{"id":88874,"date":"2024-08-04T18:36:15","date_gmt":"2024-08-04T22:36:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=88874"},"modified":"2024-08-04T18:36:15","modified_gmt":"2024-08-04T22:36:15","slug":"paris-olympics-key-team-usa-piece-returns-at-perfect-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/08\/04\/paris-olympics-key-team-usa-piece-returns-at-perfect-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Paris Olympics: Key Team USA Piece Returns At Perfect Time"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>After being scratched ahead their blowout victory over Puerto Rico, Team USA guard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/holidjr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jrue Holiday<\/a> will return to the lineup Tuesday against Brazil, according USA Basketball head coach Steve Kerr (h\/t Andscape\u2019s Marc J. Spears).<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">USA coach Steve Kerr says Jrue Holiday (ankle) will play Tuesday vs Brazil.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarcJSpears\/status\/1819784166138880146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 3, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The veteran, who stars for the NBA\u2019s Boston Celtics, rolled his ankle against South Sudan last Wednesday. However, he was officially listed as questionable leading up to Saturday\u2019s game. That being said, he\u2019ll likely be moving well when he gets back.<\/p>\n<p>The primary question is whether or not Holiday will return to the starting lineup.<\/p>\n<h2>Jrue Holiday Returns To Team USA At Perfect Time<\/h2>\n<p>Holiday started in Team USA\u2019s opener against Serbia, as he had throughout their pre-Olympic exhibitions.<\/p>\n<p>However, when Team USA faced South Sudan, he and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/e\/embiijo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joel Embiid<\/a> were replaced by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/tatumja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jayson Tatum<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/davisan02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anthony Davis<\/a>. While Davis returned to the second unit against Puerto Rico, Tatum stayed in the first with the starters. Whether this is due to Holiday\u2019s injury or not is unknown. Nonetheless, with what are essentially two different platoons, Holiday\u2019s role could become a matter of continuity.<\/p>\n<p>With that being said, he might be penciled into starting lineup, joined by Embiid, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jamesle01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LeBron James<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/curryst01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephen Curry<\/a>, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bookede01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Devin Booker<\/a>. If so, the timing could hardly be any better.<\/p>\n<h3>Brazil Can\u2019t Be Underestimated<\/h3>\n<p>Brazil guard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/international\/players\/yago-mateus-dos-santos-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Yago dos Santos<\/a> can\u2019t be underestimated.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"tr\">Yago dos Santos, ilk \u00e7eyre\u011fin sonucunu belirliyor.\ud83d\udc40 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Ti35dCaxuE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/Ti35dCaxuE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Euroleague Basketbolu (@EBasketbolu) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EBasketbolu\/status\/1817224259501969578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 27, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"pt\">YAGO DOS SANTOS \u00c9 O NOME DELE<br \/>\nGIGANTESCOOOOOOOOOOO! \ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddf7<\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfa5 <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CazeTVOficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@CazeTVOficial<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/oE6RWCewUz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/oE6RWCewUz<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Comenta Bucks (@comentabucks) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/comentabucks\/status\/1818373887760998694?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 30, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Averaging 9.0 points and 6.0 assists in the Paris Olympics, he\u2019s his team\u2019s most important playmaker. So, if Team USA wants to dominate wire to wire for the first time this tournament, slowing him is key. Dos Santos is more than a great passer though, as he\u2019s quick and shifty with a knack for midair adjustments.<\/p>\n<p>Holiday, considered by many to be the best perimeter defender in the NBA, is well-suited for the job.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Jrue Holiday has been absolutely suffocating South Sudan\u2019s backcourt <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/uB1hypWVzD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/uB1hypWVzD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Antwane Willis Jr.\u270d\ufe0f\ud83c\udffe (@AntwaneWillisJr) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AntwaneWillisJr\/status\/1818729898065760703?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 31, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>This could also be a game in which defensive stud <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/whitede01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Derrick White<\/a> makes his presence felt.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Derrick White: \u201cStop playing\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What a block<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/USABasketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#USABasketball<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IDbiB0Q9yY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/IDbiB0Q9yY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 TimeoutSPORTS__ (@TimeoutSPORTS3) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TimeoutSPORTS3\/status\/1818728478226731178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 31, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Should the frontcourt handle business and also bottle up Brazil MVP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/cabocbr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bruno Caboclo<\/a>, they\u2019ll be in business.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Brazilian KD goes at it \ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddf7 Bruno Caboclo with a game of the tournament! \ud83d\ude33<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Paris2024<\/a> x <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Basketball<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1MOMfU8VE0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/1MOMfU8VE0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 FIBA (@FIBA) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FIBA\/status\/1819324474824561038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 2, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Caboclo, hoping to make it back to the NBA, is averaging 13.0 points per game in the Olympics. On top of his production, he\u2019s been uber-efficient, shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 80.0 percent from 3. That\u2019s not to say Caboclo has been the most dominant scorer in Paris. Yet, considering that James is averaging 14.3 points per game this tournament, his numbers look a bit less modest.<\/p>\n<h3>Canada Awaits<\/h3>\n<p>If Team USA makes it to the gold medal game, Holiday could be more important than ever. Canada, on the other side of the bracket, is strong is in the backcourt. While led by 2024 NBA MVP runner-up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gilgesh01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a> and 2019 No. 3 pick <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/barrerj01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RJ Barrett<\/a>, they also have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/murraja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jamal Murray<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/n\/nembhan01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Andrew Nembhard<\/a>. In what would likely be their stiffest competition of Olympics, they would have to bring their on the perimeter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After being scratched ahead their blowout victory over Puerto Rico, Team USA guard Jrue Holiday will return to the lineup Tuesday against Brazil, according USA Basketball head coach Steve Kerr (h\/t Andscape\u2019s Marc J. Spears). USA coach Steve Kerr says Jrue Holiday (ankle) will play Tuesday vs Brazil. \u2014 Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) August 3, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5008,"featured_media":88893,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[60,1608,5,62,3],"tags":[239,4745,1052,2081],"class_list":["post-88874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-olympics","category-basketball","category-celtics","category-nba","category-news","tag-jrue-holiday","tag-nba-injuries","tag-olympics","tag-team-usa"],"modified_by":"Quenton S Albertie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5008"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88874"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88874\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}