Steve Kerr reflects on Team USA's struggles: 'These FIBA teams are really good' / News - Basketnews.com

Steve Kerr analyzed Team USA's FIBA World Cup 2023 performance: "We couldn't get enough stops." The coach also hinted at lessons the NBA can learn from international basketball.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Team USA suffered their third FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 defeat on Sunday and ended their campaign without anything. Steve Kerr's team lost a 127-118 overtime thriller against Canada for the bronze medal and finished fourth.

Player of the Game EFF 42 Dillon Brooks Points 39 Accuracy 12-18 Rebounds 4 Assists 5

This outcome was a departure from their historical dominance, as it was the first time since 1963-1970 that Team USA failed to win a medal in consecutive FIBA World Cup tournaments. During that period, they finished fourth in 1963 and 1967 and fifth in 1970 across three consecutive championships.

Team USA head coach Steve Kerr was well aware of the challenges posed by international competition. He pointed out that he didn't need a reminder of the growing strength of FIBA basketball.

"I did not need any reminder," Kerr emphasized in the post-game conference. "I was on a coaching staff in 2019 [FIBA World Cup], when we finished seventh. The United States has not won a World Cup since 2014. It's hard. These teams in FIBA are really good, well-coached, and they have continuity.

"They played together for a long time, so it's difficult. It's been difficult already. What I am impressed about is the way our guys fought, especially tonight under these circumstances, missing three key teammates, and just battling to the overtime was impressive.

"But the narrative about USA Basketball and FIBA -- do we need reminders? We passed that. These teams are really good."

Before the FIBA World Cup 2023, Kerr and his coaching staff assembled a new roster with no international basketball experience.

"It's hard for us to build continuity with Team USA," Kerr underlined. "Just because we naturally have so much turnover year to year. What we have tried to do is learn what wins a FIBA game. We really studied everything about FIBA, the history of United States basketball -- when we won, what was the reason, and when we lost, what was the reason. We study all that stuff.

"When it comes down to us and this tournament, we put ourselves in a great position, we got to the semifinals. We were right there, but we could not get enough stops. We did not defend well against Germany or Canada. That's the bottom line. Every year, we are trying to build the best two-way team we can."

Regarding the potential for the NBA to learn from FIBA, Kerr acknowledged that the two leagues had distinct styles, but there is something to add to the NBA to improve this product.

"The NBA is very different from FIBA, for sure. I think there are some things from the FIBA game that would be good in the NBA and vice versa. But that's a longer conversation than just answering that question up here. But there is a lot to learn, for sure."

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