Japan least of their concerns but USA has a lot to worry about

Turkey thriller was very telling of things Team USA needs to work on
Sep 5, 2019
PHOTO: FIBA.COM

By Paulo Canalita

THE nail-biting outcome of the game between Team USA and Turkey at the 2019 Fiba World Cup speaks volumes about how this current group of American NBA players just isn't the cream of the crop.

Even head coach Gregg Popovich had to admit: "Execution-wise, we're not there yet."

"Every game we learn something new about our group and what we have to do and how we have to play," he told AP. "We already know how good the other teams are, so our respect is there for that, and that goes without saying. But, we still have to use every game kind of like a practice in a sense to try to get better in so many ways."

If not for Turkey basically choking in overtime, the US may not have escaped with a 93-92 win and extended its winning streak to 21 games in the World Cup. However, the world's No. 1-ranked program had to pay the price of Jayson Tatum, one of the squad's best scorers, rolling his ankle in the final seconds.

Team USA's narrow victory revealed a lot of cracks in their game plan, so expect Pop to make the necessary adjustments. His coaching staff better be prepared for more elite basketball the rest of the world (Serbia, Greece) has to offer in the tournament.

Replacin' Jayson

Tatum will reportedly be out for at least two games, which opens up his starting spot alongside Kemba Walker, Myles Turner, Harrison Barnes, and Donovan Mitchell. Team USA's system has a clear emphasis on spacing, so don't be surprised if either Khris Middleton or Joe Harris (two threes per games each) supplants the Celtics forward.

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The team has played over eight minutes without a true center on the floor against Turkey. The small-ball lineup will only work, though, if Walker (13.5 pts, 5.5 assists, 2 threes, 2 steals per game) and Co. can improve on their 35 percent shooting across the board — field goals, two points, three-points — last time around.

Crash the boards

Another X factor is gang rebounding from the US backcourt. Tatum grabbed 11, Walker and Harrison Barnes each had six, and Harris had five. Guards and wing players posting such numbers is a sign of a smart and scrappy group, with perimeter players boxing out well and creating more opportunities.

In contrast, Turkey got 14 rebounds from Ersan Ilyasova of the Milwaukee Bucks, but no other player on his squad had more than four.

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    Under pressure

    Typically, teams don't try the full-court press on NBA guards because great ball handlers tend to shred this type of defense. But Turkey's employed it against Team USA and almost worked, which might encourage other teams to follow suit. The Americans have to execute better and find a reliable scoring option moving forward.

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    Walker (13.5 pts) and Mitchell (12.5 pts) are the superstars bailing the US out, but these go-to shot creators won't always be on the court. Who will step up in Tatum's absence? Can Barnes or Jaylen Brown assume the role of playmaking forward? Will Middleton become the knockdown All-Star we saw during the 2018-19 NBA season?

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    Japan and beyond

    This is not the hoops juggernaut that we are used to seeing on the international stage. Still, the talent is there, and Team USA can do a lot better than the Turkey thriller. The path to gold has just begun, but it will get considerably tougher — perhaps after their final game in Group E against overmatched Japan.

    All eyes will be on young NBAers Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe, who combined for almost half of the Japanese' total points (21 and 15 points, respectively) in their loss to Czech Republic, 89-76. The US should have no trouble dispatching the No. 48-ranked team, which is currently 0-2 in the World Cup with a point differential of -32.

    Just like against the rest of their future opponents, though, the Americans cannot afford to be complacent. Anything can happen in the course of 40 minutes.

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    PHOTO: FIBA.COM
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