Atlanta Hawks: Team USA needs Trae Young’s desire to represent
Atlanta Hawks superstar Trae Young had an incredible season. He led his team to an unlikely playoff berth and then played with so much passion and heart that the narrative around him is going to keep on changing, especially if he can keep winning.
Still, despite having such a successful season, Young was not named in any of the All-NBA teams, nor was he named an All-Star. He used those snubs to take his game to a higher level. His passion to be the best was there for all to see. He has been doubted so much of his career that he wanted to be recognized too.
Young, who had also expressed a desire to play for his country at the Olympics was snubbed for this team as well. The problem is that Team USA is no longer the dominant force in world basketball that they once were. The rest of the world is catching up or has caught up.
Atlanta Hawks superstar Trae Young’s passion is needed by Team USA
Because the rest of the world is either on a similar level to Team USA or just below, it is not a good idea to cobble together a team of stars, and others, expecting to win. They are playing against teams who have a desire to win, a passion to play for their country and this gives the opposition a boost. This is not to mention that Team USA brings out the best in their opposition.
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If you look at the teams that are at the Olympics, they are full of NBA talent. Yes, they are not at the level of Damian Lillard or Kevin Durant but they are still good basketballers. If you look at Australia, they have most of their top talent and they all want to play as they are desperate to win an Olympic medal. They have so much passion to play for their country.
Juan Hernangómez is upset with his NBA team, the Minnesota Timberwolves because they stopped him from representing his country at the Olympics. There is so much passion to play for your national team at the highest international stage.
The other issue faced by Team USA is they have not put a good team on the court. Yes, they are all good players but they are not a true, well-structured team. They do not have a point guard who creates for themselves and others.
Lillard is a tremendous player but the Portland Trail Blazers have been one of the worst teams in terms of assists per game. Jrue Holiday is a tremendous defensive point guard, but he does not run the offense for his own team, let alone his national team.
To put it bluntly, the decision-makers got this one wrong. If you have a player with the ability of Trae Young, who is desperate to play for his country, you have to pick him. If you don’t you run the risk of losing to another top international team.
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If this happens to be a final, then this team will forever be remembered for the wrong reasons and all the while Young is on vacation. There is a good chance that the USA will win this gold medal but they need to take this as a wake-up call.