The Paris Olympics are drawing to a close, and Team USA is in a dominant position in men’s basketball. A huge 122-87 win over Brazil in the quarterfinals takes USA to a 4-0 record in the games, with an average win margin of 24.75 points. It’s exactly the kind of performance the team wanted in Paris, and the statement we wanted to see.
Evan Turner of The Point Forward Podcast was joined by Payton Pritchard of the Celtics to discuss whether USA can bring home the gold. Pritchard is uniquely positioned to discuss the team’s potential with three of his teammates in Boston current representing the United States in Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holliday, and Derrick White.
Like most basketball fans, Pritchard was stunned when Tatum didn’t play in the USA’s first game again Serbia, seen as a critical statement game against Nikola Jokic.
“We all know how talented he is,” Pritchard said, “I’ve been in situations like that. Not to his level, but it’s a humbling experience.” Every athlete feels like they should be playing, contributing, and making a difference — regardless of talent level. That confidence and drive make them better, and ultimately Pritchard thinks it’ll be a good experience for the Celtics mega star. “I’m excited to see what he does with that. That just adds more fuel to the fire.”
Pritchard thinks that being knocked down the pecking order on Team USA will motivate Tatum to come back to the NBA next year and want to prove his dominance even more, perhaps even to run it back and win another title with Boston. “Now you gotta show people again, because they doubting,” he says, “I’m looking forward to JT proving them wrong.”
Outside of playing alongside three of the current Team USA members, Pritchard had hands-on experience with this squad. Named to the select team, he practiced alongside the team that went to Paris, and got a sense of their potential. It was less about simply playing against the greats of the modern era that appealed to Pritchard, but a chance to observe their preparation.
“What time are they waking up? Just analyzing all that kind of stuff. That’s what I was most looking forward to. It’s just being able to take a couple of things in terms of what they did for their body. When are they lifting? All those sorts of things.”
One hypothetical question that Turner asked didn’t require a moment of thought: If the 2023-24 Boston Celtics went to the Olympics and competed against the world, could they take home the gold medal?
“I’d bet my money on it that we would. I’m not gonna say it’s a done deal for sure […] You win an NBA Championship. Go through a whole season like that and learn to play together — yeah, we’d be alright.”
Team USA’s next test comes in the semi-finals against Serbia in the rematch. It’ll be another chance to prove who runs the world in men’s basketball.
