Tokyo (AFP)

Despite a chaotic preparation, weighed down by the Covid-19, it is a revengeful "Team USA", after the bitter failure against France at the World Cup-2019, and otherwise offensively armed, with Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard, who will find the Blues Sunday at the opening of the Olympic tournament.

With a record of two defeats and two wins in friendlies, the United States have not given the best warning signs of a domination that almost everyone expects from them in Tokyo (July 25-August 7 ).

But more than their behavior on the floor in Las Vegas, where they had established their training camp before their arrival in Tokyo on Tuesday, it was the outbreak of the Covid that especially disturbed the group.

First there was the forfeit of point guard Bradley Beal (Washington), second leading scorer of the past NBA regular season and as such one of the main attacking weapons of the team, without anyone knowing if he contracted the coronavirus or if he was in contact.

Defensive winger Jerami Grant (Detroit) and full-back Zach LaVine (Chicago) were also placed under Covid protocol, before leaving without consequence.

But unlike the first, the second was not on the trip with "Team USA" which he will not join until Thursday, the American Federation said on Wednesday.

- Limited rotation -

In the meantime, there was the forfeit of the interior Kevin Love, insufficiently recovered from an injury to his right calf.

A player, called to everyone's surprise despite his bad season in the NBA, but who was important in the eyes of Gregg Popovich.

"He is the perfect player to play against guys like Rudy Gobert", argued the American coach, who has not forgotten that the French pivot of 2.16 m had been one of the executioners of his team in 2019.

In the end, "Coach Pop" had to replace Love and Beal with pivot JaVale McGee (Denver) and winger Keldon Johnson (San Antonio), who do not really have the same stature.

Especially, for its first match, "Team USA" will have to do with a rotation limited to eight or nine players, since beyond the question of whether LaVine will be operational against the Blues three days after his arrival in Japan, he is very likely that Devin Booker (Phoenix), Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton (Milwaukee) will not be, the last two coming to be crowned NBA champions at the expense of the first.

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Despite everything, and even if it is necessary to underline the notable absences of LeBron James, Stephen Curry or James Harden, the American offensive armada has enough to break the lock of any defense with Kevin Durant (Brooklyn), Damian Lillard (Portland) or Jason Tatum (Boston).

- Lack of size -

The presence of Durant, who won gold in London-2012 and Rio-2016, was not necessarily expected.

Author of an impressive comeback at the highest level, two years after a ruptured right Achilles tendon, he failed to win a 3rd NBA champion ring, despite his exceptional performance in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Milwaukee having had the last word against the Nets.

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"If he had said + no +, I would have begged him, I would have cried, I would have done everything I could to make him change his mind", assured Popovich, in quest, at 72 years old, d 'a first crowning achievement with "Team USA".

In addition to the disillusionment of 2019, he was assistant during those of the World-2002 (6th) and the Olympics-2004 (3rd).

By his status and his background, "KD" will be one of the leaders of the team, with the other reigning Olympic champion, Draymond Green (Golden State).

For the ten other players, these Olympics will be their first.

Finally, if we had to try to find a potential fault, it would be in the interior sector which lacks size: except McGee (2.13 m), Green, Grant and Bam Adebayo (Miami) do not exceed 2.06 m .

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