The U.S. men’s basketball team was ahead by more than 20 points in a friendly against Australia in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The team was fortunate to pull out a 98-92 victory, but many questions remain about its path to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
How did a group of the best American players in the NBA barely survive against a rising Australian team that had no hope of competing for a gold medal? Some of their main problems were the same ones that plagued the Warriors last NBA season.
Team USA got off to a slow start against Canada on Wednesday night in Las Vegas, but turnovers were the main issue. Team USA committed eight turnovers and just three assists in the first quarter in their eventual win over Canada, leading 21-14 at the end of the first quarter. That issue appeared to be fixed in their early Monday game against Australia.
In Monday’s second exhibition game, Team USA committed just one turnover in the first quarter. Coach Steve Kerr’s decision to switch up the starting lineup, replacing Devin Booker with Anthony Edwards and Jrue Holiday with Boston Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum, worked to his advantage. Edwards was Team USA’s leading scorer in Game 1, scoring 13 points off the bench, and then had a big break as a starter against Australia, scoring 11 of Team USA’s first 19 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting from the field.
At halftime, Kerr’s experiment seemed OK. The U.S. led Australia 32-21 after the first quarter and 21-16 in the second to take a 53-37 lead after the first 20 minutes.
That 16-point lead was all but wiped out by a disastrous second half. Turnovers were plentiful. Twelve of the U.S. team’s 18 total turnovers came in the final two quarters, seven in the third and five in the fourth. Warriors fans are wincing at those numbers.
Edwards’ free throw gave Team USA a 24-point lead, 65-41, with seven minutes left in the third quarter. Edwards completely lost steam in the second half, and Australia quickly caught up and got within striking distance. Edwards made just 1 of 7 field goals after a perfect first quarter and missed both of his 3-pointers after making all three of them in a strong first quarter.
So far, the biggest question mark from a roster standpoint appears to be 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid at center, with Stephen Curry and LeBron James sure to be in the starting five and, apparently, Embiid, too.
Curry, James and Embiid have been the core of Kerr’s starting rotation, but Embiid’s fit has been spotty at best in the two exhibition games. Embiid was the only starter with 10 points and a plus-10 plus-minus, but he also committed three turnovers and reserve Anthony Davis was a much better fit for the second straight game.
Davis came off the bench to lead Team USA among scorers with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, and the Los Angeles Lakers superstar also grabbed 14 rebounds. Embiid’s five rebounds were second-highest on Team USA.
The Aussies scored a staggering 68 points in the paint in the fourth 10-minute quarter. Davis’ double-double in 18 minutes raises the question of whether he should start in place of Embiid. Curry and James should have better athleticism, and Davis’ skill set seems perfect for both of them. Davis could play as a No. 4 next to Embiid. It’s unclear whether Bam Adebayo could play in the same frontcourt as Embiid if the superstar center is pushed down to the second unit.
Coming off an embarrassing showing at last year’s FIBA World Cup, the USA were dominated by inside play and now face Nikola Jokic’s Serbia, who were saved by a 24-point advantage in 3-pointers on a day when Curry was just 1-for-6 from the 3-point line.
This is why they play exhibition games. Cohesion and chemistry are advantages for Canada and Australia. Kerr’s rotations have been questionable at best. The U.S. team has struggled against pressure defense and shown weaknesses both offensively and defensively, yet they still find ways to win.
When the final buzzer sounded, talent was the ultimate deciding factor.
Starting with their showdown with the Joker, the road for Team USA has only gotten tougher from here, and their second exhibition win leaves us with more questions than answers.
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