USA Basketball making major lineup change for gold-medal game vs. France

Team USA is bringing in the heavy hitters for Saturday’s gold-medal game.

USA Basketball making major lineup change for gold-medal game

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Friday that the U.S. is planning to move Kevin Durant into the starting lineup for the Olympic men’s basketball final against host nation France on Saturday. Jrue Holiday will move to the bench in order to make room for Durant, Charania adds.

Holiday has been Team USA’s starter on the wing for all but two games of Olympic play (with Jayson Tatum entering the starting lineup for those two games). Durant, who is USA Basketball’s all-time leading Olympic scorer, is indeed the best overall option at that spot. But Durant has been coming off the bench throughout the Paris Games as he works back from a calf injury that cost him virtually all of Team USA’s training camp and exhibitions.

The big starting lineup change comes after Team USA was very nearly upset by Serbia in the Olympic semifinal round on Thursday, only escaping defeat thanks to the heroics of Stephen Curry and Joel Embiid as well as a major mistake late by Serbia. With the 6-foot-11 Durant now entering the starting five in place of the 6-foot-4 Holiday, Team USA will have more length and offensive firepower to throw at the Victor Wembanyama-led French side. United States head coach Steve Kerr faced widespread criticism over his game-plan against Serbia and will now change things up as he looks to deliver a fifth straight Olympic basketball gold medal for Team USA.

Related Posts

Warriors Acquire Trail Blazers Wing And Big Man In Proposed Trade Scenario

The Golden State Warriors can take a major step towards contending if they make this high-risk deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Golden State Warriors have…

Lakers Land Stephen Curry In This ‘Impossible’ Blockbuster Mock Deal

A last-ditch trade effort to get Stephen Curry and LeBron James to team up and play together on the Lakers for the 2024-25 season. The Los Angeles…

Kevin Durant References LeBron James’ Miami Heat Speech With His Olympic Gold Medals

Kevin Durant referenced LeBron James’ iconic ‘not one, not two…’ speech during his Miami Heat press conference when showing off his Olympic gold medal. Kevin Durant had a…

Bam Adebayo calls Kevin Durant the ‘greatest Olympian’ of all time

The dust is settling from Team USA’s incredible run to winning a gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo is reflecting…

Blake Griffin takes awesome role in Payton Pritchard’s wedding

Blake Griffin recently officiated his former Boston Celtics teammate’s wedding. Jaylen Brown uploaded a video of Griffin officiating the wedding next to Payton Pritchard. Despite only spending one year with the Celtics, it’s…

Draymond Green, Ayesha Curry involved in intense confrontation with Paris Police after Olympics

Ayesha Curry, the wife of Warriors and USA basketball star Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green were involved in a confrontation with Paris police on Saturday after Team USA’s gold medal…