Why is Team USA so bad at Olympic 3x3 basketball? 3 possible reasons why.

We used to be a proper 3x3 basketball nation.

Team USA basketball 3×3 teams are not playing well in this year’s 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

After the women’s 3×3 team started pool play very slowly, fans started rightfully panicking. But we can’t leave out the men. They haven’t been playing well either and have yet to win a game.

To be fair, the men’s 3×3 team hasn’t been good historically, but the women won gold during the 2021 Tokyo Games, and the team is currently a far cry from that. So, what gives? Why is Team USA so bad at Olympic 3×3 basketball? Well, the possible answer is a bit complicated and requires an understanding of several factors.

Team USA's men's AND women's 3×3 basketball squads are both 0-2 in Olympic play so far

Men's Team faced Serbia and Poland while the Women's Team faced Germany and Azerbaijan pic.twitter.com/MO3hyJtZZg

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 31, 2024

3×3 basketball is different from 5×5

There are some easy-to-spot differences, like court and ball size, but there are some glaring rule changes that make 3×3 so tough to play.

Let’s start with the shot clock. Players get just 12 seconds to work with versus 24. That’s not a ton of time to create. You have to be decisive, create shots quickly and pivot if opportunities are not there.

There’s also the scoring. It’s a beast to conquer because it requires a ton of volume done within a short period of time — just 10 minutes — and scoring from different areas around the court isn’t the same as 5×5 basketball.

Jul 30, 2024; Paris, France; United States player Cierra Burdick (7) shoots against Germany player Sonja Greinacher (14) in the women’s pool basketball 3×3 game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at La Concorde 1. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Any basket scored inside the arc or in the one-point zone is worth one point. Buckets scored outside the arc or inside the two-point zone are worth two points.

Whichever team scores 21 points first or has the highest amount of points within the designated 10-minute period wins. So, if you aren’t prepared to score quickly and a lot, you’re going to be cooked before you really even get going.

Cohesion matters (a lot!) in 3×3 basketball

Aug 1, 2024; Paris, France; United States player Dearica Hamby (5) reacts after a play against Australia in a pool round game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at La Concorde 1. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The 3×3 basketball rules are totally wonky, which means that to play the sport, you have to do it for a while and with the same people. Unfortunately, both U.S. teams lack cohesion, and it shows.

For example, while several players, like Cierra Burdick and Hailey Van Lith, have years of experience playing 3×3 basketball together, they don’t have as much with their teammates.

Rhyne Howard has previously played with Van Lith but has not spent nearly enough time with Burdick. Dearica Hamby has loads of 3×3 experience. Still, she’s had very little time to play with her teammates, with most of it coming this year.

See how this can get ugly in a hurry? Trotting out teams that don’t have as much experience playing together versus teams that have years of cohesion — the Canada women’s team has at least five years together — is a recipe for disaster.

3×3 basketball requires careful roster construction

Playing 3×3 basketball is not for the faint of heart.

Teams need players that can defend like their lives depended on it, can cover space lightning quick, and, oh yeah, THE BUCKETS MUST COME IN HOTTER THAN A STORM IN JULY. Okay, that’s dramatic. But seriously, if you don’t have that, pack it up and go home because you’re going to embarrass yourself.

Something else that also matters is a facilitator. You probably need two people who can rotate depending on matchups. Right now, it seems unclear who those players are for both the men’s and women’s 3×3 teams. It very much feels like players are just fumbling their way through games and, sometimes, just hurling up shots.

Team USA 3×3 basketball teams are in trouble. Sending thoughts and prayers for their medal hopes.