Additional Takeaways: Team USA's Exhibition Game
The United States men’s national team suited up for international competition for the first time this summer against the Canadian men’s national team in a showcase game in Las Vegas on July 10. Like with any Summer League game, it’s hard to draw too many conclusions based on one sample of Team USA.
It was interesting to see this group of NBA stars take to the floor for the first time after all the coverage they’ve received over the last week.
The United States ultimately put Canada away, winning the contest 86-72, but for much of the game, it was closer than the Americans would’ve liked. Here are some first impressions regarding this cluster of NBA superstars as they continue to build a team fitted to dethrone the rest of the world competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics:
Team USA’s Starting Lineup
Much has been made over the past week about who will start for Team USA, and if the game dictated such, who would take the last shot when given the opportunity?
Kevin Durant was out with a calf injury, and new roster addition Derrick White has yet to join the squad in Las Vegas following Kawhi Leonard’s departure, so it’s hard to judge anything about the starting lineup just yet.
The United States' starting lineup consisted of Jrue Holiday and Stephen Curry in the backcourt, LeBron James and Devin Booker in the frontcourt, and Joel Embiid at the center.
Ultimately, until this lineup was used again later in the game, these five players on the floor had difficulty getting anything going. It wasn’t until players like Anthony Edwards and Jayson Tatum came off the bench that Team USA got things going offensively.
So, it’s hard to say what lineups functioned the best for Team USA and if Durant would be inserted into any future starting lineup for actual Olympic play. Depsite the different combinations, Team USA was able to pull together and knock off Team Canada.
“We’re really just getting started, four days of practice,” Kerr said in the postgame press conference. “You could see the rust on the offensive end, lot of turnovers in that first half especially. But I loved the defensive intensity and the work on the glass, so it was a good first effort. We needed to set a tone for how we want to play, and I think we did that.”
Edwards Will Be A Spark For This Roster
Once again, it’s hard to say where each player will be placed in the rotation. Once the men’s basketball national team arrives in Paris, each game could beg for a different lineup depending on the competition.
Regardless of how Anthony Edwards ends up fitting into Team USA’s rotation, whether that’s as a starter or coming off the bench with a second unit, he will undoubtedly leave this year’s Olympics having made a huge impact on this team.
When Edwards first subbed into the game against the Canadian national team, he made an immediate impact off the bench, giving the United States a source of scoring to get them back in the game.
Edwards showed he could play with this group and carve out a niche for himself among the league’s best, and although this is just his first Olympic games, he could easily be considered a key to Team USA’s future in international competition on the world stage.
The Minnesota Timberwolves star finished with 13 points off the bench to lead all scorers and even had a buzzer-beater to end the third quarter. Edwards has shown a lot of confidence, and while it’s only been one exhibition game, it appears it will be warranted as the summer progresses.
This Lakers Big Could Be A Dark Horse Candidate For The Starting Lineup
Edwards and Tatum were certainly solid in the second rotation for Team USA, but another player who left a significant imprint on the box score was Anthony Davis, who was first off the bench for the Americans.
When Embiid got in foul trouble early, Davis became an immediate force on both sides of the ball. In 19 minutes off the bench, Davis finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and two steals. He was one of five double-figure scorers for Team USA.
It’s difficult to predict who will start for the United States, but Davis could be a potential pick with how he impacted the game against Canada. Is he a better option than Embiid? That remains to be seen, but through one showcase game, Davis was certainly a bright spot for the Americans off the bench.
Pre-Olympic Play Will Be Key
As Gus Johnson and Bill Rafferty continually said throughout their television broadcast, this USA team's coming together will take time. It will take some additional exhibition games for this roster that has not had ample practice time together to blend their respective games.
Once Durant is inserted back into the rotation, White gets some reps in with the full team and the whole roster can get some more time together, this team will be a formidable force for any country to reckon with during the Olympics.
What the United States will have to remember, though, is that every team they face will have several NBA players on its roster. International play certainly won’t be a cakewalk with how much overseas talent currently permeates the league.
Team USA’s next exhibition will be against the Australian men’s national team on July 15 at noon EST on FS1.
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