Team USA Basketball Futures Bets for Paris Olympics
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00:00and we'll see you back here next week.
00:02We'll be right back.
00:06Paris preparation yesterday in
00:09Las Vegas. You can see the Eiffel Tower from the
00:12strip. So Team USA getting ready
00:15for the Olympic Games later this
00:18month. Today is July 11th opening
00:21ceremonies of the Olympiad just about two
00:24weeks away over in France of Team
00:27USA getting ready for the Olympic Games
00:30yesterday starting against our rivals from the
00:33Great White North in the Canadians who enter the
00:36Olympic Games with the second best price 20 men's
00:39basketball gold medal. Despite the Americans being
00:42close to a $5 odds on favorite
00:45took the Americans a few moments to get the rust
00:48off and gel together yesterday. They were down by
00:51seven at the end of the opening quarter against
00:54in loaded as you would presume just not quite
00:57to the level of Team USA. The final three
01:00quarters, especially the second half really good
01:03for the United States. 86-72
01:06the victory for Team USA over Team
01:09Canada. There were odds associated with this
01:12exhibition match yesterday. The US on FanDuel
01:15an 11 and a half point favorite total was 200
01:18and a hook both LeBron James and Stephen Curry
01:21talked about physicality needed in FIBA rules
01:24on the defensive end of the four. We saw
01:27that yesterday stays well under that total of 200
01:30and a hook. All right. I got a couple of I got a couple
01:33bones to pick before we actually go through this game itself.
01:36Number one, you know me like I like to be on social media.
01:39This game was on late last night. So I didn't get to watch any of it. Woke up this
01:42morning. So the highlights and again, it's cool to see all the superstars out
01:45here. Now number one trying to find a box score for this
01:48game is like I mean, maybe going on a treasure
01:51hunt to try to find something from a lost 1800
01:54ship down like the Bermuda Triangle. So when I do
01:57finally find it at USA basketball, what do we look for? Yeah,
02:00what do we see that see the graphic up there real easy to read? Hey, look
02:0313 points, 12 points, 11 points, 10 points, nine points and
02:06seven points. I go to the website here and it's like
02:09okay do the math yourself Donnie. Well, he went four of six
02:12from three from the field which included two or four
02:15from, you know, two-point range one of two from three-point
02:18range one of two from the free-throw line. Okay. How many points is that?
02:21They don't tell you how many points each one of these guys scored. It's
02:24unbuttoned. The only stat we care about is points
02:27and I got to add it up myself. That's number one.
02:30Number two, as I look at the box score here, Ben
02:33who is Nigel Hayes Davis, Micah
02:36Potter and Langston Galloway getting minutes
02:39or they trainers as if they played for UConn last year
02:42blowing teams out and the trainers get in the basketball game.
02:45What did I miss here? Help me out. So
02:48Micah Potter is a former Wisconsin Badger. Not sure
02:51where he plays in the NBA. Now
02:54I did not see a box score either. So you
02:57can fill me in or Joe Friso our producer can
03:00do they come off the bench for Team USA. I know
03:03Micah Potter's two minutes a piece Johnson. I believe
03:06so they were on the USA select team. I know getting runs
03:09during practice. So maybe they got some run in the
03:12exhibition game to reward them for their service.
03:15So that's number two. I mean, I got a guess I
03:18got to tell you and I mean, we're not using our resources
03:21correctly. It is supposed to be like a dream team here. We got guys don't even
03:24ever heard of here. How's that a dream team at this point? You know what
03:27if I was at minus 470 to win honest
03:30minus 470 to win this to I don't actually be like minus 200
03:33now. We can't be doing this. We can't be doing this.
03:35All right. So those are the only two complaints
03:38was the start that was my order that not make the list.
03:41Okay, our time was okay. Hey, look,
03:44they're in Vegas. So I mean party time, you know, I can't
03:47have I can't have any arguments here because it'll count to be
03:50counterproductive over my normal arguments of why things should be in Vegas
03:53and Miami. So having said that I did appreciate the way Team
03:56USA did play because after the game they admitted they were rusty
03:59in the first quarter didn't play good basketball, but they're saying like
04:02they're calling card typically is hey, let's go up and get a hundred and
04:05thirty points. No, we're going to play lockdown defense and there's a lot of
04:08great defenders on this team here for Team USA. So I did
04:11appreciate that and again against Canada. It wasn't as if Canada's
04:14like hey, they're due to finish 10th overall in this tournament. No
04:17Canada's the odds-on favorite to be number two in this tournament. So
04:20that's a good performance where you don't bring your a game play good defense
04:23to win by double digits. I'll take that. Yeah.
