USA basketball team – Stephen Curry or Russell Westbrook after Rajon’s withdrawal?
After the withdrawal of the Boston Celtics guard, Rajon Rondo to represent America in the FIBA World Championships in Turkey at the end of this month, the experts say that the final roster position will be a battle between the Golden State Warriors man Stephen Curry and Oklahoma Thunders Russell Westbrook.
The experts say that both players have not yet put up any performance that differentiates them from the rest of the pack and cements their position permanently on the USA team roster. Over here we will be discussing the fact that if it comes down to the wire then who will the experts chose between the two to represent team USA in Turkey. Let’s have a look at some of the qualities of the two players that experts have said make them potential candidates for the spot.
Experts compare the talents of Westbrook as more like Rajon Rondo and that of Derrick Rose. Many of the experts unanimously agree on the fact that Westbrook is without a doubt a better player when it comes to the physical part. Experts say that his talent and abilities make him one of those who bind the team together and can be considered more like a lock to the team. According to what reports have been saying, the experts agree with the fact all three players can penetrate the opponents defence with loads of strength and quickness. All three players are said to be some of the superior and best defensive guards.
According to experts Rondo, Rose and Westbrook though are very talented but lack behind when it comes to the department of shooting. According to experts this may seem unusual but this is one of the things that may enable him to carve his way to the USA team roster. Curry is flooded with talent and skill when it comes to long range shooting specially three-pointers, and as statistics show that during the past few years it has been the three-pointers that have had a lot of impact on the outcome of the game therefore Curry is of some importance to them.
The international game is more focused on the fact that the team controls the flow of the game and ball distribution is flawless. Experts say that unlike the NBA, the international game’s offense starts from the perimeter rather than the post. Experts also say that it is important to match the opponent when they are on a hot streak so as to keep the game in balance.
Statistics show that the despite the fact that USA has one of the best offense in the championship provided by players like Kevin Durant and Danny Granger, but this also remains a fact that as if a team lacks consistent perimeter scoring then they should expect doom and nothing more.
This can very well be seen from the fact that though the USA has LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, who are the top players of the NBA they too lacked in perimeter shooting in the 2004 Olympics that resulted in the USA team having to settle for a bronze medal.
If we talk about the defensive skills then Westbrook is better than Curry according to many experts as he was fourth in the NBA season for the most number of steals. Though Curry is not a powerhouse in the position but he can be considered as one of the good defensive players and one who can provide the team with a stable defensive while playing with Rose.
According to many as the US team is lacking some big players or shooters, therefore it is possible that they will choose Curry due to the fact that they see the three-point issue as one of the critical ones when it will come down to the wire and an issue on which the USA team definitely needs to improve.
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