The U.S. men’s basketball team’s losses to Nigeria and Australia in a three-day span were disorienting: Not only did Kevin Durant and company struggle with their offensive rhythm and defensive effort, but they rarely exhibited their massive talent and athleticism advantages. While this thrown-together team understandably lacked chemistry after just four days of training, its individual lights weren’t shining brightly, either.
Combine that bottled-up feeling with gold-medal-or-bust expectations, and it was no surprise that pressure immediately mounted on a program that has largely cruised through the past three Olympics. In a sign of the rising temperatures, Coach Gregg Popovich testily lectured a reporter Monday that no one should expect the road to the Tokyo Olympics to be a cakewalk.
The U.S. team’s 108-80 rout of Argentina on Tuesday in Las Vegas therefore provided a much-needed release of tension and a return to normalcy. Zach LaVine dunked on Argentina’s Juan Pablo Vaulet in the fourth quarter to seal a thorough victory in which the Americans addressed many of their top bugaboos.
Advertisement
LaVine’s poster dunk, which he celebrated by tapping his head, prompted a wide smile from Bradley Beal. This was a moment of joy and relief for a team that looked slightly embarrassed after losing to Nigeria on Saturday and drew scattered boos from the home crowd after falling to Australia on Monday.
“We’ve seen [LaVine] do some crazier stuff than that,” Beal said. “We know his athletic ability. It gave us an energy boost, for sure.”
It was a promising sign that LaVine, a two-time slam dunk champion, delivered the night’s signature highlight against a set defense; the Americans have struggled to generate ball movement and clean looks. Draymond Green initiated the play as a point center, drawing two defenders as he neared half court. LaVine received the pass on the move, attacking the weak side of Argentina’s defense as he headed straight for the rim. As Vaulet rotated, LaVine jumped off both feet to dunk cleanly with his right hand while drawing a foul. The Chicago Bulls guard finished with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Advertisement
“[LaVine] deserves a 10,” teammate Bam Adebayo said on the NBC Sports Network broadcast. “We haven’t had a body yet. It’s good to finally get one. I’m glad it was Zach.”
With so many scoring-minded perimeter players on his roster, Popovich turned to Green and Adebayo, two big men, to serve as initiators against Argentina. The strategy worked: Adebayo had a team-high five assists, Green added three, all five starters finished in double figures, and the Americans registered 27 assists on 37 baskets.
“I thought both [Adebayo] and Draymond facilitated a lot of action,” Popovich said. “They were very active. They got everybody involved. That’s something that’s really important for us. Those are the talents that we have that fit best with our shooters. Providing that situation where our shooters can get open shots — we did it without turning it over, and that’s wonderful.”
Advertisement
Argentina was largely lacking in NBA-quality talent, but the Americans exhibited much better flow on offense, avoiding the grinding isolation that cost them in their two losses. Durant and Beal led the way with 17 points apiece, and 41-year-old forward Luis Scola paced Argentina with 16 points.
“It was fluid,” Beal said. “That comes from us getting stops and getting out in transition. That’s something we love to do.”
The Americans noticeably ratcheted up their defensive intensity after a listless opener against Nigeria and a spotty showing against the Australians. Beal acknowledged that the team had been “lazy” at times during the two losses, and the Americans sought to be sharper when switching and more careful when covering three-point shooters. Argentina committed 13 turnovers and shot just 38.4 percent. After conceding 20 three-pointers to Nigeria, the Americans dictated the action and allowed only nine to Argentina.
Popovich painted the victory as a step in the right direction for a program battling logistical challenges. In addition to the abbreviated minicamp, the Americans are without three players — Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton — who are competing in the NBA Finals. Popovich remained focused on conditioning.
Advertisement
“The first priority is that we get back in shape,” he said. “I thought we sustained [our energy] pretty well. In our game against Australia, we competed well, rebounded and played defense and had good pace for a half, then it dissipated through the second half. I thought we maintained that pretty much through the entire game [against Argentina].”
Team USA’s exhibition schedule concludes with a rematch against Australia on Friday and a showdown with Spain, the world’s second-ranked team, on Sunday. Questions linger. Can the Americans sustain their improved defense against tougher competition? Can Popovich find a backcourt distributor, or will he need to rely on his versatile bigs to set up the offense? Can a team filled with newcomers gel with less than two weeks before its July 25 opener in Japan?
“We have to realize this is not the NBA,” said Beal, who is making his first run with the senior national team. “Coach Pop keeps emphasizing that every day. It’s way more physical. [Opponents] have the experience and chemistry, and we’re trying to develop that in a short period of time. Today we got better. There’s still a lot more we can improve on, but we’re moving in the right direction.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZMCxu9GtqmhqYGd%2BcHyWaGhsZ6Worm6uwKyinqySlrmtecCrnp6mpJ67onnEsZ%2BimpmptrC6jg%3D%3D