid-range, but by the end of the game, he was attacking the basket or launching from 3-point range. He found much more success with the latter tactic.

Walker also contributed six rebounds and an assist.

A couple of notes stood out from Walker’s performance. First and foremost is the fact that Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich is planning to ride Walker as one of his top players. Walker logged more minutes than any player on the team, with 26.

What also stood out is Walker’s defensive effort. Marcus Smart, who is also a member of the Team USA squad but has yet to play due to a lower-leg injury, recently said that Walker is “actually a really good defensive player.” The tape from Thursday’s contest supports that claim, as Walker stayed tight to his man throughout the contest, communicated with his teammates, and gave great effort.

Brown started and played very well during his 20-plus minutes of action. He said Tuesday that his role on this team is to be a “utility guy,” one who plays aggressively and attacks the glass. He fulfilled that role at a high level during this victory.

Nearly all of Brown’s early impact on the game arrived in the rebounding department, where he consistently attacked rebounds and boxed opposing players out. He grabbed six rebounds during the game, but his impact on the glass felt far more significant than that number.

Brown didn’t find his groove offensively until the fourth quarter, when he made three of his five field goals. However, one of his standout offensive plays arrived during the second quarter.

The soon-to-be fourth-year player yanked down a rebound and took the ball the length of the court for a driving layup at the other end. During his drive to the basket, he was bumped by an Australian player, but it was as if the bump had never even happened. Brown’s strength absorbed the contact and he finished his layup with ease.

Based upon Brown’s first games with Team USA, as well as some clips that have surfaced from his practices with the team, it appears as if the wing’s body is stronger than ever. He’s playing with power at both ends, which is a great development for Boston.

Tatum may not have started, but he continued to stuff the stat sheet for Team USA. He tallied 11 points, four assists, three rebounds and a steal during nearly 23 minutes of action.

The top takeaway from watching Tatum in this game is that his poise, decision-making and patience were all outstanding. He saw the floor well, which translated both to assists and to locating open shooting areas. During one particular play, Joe Harris drove along the right baseline, and the left corner was left unoccupied. Tatum noticed, relocated himself from the wing to the corner, and Harris found him for an open jumper.

This was just one example of Tatum showing significant development with his feel for the game while with Team USA. He’s making great decisions, he’s seeing the floor at a high level on both ends, and he’s very aware of his surroundings. Coupling those facts with his raw talent would take his game to a whole other level this season for Boston.

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Celtics Lead USA to 102-86 Victory Over Australia

BOSTON – Four Celtics players - nearly one-third of Boston’s roster – have been selected to participate in Team USA’s training camp in August ahead of the 2019 World Cup. That’s a big deal for the Celtics, because those four players will have the opportunity to learn under the tutelage of USA head coach Gregg Popovich and his All-World staff.

This is an opportunity for Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker to have something unlocked in their respective games that could otherwise go untapped. It could be something as simple as an angle of attack, or it could be something as significant as the development of a particular move. Whatever it might be, something is better than nothing, especially in August and early-September.

One way or another, they will leave the five-day training camp as better players than they were when they arrived. Their development will only be intensified if they do, in fact, make the final 12-man roster that will eventually play in the World Cup in China.

Such is a guarantee under the tutelage of Popovich, Steve Kerr and Jay Wright, who comprise Team USA’s coaching staff. While Brown, Smart and Tatum have played under a great coach in Brad Stevens for their entire professional careers, and while Walker has been led by four separate head coaches with the Charlotte Hornets, none of them are Popovich, who might be the GOAT.

Popovich has led the San Antonio Spurs to unprecedented success during his 23-year tenure as their head coach. The team won at least 50 games for a record 18 consecutive seasons, all while winning five titles. Popovich has earned three NBA Coach of the Year awards.

Kerr and Wright are highly accomplished coaches in their own right. Kerr has led the Golden State Warriors to five consecutive NBA Finals appearances, including three championships. Wright, meanwhile, has won two NCAA national championships as head coach at Villanova University.

Do not misinterpret the message here: This training camp and the ensuing tournament isn’t about Brown, Smart, Tatum and Walker playing under better coaches; it’s about them playing under other coaches, which cracks open the door of the unknown.

Every time a player is taught by a new coach, there is an opportunity for growth. That coach might see something from a new and different perspective, or teach something in a particular way that makes something click for that particular player.

This has been done time and time again by Popovich in San Antonio, which adds to his growing lore. Countless players quietly entered the Spurs system and turned into highly-regarded NBA players.

