Jerry Colangelo Says This American Team Is “By Far” Better Than 2010’s

This World Cup squad isn’t the one USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo envisioned before this summer. 2012 Olympians Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love and Team USA locks Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge all elected against representing their country before training camp began in late July. After Paul George’s devastating injury and Kevin Durant’s subsequent departure just days later, the United States bore barely passing resemblance to the group Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski thought they’d field in Spain.

But the expectations never change for USA Basketball. It’s gold or nothing for the Americans despite this depleted roster, an attitude they propagate as much as the rest of the world acknowledges. And frankly, the “depleted” team Colangelo has in place is more than talented enough to purvey such hubris, a fact evidenced by his lasting confidence in the 2014 FIBA squad.

When asked by ESPN’s Marc Stein whether or not this team is better than the 2010 version that won FIBA gold, Colangelo answered firmly.

“By far,” Colangelo told ESPN.com. “Because we have a couple of Olympic gold medalists on this roster in Anthony Davis and James Harden. We have three players from that team in 2010? in Steph Curry, Derrick Rose and Rudy Gay. And they’re not 21 this time. They’re 23 or 24. A little bit older and more mature?.

“We like our team. We really do.”

It speaks to how far the national program has come in four years that the absence of Durant and company – let alone the old guard led LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony – has made such waves. No members of the 2008 Olympic team played at FIBA two years later, and that wasn’t a surprise – James, Paul, Anthony, Kobe Bryant, and the rest never seriously considered competing in the World Championships.

So that 2012 Olympians Durant, Westbrook, Love, James Harden, and Anthony Davis all committed to playing in the World Cup was a huge step for USA Basketball, even if only the latter two players ended up traveling to Spain.

And as for whether or not this group is more talented than the 2010 team, there’s really no debate. Durant was in the position then that Davis is now, while Derrick Rose and Steph Curry were in their embryonic stages four years ago. The 2010 FIBA team didn’t have a wing as close to dynamic as James Harden, and their frontcourt depth paled in comparison to this iteration of the national team’s.

The only attribute that squad has one this one? Age. This Team USA is the youngest USAB has ever fielded, averaging 24.08 years of age. But that edge for the 2010 team is all but completely mitigated by the superior experience of this American group. It’s a good thing that Team USA is better than four years ago, too, because the FIBA field is stronger as well. That likely won’t show, however, until the US meets Spain in the championship game.

The Americans get their first opportunity to make good on Colangelo’s confidence tomorrow at 3:30ET on ESPN against Finland.

What do you think?

Follow Jack on Twitter at @ArmstrongWinter.

Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.

Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.

×