PITTSBURGH -- Pitt head coach Jeff Capel coached three USA teams in international competition, including the 2016 Olympics. He told the Fan Morning Show on Wednesday about some of the 2021 Olympic team’s issues.
“Where we get into trouble as a country is our arrogance,” Capel told 93.7 The Fan. “We just think we can roll a ball out, put talent together and it’s going to happen. ’92, the original Dream Team completely changed the game of basketball. It made it a more global game.”
Capel pointed out the number of NBA MVP’s, Sixth Man awards, Luca Doncic winning Rookie of the Year. All non-Americans.
“The world has gotten so much better,” Capel said. “We’ve gotten better, but the thing that happens is those guys play for their country every summer. There is a dedication to it every summer. They’ve grown up playing for their country.”
The Pitt head coach said he was not surprised Nigeria beat Team USA, noting they have pro players. They also play together in their professional off-seasons and often raise the level of their games in international competitions. Plus the mystique of United States basketball dominance if over.
“It’s completely different,” Capel said. “They have a love and passion for their country that for whatever reasons, this is just being honest, that our guys don’t have.”
Capel says there is also a strategy that many countries use that the US does not. He remembers in 2010 coaching the U-18 team and playing Brazil in a friendly. Brazil didn’t play some of their main players because they weren’t worried about losing the game. They used it as an opportunity to scout the Americans and learn their tendencies.
He said American coaches won’t do that because there is so much pressure to win every game due to expectations. They really can’t just play exhibition games to prepare.
Judging by the outcry over the two recent losses, it’s hard to argue with this point.
There is also the legitimate lack of practice time for this team because of the calendar pushback on the NBA season due to COVID-19.
“This one is harder because they just literally just got together,” Capel told The Fan Morning Show. “They had three practices and they played an exhibition game.”
“When you look at Jayson Tatum. When you look at Bradley Beal. Those guys probably haven’t done anything since they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, to give their bodies a break. Kevin Durant just finished his season. You have three guys that are really good players that aren’t there yet. They are still playing in the NBA Finals. They will jump on a plane together and go meet the team.”
It’s not as though the Americans can’t win, in fact the three-time Team USA coach believes they took some steps beating Argentina Tuesday.
“It was really good, their performance,” Capel said. “They’ve actually gotten better each game.”
“I think we will be ok. I hope we will be ok when we get to a full roster. I think the guys’ eyes are open and we understand how together we have to be.”