A solid Saturday for Team USA
Puerto Rico had a sensational first quarter against Team USA but as soon as the second quarter started, the Americans put the hammer down on their smaller opponents, outscoring them by 23 in the second frame on the way to a 104-83 win that gives them the first seed in the medal round.
It was more impressive since Jrue Holiday sat it out with an injury. Normally one of the best defenders the US has, that perhaps helped Los Gallos in the first quarter when they seemed to rain down threes at will.
Not for long: Puerto Rico ended up shooting 10-37 for 27 percent. They also had 16 turnovers, many of which the US turned into easy baskets.
Speaking of turnovers, the US finished with just six.
As we’ve seen before, Team USA has a huge advantage in both size and athleticism. Anthony Edwards shot 11-15 and Puerto Rico really couldn't stop him. Pinpoint passing from LeBron James helped shred PR’s defense, and he made it look ridiculously easy.
That underscores the great advantage the US has in athleticism. You might see an Argentia rise up for a few years or Spain or maybe South Sudan or Canada. But the cycle bottoms out eventually.
The US has an incredible depth of athletic players to draw from and when you see James - anyone really - making casual three-quarter court passes, it’s easy to overlook the athleticism involved. But there’s a lot. There’s a lot when you see guys save balls from going out of bounds and making a pass in the air. Think about it: you have to catch it, spin, find your target and throw a strong pass, all in less than a second, maybe 1.5. The US athleticism has been lethal. There are ways to overcome it, but no one can come close to matching it.
Puerto Rico was a game opponent, but they’re small and not nearly as athletic. And when the US took away the three pointer, they didn’t have enough size to compete around the basket.
When this team is defending well, passing well and hitting threes, it may be unbeatable.
It was also the best we’ve seen from Joel Embiid. At times he looks clumsy and in fairness, as the announcers pointed out, he’s working to get past some injuries. The NBA season is brutal. He looked good Saturday.
You might argue that tighter games prepare the team better for the medal round and that’s a solid argument. Certainly the Canadians, who are also playing well, might say that. But there’s something to be said for building a sense of inevitability. When Mike Tyson used to enter the ring in a cut up sweatshirt and shorts, with no meaningful entourage, his opponents trembled. They knew what was coming.
It was the same for Michael Jordan with the Bulls. People knew he was going to win. And in the 1960’s, pitcher Bob Gibson seriously frightened batters.
Fear is a weapon, and the US may be in position to take full advantage. On to the medal round!