The magic started with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, who were the 28th and 57th overall picks in their respective drafts and went on to build Hall of Fame careers. Kawhi Leonard, a No. 15 pick, is well on his way to doing the same. Even DeMar DeRozan, a four-time All-Star, put together his best all-around statistical season as a pro during his first under Popovich.

Many other Spurs players have surpassed their assumed ceilings as well. Think of guys like Patty Mills, Dejounte Murray, Kyle Anderson, Danny Green, Boris Diaw, Cory Joseph and Marco Belinelli, who were relative unknowns until they played under Popovich.

Player development is real, and Popovich could very well be the best at it. Players improve under his tutelage, be it for a day, a week, a month, or years. The same can be said for disciples of Kerr and Wright.

That’s why Boston should be excited about four of its core players being members of Team USA’s training camp. Brown, Smart, Tatum and Walker are in position to learn and develop with this team, which will make life even better for Stevens and the Celtics when their training camp opens in late-September.

how-participation-with-team-usa-will-change-four-celtics

How Participation with Team USA Will Change Four Celtics

WALTHAM, Mass. – Brad Stevens unequivocally stated Wednesday afternoon that he would gladly accept an offer to become the next head coach of USA Basketball.

Asked about the potential of being approached for the position, Stevens said, “You say ‘yes’ before they get the question out of their mouths.”

Jerry Colangelo, who is the managing director and chairman of USA Basketball, is the man who would pose such a question.  He is in the process of determining a successor for current USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who on Monday told ESPN that the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics will mark the end of his tenure as head coach of the program.

The notion that Stevens, who has been involved with USA Basketball since 2010, is the perfect replacement is quickly gaining momentum.

“[Hiring Stevens] would be amazing,” said Marcus Smart, who has been in the USA Basketball program since he was 17 and is entering his second year with the Celtics.  “I respect Brad to the fullest.  I think everybody in this league respects Brad and understands how good of a coach he is.”

Respect is only one of the similarities that Stevens shares with Krzyzewski. In fact, Smart’s description of Krzyzewski’s coaching style could easily be mistaken for a description of Stevens’.

“He’s a unique coach,” Smart told Celtics.com.  “He doesn’t have to yell.  He’s very calm and collected, but he gets his point across.  He yells when he needs to, obviously, but he’s so respected.  Players respect him and they play their hardest for him.”

So, too, does every player who passes through the Celtics locker room.  Such has become Boston’s calling card under Stevens.

Smart went on to compare Stevens to the five-time NCAA champion and two-time Olympics champion.

“Brad is similar in a way that he lets you play your game,” said Smart.  “He gives you the green light.  He doesn’t try to stop you from doing what you do.  He doesn’t try to tell you, ‘This is what you need to do instead of this.’  He lets you play and he lets you be a basketball player.  Brad doesn’t really yell that much either unless he has to.”

Smart’s words should not be taken lightly.  He is the best source in the world when it comes to a player who has called both Stevens and Krzyzewski his coach at this stage of their careers.  His opinion holds credence.

It is also a near-guarantee that anyone in the game of basketball would associate integrity, accountability, reliability, ingenuity, and the ability to stay even-keeled with each coach.  This is despite the fact that they are separated by 30 years of age.

Krzyzewski told ESPN that the next coach must be able to “keep the continuity of the program going.”  Stevens, who is just 38 years old, would be able to do so for a long, long time.

And the kicker is that he wants it to happen.

Stevens is partial to once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.  It is the reason why he is in Boston.

Multiple programs attempted to pry Stevens away from Butler University during his tenure as the Bulldogs’ head coach.  It wasn’t until the Celtics came calling that he truly considered leaving his former post.

It was a special opportunity – one he couldn’t pass up.

“First of all: The Boston Celtics.  Like… wow,” Stevens said at his introductory press conference with the 17-time world champions.  “That is an incredible feeling.  It’s an incredible honor.”

No greater honor exists in the game of basketball than to represent your country in an attempt to bring home a gold medal.  It is as special as it gets.

The fit appears to be perfect.  Stevens, in many ways, is a younger version of Krzyzewski who is capable of maintaining the culture within the USA Basketball program.  And he has already said ‘yes’ to the position in a public forum.

What remains to be seen is whether or not he'll be able to utter that decisive word while cutting off his friend, Jerry Colangelo.

USA Basketball

Celtics Lead USA to 102-86 Victory Over Australia

How Participation with Team USA Will Change Four Celtics

Stevens To Say 'Yes' If USA Offers Head Coach Job