2024 USA Men's Basketball: The First Look
The USA Men's Basketball Team had their first real outing of the year last
night in Las Vegas, in a showcase game against Canada. With the Olympic groups set, the matchup provides insight into both teams regarding potential lineups and playstyles. The U.S. won, 86-72, in a spectacle for the fans watching, featuring alley-oops, deep threes, and incredible shot-blocking. What does the result of this game mean for the Americans in terms of their Olympic hopes?
Looking Ahead To The Olympics
The short answer is not much. The game was played in good spirits for the most part, and more than anything, it was an exhibition game for both teams to get their feet wet in international basketball before the Olympics get started. The two teams full of NBA talent didn't give away too much of the playbook, as there were a lot of passing and cutting/ isolation plays on both sides.
Anthony Davis stood out for the U.S., putting up 10 points and 11 rebounds in
a double-double performance. He also played excellent interior defense, finishing with four blocks in 19 minutes.
Anthony Edwards had a team-high 13 points, finishing 6/10 from the field, and it was nice to see Tyrese Haliburton play well on this team full of stars. He showed off his elite playmaking in the passing lanes all night and added multiple steals.
Despite the Olympic games being 10-minute quarters, as opposed to the 12 in the NBA, it was still a relatively low-scoring match. Canada shot just 33.7% from the field and 21.2% from three. RJ Barrett led the way offensively for the Canadians, dropping 12 points and five rebounds in 17 minutes.
The game had some incredible moments for the fans, particularly watching the long-awaited combination of Stephen Curry and LeBron James in action, including a fast-break alley-oop connection in the third quarter.
Joel Embiid started for the U.S. in this one, but after just 12 minutes, he was back on the bench and fouled out of the game, as you can only have five personal fouls in FIBA. Lucky for Coach Steve Kerr, he had some more than adequate replacements available at Center in AD and Bam Adebayo.
Overall, this was a fine first outing for the U.S., which will look to back up this performance against Patty Mills and Australia in Abu Dhabi in five days.
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