04:27Hey, I don't mind it either right from the actual game
04:30perspective itself. So here's from our production staff
04:33Joe Friese are doing great work to compile the bot. What is
04:36happening to this Mike right now to compile the box score
04:39for you to make sure it just keeps dropping like this.
04:42The I mean, I'm not going to get a joke right now, but we're a family
04:45program. Yeah, we're a family program. So I can't make the appropriate jokes.
04:48I want to make right now. So go. Yeah, goodness gracious.
04:51I need a headset here in studio. By the way, Nigel
04:55Hayes also a former Wisconsin Badger,
04:58but now goes by Nigel Hayes Davis.
05:02So he and his form. Wait a sec. No, wait a second.
05:05Oh, no, I shouldn't say wait now. Wait a second.
05:09Who is the Nigel Nigel Hayes that we're running
05:12from at this point? We had to add Davis in there. Now look,
05:15if you would have actually told me, you know, because I do remember
05:18his name now that he changed it. He goes into obscurity.
05:21I have no idea who this guy is. So we have a guy yesterday
05:24in the NFL makes the appropriate move. I don't think we made the
05:27appropriate move here because not even been to who that guy
05:30was and Ben should be all over who that guy actually is.
05:33There you go. I didn't know they were going to play for the
05:37Americans last night. It's honoring his stepfather
05:40for Nigel Hayes, Nigel Hayes himself.
05:43Just sounds like that could be like a British Explorer
05:47back in the day. I have no idea if we can get back on track
05:51here in this segment to talk about the actual game itself.
05:55You have to be optimistic for the Americans again. We're a minus
05:58470 favorite to win a gold medal in Paris. It's just an exhibition
06:03match. The intensity will ramp up. If we were to play Canada,
06:07say in a medal round competition and a game over in the Olympics,
06:12but you win by 14 and it took a while to get going against the
06:16team that has the second best price to win a gold medal and be
06:19that contender as well happy with what team USA was able to
06:24pull off last night. Thirteen points to lead the way for the
06:28Ant-Man. He has called himself the number one option. He had
06:31the most points for the Americans last night. Steph Curry
06:34in double figures to holiday as well. Anthony Davis a double
06:38double Devin Booker hit a couple of triples and LeBron James as
06:41he does doing it all across the statute. Of course, this
06:45follows earlier in the day Kawhi Leonard opting not to play
06:49for team USA his representation and US men's basketball
06:54deciding it would be better for Kawhi Leonard to take the
06:57summer off in preparation for next NBA season. We'll leave it
07:02at that Derek White is replacement for team USA and
07:06Donnie if there is an issue potentially a hole that you
07:10could poke in the American side defensive intensity in the
07:14front court in getting rebounds. The guy known as the claw
07:17would have really helped with that. No, he really would have
07:20helped with that. And also I'm always a great conspiracy
07:23theorist here trying to get to the bottom of things. Was it
07:26really Kawhi's knee that flared up was quite not happy with the
07:30playing time that he was getting the Kawhi really not want to
07:32be there. But somebody forced him early on say you really
07:34should go out and see what you can do with team USA. It's an
07:37interesting one because it came sort of out of nowhere so many
07:40times but we'll see like guys that are injured or showing up
07:43like, you know what I'm going to try to get this out. We'll see
07:45what happens right now. I'm in a good spot, but this just came
07:47out. Hey, we're probably we're going to play a game. And oh
07:49yeah, Kawhi Leonard is being sent home at this point with
07:52what is ominous tweets from team USA where it's just like,
07:54hey, we both agreed. It's best. He leaves like wait a second
07:57that doesn't sound like oh my knee really hurts or I tweak my
08:00knee in practice. That sounds like hey Kawhi. Do you want to
08:03be participating in this drill over here? No, I'm good coach.
08:06That's what it feels like to me a little bit of that case as
08:08well. Yeah, it's interesting right Kawhi Leonard's
08:12availability at all times is a little bit in question. Derek
08:16White gets the nod Jalen Brown felt like he was snubbed. There
08:20are three members from the Celtics championship winning
08:24team on team USA and none of them Jason Tatum true holiday
08:29Derek White won the Eastern Conference finals or NBA
08:33Finals MVP award. That was Jalen Brown. We'll talk with our
08:37coach JY in our number two about how Derek White fits if
08:42he agrees that Jalen Brown was snubbed and might have provided
08:45a benefit to the Americans in their hunt for a gold medal in
08:49Paris. Again, the exhibition matches are not going to move
08:52the odds and team USA still remains nearly a $5 odds on
08:57minus money favorite minus 470 to win the gold medal at the
09:01Paris Olympic Games Canada still the second best place at
09:0411 to 1 France and Serbia 16 to 1 the Americans will take on
09:09Nicoli Okic and the Serbians in this five-game exhibition set.
