Team USA Finally Looked Like Themselves And Completely Destroyed Nikola Jokic And Serbia

Nathaniel S. Butler. Getty Images.

Things that stood out while Team USA blew the absolute shit out Serbia….

- I know these are tuneup games, but the lack of ball security we've seen in these 3 games so far from Team USA is definitely concerning. It's not like they are going up against All NBA defenders in every game, most of these teams barely have NBA talent and yet for the third straight game Team USA either couldn't hold onto the basketball or threw the ball to nobody. When was the last time you've ever seen Steph Curry get his pocket picked to start a game? Who exactly was Joel Embiid passing to here?

Part of the reason Serbia was able to hang around early in this game was the exact reason Australia was able to come back the other day. Team USA was way too lazy/careless with the ball. Basketball isn't an overly complicated sport and it doesn't matter what level you play at. You need to take care of the basketball if you want to win, and if Team USA is going to be careless once the real games start, someone will upset them. Suddenly teams get out in transition, then their 3PA start dropping, it's a tale as old as time. When you have more talent, the last thing you want to do is give the other team hope by playing CTE basketball.

- Life is so much better when you don't have to worry about stopping Steph Curry. My lord what a player. Steph did most of the backpacking offensively early and it was a nice reminder of just how devastating he is as a player. I don't care how old he may be, when Steph has things cooking there is not a more exciting player to watch on the planet. That's true when he's going up against NBA defenders, but when he has the chance to go up against non-NBA guards? It's easy money just like we saw today. We got a vintage Steph showing in this blowout and if that happens in a few weeks good luck to the rest of the world.

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- The AD/Bam backcourt was tremendous in this game. If Kerr is hellbent on starting Embiid, then that pairing needs to get the majority of the minutes. AD's defense was once again solid (and he was much better vs Jokic than in the playoffs) and Bam not only gives you the defensive versatility you need in FIBA, but he was also taking and making 3PAs! If he's finally feeling confident enough to actually take them, that's a pretty big deal not just for Team USA, but also the Heat. When you watch Bam launch from deep it doesn't look all that terrible so I'm curious as to why he doesn't take them for MIA. For a team with spacing issues, a version of Bam that at least would force defenses to guard him from the perimeter would be huge. 

- Speaking of the frontcourt, I'm trying to be patient with Embiid because I do feel like most of these issues is his conditioning, but after a third straight subpar performance, I'm now not so sure. He should be dominating these games and yet, it's been the complete opposite on both ends of the floor. Offensively he's STILL trying to get the NBA foul bait bullshit which everyone on the planet knows FIBA refs won't do, his decision-making has been too slow, and it feels like he's really struggling to adapt to the FIBA style. This is not the Sixers, and Embiid cannot play like this is the Sixers. 

- Outside of a few Jrue buckets, the NBA Champs mostly did nothing but cardio in this win. Tatum barely touched the ball offensively and didn't exactly play with all that much energy defensively (very lazy closeouts), Derrick was out there for a little when the lead started to balloon in Team USA's favor because of course it did for the +/- God, but overall it's as if nobody wants to pass any of the Celts the ball. Very strange usage by Steve Kerr, but then again that shouldn't be surprising.

- Perhaps the biggest question with this/Steve Kerr is the use of Tyrese Haliburton. I'm pretty sure he's on this roster for one reason, which is to initiate offense and maximize his playmaking. Yet possession after possession after possession Kerr has him just standing in the corner off ball while other guys run the offense. What the hell is that? Why is Hali on the roster if you aren't going to use him correctly? Especially for a team that through 3 games has clearly shown they fall into bad iso habits far too often. It's almost as if Steve Kerr isn't aware of the talent on his roster or something.

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- LeBron is still a monster. When he decides to put his head down and get downhill there is still not a player alive that can stop him. It's the perfect cheat code in my opinion. When in doubt, give the ball to LeBron and get out of his way and you're guaranteed to have a successful possession. Watching him play it looks like a guy that knows he can get whatever he wants whenever he wants, but he's picking his spots as to when to unleash it. 

- After the not so great performances in the last two tune up games, it felt nice to watch Team USA eventually wake up today and then drop the hammer. With all the talent on this team, I think the expectation is more along the lines of today's performance, where nobody should be within 20+ points at a minimum. Sometimes a game like this can be just the thing you need to get the confidence flowing because to me this looked much more like the dominant Team USA we were all expecting when the roster was first announced. To think they can play even better than what we saw today is a scary thought.

Up next is South Sudan on the 20th, so I imagine it'll be more of the same. That's a perfect opportunity to try some crazy shit just to get reps/film on it before the big time showdown with Germany on the 22nd. To me that's Team USA's biggest challenge, but then again if today is the start of everyone hitting their stride it may not even matter who they play.