Team USA bounced back to beat Argentina 108-80 to quiet the critics for at least one night. They were led by Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant, both of whom scored 17 for the Americans, but they were without Jayson Tatum, who missed the game due to right knee soreness.
Here are five thoughts from the game.
Be super careful with Jayson Tatum’s knee
Team USA will only say Tatum is dealing with right knee soreness and is day-to-day. There was no update after the game about what specifically was sore or when it first surfaced, but Tatum was on the sideline and there was no wrap on the knee.
However serious it really is, it should go without saying that both Tatum and Team USA need to be especially careful about this. This isn’t a “play through pain” situation for Tatum. He needs to make sure he’s 100% before getting back out there.
Herein lies the issue for every team in this situation. The Boston Celtics obviously aren’t the only team watching these games like a scared teenager watching a horror flick. Every team with a star out there has something at risk, but Boston now becomes the first with legitimate concern.
The problem for Boston is that Popovich has a goal in mind, and that’s to win a gold medal. That means guys need to be in shape, and important players like Tatum have to be ready.
“Without the conditioning, we can't get this done,” Gregg Popovich said after the game. “So we just have to go for it and not worry about consequences. So we'll manage that. And if I don't manage it well, and the assistants don't manage it well, we got a few guys on the team that will let me know.”
Not sure I like how that sounds with the added context of Tatum’s knee soreness.
Of course, “knee soreness” is a bit of a trigger-phrase for the Celtics fans watching a star player participate in a non-team activity. Tatum carrying any sort of residual soreness into the season would be disastrous for Boston.
All of this goes without saying, but I’m saying it anyway. Keeping Tatum healthy is the ultimate priority. Anything that jeopardizes that is unacceptable.
Maybe these guys just really do need time
MUCH has been made this week about Team USA’s two losses, which I understand to some degree. People aren’t used to it.
But Popovich has sworn up and down that this was something he expected.
“I don't think I've been surprised by anything. When we picked these guys, we picked them for a reason,” he said after the win. “They're very good players, but they still have the ability to get over themselves and respect the fact that the guys on their right and left are just as talented and that we have to do it together.”
They had 27 assists on 37 makes in this game, lending some credence to what could be construed as smoke-blowing by the head coach. They very easily could have come out after two losses that got the basketball world buzzing and put on an isolation display, but they actually moved the ball well.
“I think what I love is just how everybody's coming together and the camaraderie,” Beal said. “It's very rare. You see so many talented guys in one room who are unselfish. Coach tells us we’re too unselfish at times. And so I think that's amazing to see.”
This very well could just be two guys reading from the script and hoping it comes to fruition. However, it could also be true that this is a group of guys who like each other and are trying to figure this out.
Only time will tell.
There are still three guys on their way
The U.S. team will benefit from getting Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, and Devin Booker on the team once the NBA Finals are over. But there are questions about how they fit and how much they play when they arrive.
“Part of it depends on how long the series goes. Once they get here, we'll have a plan in place,” Popovich said. “But I think it's going to be a little bit by the seat of the pants because there's no formula to go by. It depends how the team is doing and the condition of the players here ... it's not going to be like they're gonna come and sit for a week and get ready. They're gonna have to come in and play.”
In a weird way, Middleton, Holiday, and Booker will experience what it’s like to be traded mid-season. Their arrivals will help, we think, but how they’re integrated will be interesting. At the very least, they’ll have some back up if Tatum’s knee issue keeps him out of any Olympic games.
3-pointers are the name of the game in FIBA, too
Team USA built a huge early lead on by burying triples against a defense that, like others, took advantage of lack of defensive 3-second rule to pack the paint.
Beal hit them early, Damian Lillard hit them from ridiculous distances, and Durant hit them over everybody. No matter what the Americans run or how they run it, the 3-pointer will still be king just like it is in the NBA.
Once those 3’s fell, the cuts could happen. Bam Adebayo led the Americans with five assists, showing off some fun pocket passes.
The 3’s will have to open up the lane. If the team is collectively cold, they’re going to have trouble scoring.
Shout out to Luis Scola ... doing it for the old guys!
(Getty Images)Scola went from the long-haired irritant to high-and-tight salt-and-pepper team dad. He looks like a guy ballin’ at the Y between hedge fund meetings.
He’s 41 years old and he led Argentina with 16 points! He shot 50% from the field!
“Luis is a wonderful human being. Obviously, he loves basketball, he's been playing it for so long,” Popovich said. “They love the game (in Argentina). They've been a great example of international basketball. And Luis is the epitome of that. And I can only continue to be amazed at his love of the game, his love of his teammates, and how much he wants to lead and be there. So he and their program are special.”
Obviously Popovich has a connection to the Argentinian basketball program through Manu Ginobili, so there is an added affinity. But even so, it was awesome to see a big, slow, dad-looking guy go out there and hold his own against 20-something superstars. As a member of the 40-plus club myself (emphasis on the ‘plus’), it was especially fun to watch.