09:14We will not play France until we get to France later for the
09:19Paris Olympic. Welcome to our number two live right here on
09:24this Thursday on the early line on Sports Grid. I am Ben
09:27Stevens. Donnie is here as well. Of course and now joining us
09:31from the very jump to start off this second hour. It's our
09:34coach James Young. JY the first of five exhibition games for
09:39team USA as they get ready to chase the gold medal at the
09:43Paris Olympic Games on the hardwood will look back on last
09:47night in Las Vegas against the Canadians. And of course the
09:50change to the roster made yesterday Kawhi Leonard is home.
09:55Derek White is now in so much to get to hear JY and we'll dive
09:59deep into the five-game slate. We saw yesterday on camp day in
10:04the WNBA. Thanks for being here on this Thursday morning. Good
10:08morning guys. Good to be all with you. And yes, it's amazing
10:12that we're in July and there's still so much to talk about in
10:16the world of basketball. So JY we got the news late in our show
10:20yesterday. The big development that Kawhi Leonard was leaving
10:24team USA would not be there as a member of the roster at the
10:28Paris Olympic Games. Here is the statement from Kawhi from
10:32team USA basketball. Kawhi has been ramping up for the Olympics
10:36over the past several weeks and had a few strong practices in
10:40Las Vegas. He felt ready to compete. However, he respects
10:43that USA basketball in the Clippers determined. It's in his
10:47best interest to spend the remainder of the summer preparing
10:51for the upcoming season rather than participating in the
10:54Olympic Games in Paris. First, let me start with Kawhi Leonard
10:58leaving. What was your reaction? How big of a hole is this to
11:02fill for the Americans? Well, listen, Ben, this is probably
11:06one of the best or better two-way players on this team. A
11:10guy that is a lockdown defender and someone I could score and
11:13score from three. Now, let's look at Kawhi Leonard, not the
11:18player, but Kawhi Leonard, the concern and what is the concern?
11:22The concern, Ben, is always going to be the health. This is
11:25a guy that misses time after time, game after game. This is
11:29a guy that did not play in a postseason. This is a guy that
11:32misses time all the time, even though he played 68 games in the
11:37regular season this past year in the NBA and had a great year.
11:40But you know this, Ben, this guy misses a ton of time. So if
11:43you're a team like the Clippers and you just gave this guy a
11:46three-year extension and he's the cornerstone of the team with
11:49Paul George leaving, maybe this isn't the worst thing for the
11:52Clippers. It's probably the best thing because you need a healthy
11:55Kawhi Leonard to be there. Now, I am shocked that he even got
11:59selected in the first place, Ben. I didn't get it. I thought
12:03that this was kind of a reach for a guy, like I said, who
12:06can't stay healthy. But to me, right move, getting him off the
12:10team. I also wonder, Ben, was he going to start in this team?
12:15And was that going to be okay for a guy like Kawhi Leonard to
12:18say, Kawhi, you're not starting. You're coming off the bench.
12:23Yeah, Coach. That's what I was talking about. Like, I love
12:25conspiracy theories and you know, it just came out of nowhere.
12:28We weren't hearing that he had a bulky knee for weeks on end
12:31here and for him just to abruptly leave camp, leave some of
12:34those questions out there. But I tell you what wasn't questioned
12:36yesterday, Team USA still a pretty good team without Kawhi
12:39Leonard, an 86-72 victory over Team Canada at a sold-out
12:42T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Sloppy to start, but the U.S.
12:46did gain its ground. And the one thing I was talking about,
12:48some of the quotes post-game, Coach, which I liked, was they
12:51look like they really want to hang their hat on playing great
12:54defense and they did that versus Team Canada.
12:57Yeah, I think that's an important thing. Listen, defense
13:02is your absolute. I've always said that as a coach, whether
13:05you're scoring or not, your defense is something you got to
13:07hang your hat on. So what that does is it gave that you're
13:10scoring well offensively, it allows you to blow teams out.
13:14But when you're not scoring or shooting the ball well or
13:17turning the ball over like Team USA was last night, it allows
13:20you to maintain your focus and then get out and transition and
13:24get run out. I think that was the key to the USA team. Listen,
13:27simply put, I have concerns. You guys know it. Rebounding is
13:31a concern, right? The three-point shooting, which was
13:33only a 30.43% was a concern, right? But if you defend like
13:38this, it ain't going to matter how bad you're offensively
13:41because you have enough firepower offensively that you're
13:44going to score enough points. Their defensive intensity
13:47wasn't tremendous for an exhibition game. And I think
13:50that is the key thing. You hang your hat on the defensive end
13:53and then you go there offensively, even though they
13:55didn't look great. What I did like, 25 assists to 37 field
14:00goals. That means they were sharing the ball. There was
14:04sacrifice. And when you get a bunch of superstars players
14:07together, Donnie, your concern is can you sacrifice your
14:10self for the good of the team or for the good of the country?
