Durant Thrives in Bench Role for Team USA
Kevin Durant has proven to be an indispensable component of Team USA's roster during the 2024 Olympics held in Lille and Paris. Despite a hamstring injury keeping him sidelined for all five exhibition games, Durant has made a considerable impact since returning to the court. His journey, however, was not the one Head Coach Steve Kerr initially envisioned.
Coach Kerr had planned for Durant to be a starter. "I think if Kevin had been here from Day 1, chances are he would be starting," Kerr explained. However, Durant’s absence during the preparatory phase led Kerr to establish a lineup that worked exceedingly well during the exhibition games. "Given that he missed all of our friendlies and came in late, we had kind of established a lineup that we liked," added Kerr. "And when we brought him back, he was only going to play a certain amount of minutes against Serbia, and he played so well and he fit so well with that group."
Indeed, Durant's performance in the group stage games has been nothing short of remarkable. Coming off the bench, he has averaged 19.2 minutes per game, contributing significantly in each outing. His minutes were well-distributed across the group games—17 minutes against Serbia, 22 minutes against South Sudan, and 19 minutes against Puerto Rico.
The composition of Team USA's second unit has been a noteworthy factor in their dominant performance. Alongside Durant, the line-up includes Derrick White, Anthony Edwards, Bam Adebayo, and Anthony Davis. This squad has shown exceptional defensive prowess. The combined efforts of Durant, Adebayo, and Davis make for a versatile defensive unit that can switch configurations without sacrificing rim protection. Consequently, Team USA has maintained leads of at least 11 points throughout the fourth quarter in each group stage game.
Durant's flexibility and strong performance despite coming off the bench has been crucial for Team USA. Durant, ever the team player, noted, "I told Coach, whatever he needs from me, I'm willing to do anything and adapt to anything. It's basketball. It really doesn't matter who starts. It's about really who finished the game, who put their impact on the game while they're in the game. So I just try to do my best to impact it any way I can."
Interestingly, Anthony Edwards expressed his enthusiasm about Durant’s role off the bench. "I love that he's coming off the bench. I get to play with him, so I hope coach keeps bringing him off the bench. I get to pass it to him. He gets to pass it back. That's probably one of my biggest dreams ever, so that's dope," said Edwards, encapsulating the team spirit and camaraderie that has been a hallmark of Team USA's performance.
Looking forward, Coach Kerr suggested that Durant's minutes might increase as the competition becomes tougher. "There's no plans on changing that," Kerr mentioned regarding Durant’s bench role. "But of course, as the games get more difficult, my guess is Kevin will be playing more and more minutes. So he'll keep coming off the bench for now, but we'll lean on him more and more as we go."
Another piece of the puzzle to Team USA's success has been the strategic distribution of minutes among players. No single player has logged more than 27 minutes in any game so far, with LeBron James leading the team at an average of 21.8 minutes per game. This approach has ensured that the team remains fresh and ready for the rigorous demands of the tournament.
Overall, Durant's contribution off the bench, combined with the strategic deployment of other key players, has allowed Team USA to emerge as a formidable opponent in the 2024 Olympics. Kerr's approach and the players' adaptability and commitment have clearly borne fruit, keeping the team's gold medal aspirations firmly on track.