The Olympics games are several weeks away, but there are NBA players whose teams are still playing in the playoffs. These are particular members of the USA basketball team who have received invitations to participate in the Olympics. The players who are still playing in the playoffs are; Khris Middleton, Devin Booker and Jrue Holiday. Olympic team rosters available on various platforms, including betting platforms such as bet9ja, show that the three players are part of the USA squad.
Their Opinions on the Olympics
The three players have said that they treasure the Olympics a lot, and they hope to be in the USA team. But at the moment, they are focused on the playoff games. The USA team is expecting to travel to Tokyo on 12 July, and this leaves very little time for three players to practice together with their teammates. But they say that not playing with the national team for an adequate time will not affect their performance.
These players are practicing with their respective NBA teams, and this means that they will be physically fit. The only concern is that they might be excessively fatigued because of not having enough time to rest and relax. But the three players do not see this as a concern since they are professional players who are used to playing without lengthy breaks. They are confident that they will be equally fit as the players who have had longer periods to relax.
Related: Philadelphia 76ers Star Will Not Feature For Australia In The Olympics
Integration into the national team
Once the playoffs are over, the three players are expected to join their national teammates. They will be given several days off to be with their friends and relatives before joining the national team. Once they join the team, they will be expected to train and practice the same way as the other players who have been in camp for longer. This is meant to allow all the players to understand the tactics that the USA team is expecting to use during the Olympics. These tactics might be different from the ones used by different NBA teams. As a result, players need to practice and train together for a while to get used to these tactics.
Furthermore, the players need time to know the strength and weaknesses of their teammates. But it is expected that the three players in the playoffs will have enough time to get used to the team and might even feature in the first game.
Coach’s Opinions
The USA basketball national team coach is not concerned about the three players still playing in the playoffs. He included them in the national team, knowing that the NBA playoffs might hold them up. His only hope is that they will not get injuries during the remaining playoff games. If they do not get injuries, he is sure that they will be ready to help the USA national team win gold in the Olympics. He has talked with each of the players to assure them that even if their teams reach the finals of the playoffs, they will have the support of the national squad.