14:14They certainly did that last night. Anthony Edwards, the
14:18leading scorer for the Americans last night. 13 points.
14:21Steph Curry into double figures. Drew Holiday into double
14:24figures. Anthony Davis, a double-double, 10 points and
14:2811 boards. J-Y, there were two Boston Celtics that were
14:31featured in the action last night. Drew Holiday, Jason
14:34Tatum, and the replacement for Kawhi Leonard is another
14:38member of the Seas. That is Derrick White, officially
14:42announced yesterday after Kawhi Leonard leaves Team USA.
14:46Obviously, it's going to take this roster some time to gel,
14:50but how does Derrick White fit into Team USA's pursuit of a
14:54gold medal? Just another team guy. Really good defensively.
14:58Second-team NBA defensively. So, you know, this is a guy
15:02that can come off the bench that will play defense. A guy
15:05that won't care about his role, won't care about getting
15:07shots off. So, it does help. Now, let's be honest, Ben. I
15:11mean, let's get our popcorn ready for training camp because
15:14there's another Celtic that wasn't happy and that's Jalen
15:18Brown with his dotting right side conspiracy theories in
15:22full effect. I think it's something that we'll want to
15:27watch for, but I'm going to say this and I hope this comes out
15:30the right way. This is no disrespect to Derrick White at
15:33all. He's not a better player than Jalen Brown, but I think
15:36he may fit. And to me, just the way that Jalen Brown reacted
15:41to not being selected makes me feel like, ready, folks? This
15:45was the right move because this kid may have come in and maybe
15:49wanted a little bit more time, wanted a little bit further
15:52because he's not thought of, even though he was NBA Finals
15:55MVP, he's not thought of, right, Ben, in that top 10, top 15
15:59category in the NBA. So, he may have come in and tried to show
16:03up and show out. So, I honestly think if it went the other way
16:07and Jalen Brown got in and Derrick White didn't get in,
16:10Derrick White wouldn't have said a dang word. He just would
16:13have accepted it and moved on. I actually think, Ben, it was
16:16the right decision to go with Derrick White.
16:19If, Jay White, if we do take a look at this team overall,
16:21right, you saw the game yesterday with the statistics.
16:23They're pretty even here. Most of the guys got a similar amount
16:26of minutes just to get that run on the court and see where they
16:28fit in. Come Olympic time, and let's just say the knockout
16:30stages. Who are we leaning on with Team USA?
16:33Like, who's going to be logging the most minutes and also,
16:36who is going to be that go-to guy down the stretch with all
16:39of these superstars? Somebody has to have that basketball.
16:42Well, I like, I'm going to say this. If you take the starting
16:46lineup from last night, we'll see what happens when Durant
16:49gets healthy. The one thing I would say is this.
16:52The game flipped early once Ed Edwards got on the floor
16:57and he came out aggressive. He came out really saying that he
17:01wanted to be that number one option. I'm not saying he's
17:03going to be the number one scoring option for Team USA,
17:05but you've got to admit, they looked a little bit different
17:08once he got on the floor after being down, I think it was
17:1010 or 11 to 1 early on in that game. So, he's going to be a
17:14guy you want to watch out for. Maybe you swap on him for
17:16Devin Booker, but listen, Steph's going to start. We know
17:19that. LeBron's going to start. You know, we know that.
17:22Probably MB's going to start because they just recruited the
17:25you-know-what out of them, right? So, now it's down to
17:27those two spots. I think eventually, we're going to
17:30settle on Durant and we're going to probably settle on Ed
17:32Edwards, but don't mistake it. If we play a team like France,
17:35it's really big. You may have to go big, big, which may have
17:38to go like ADM beat at the 4-5 to match up with something
17:42like Gobert and Webonyama.
17:45Katie did not play last night dealing with a strain.
17:48Kathy should be ready for the Paris Olympic Games.
17:52and a five-game exhibition series, but against the team
17:56that has the second best price to win a gold medal, the
17:58Americans, despite a sloppy opening quarter, won by 14.
18:02Does yesterday do anything in your mind to show just how
18:05in front Team USA is? I mean, we're close to a $5 odds-on
18:08favorite anyway. Yeah, they really are bad because here's
18:12the thing. I just said it in the beginning of the segment.
18:14If they defend like this, if they defend like this, Ben,
18:18there's no one in the world that's going to beat them in
18:20a basketball game.
18:22Total was 200 and a hook last night for the exhibition
18:25game. We stayed well under that with a total of 155.