Quick FIBA games recap: STEVE KERR LET AMERICA DOWN?!

After losing to Germany and Canada in back to back games, THE UNITED STATES DID NOT MEDAL IN THE FIBA GAMES.

Last Monday I told you good folks in Dub Nation about the scrutiny our beloved and elite head coach Steve Kerr was receiving after losing a FIBA game as Team USA’s head coach to Lithuania before the medal games began.

That piece touched on Kerr’s faith in small ball (a staple of the Golden State dynasty) and the lack of true big men on the roster (Jaren Jackson Jr. was slated to fill that role, but I’m pretty sure on his Memphis Grizzlies team he’s playing power forward next to the giant Steven Adams.)

Wellp, a week later, the Kerr scrutiny has gone global. First Team USA lost a heartbreaker to Germany, led by Dennis Freakin’ Schroeder.

After this stunning defeat Stepfan, one of my best friends from my college days, hit me up frothing with disappointment. Knowing that I’m a legendary scribe for the Golden Empire, he interrogated me on Kerr’s coaching habits. He wanted to know why Kerr would stick with a tiny lineup despite getting killed on the boards. He wanted to know why Jalen Brunson was getting so many opportunities despite struggling. And when his questions reached a fever pitch, he hit me with , “Is Coach Kerr a Stephen Curry merchant?! SMALL BALL DON’T WORK WITHOUT THE GREATEST GUARD OF ALL TIME!”.

I could only meekly respond that Team USA’s FIBA roster didn’t have the top players in the NBA, and they would absolutely respond better against Team Canada in the bronze medal game.

They did not. The Americans fell to the DILLON BROOKS led Canadians in overtime, 127-118.

An NBA game broke out at the FIBA World Cup on Sunday, with Team USA and Team Canada falling into the high-octane, free-flowing, star vs. star game they are so comfortable with in a fun goodbye to the league-obsessed Filipinos.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played his superstar role, scoring seven of his 31 points to start overtime and eventually power Canada's 127-118 victory to claim the bronze medal.

Canada also got a statement game, loudly and unexpectedly, from Dillon Brooks, who scored 39 points as part of a shooting masterpiece.

Kerr, determined to make small ball work, eventually decided to start playing five guards and wings with the "big man" being 6-foot-5 Josh Hart. When Hart fouled out, Kerr replaced him with 6-foot-1 Jalen Brunson to go even smaller. Kerr played most of the game's last 10 minutes this way and nearly pulled out the win.

Incredible. What are the people on the interwebs saying? ACTIVATE THE TWEETS X’S (?!).

So now Dub Nation, with our coach facing hell for his failure to get the Americans to take home some FIBA hardware this time around, I am curious to hear what your thoughts are about him. Share in the comments below!

And the word on the street is the top-tier NBA players will be coming to Kerr’s aid for the 2024 Olympic Games next summer….