The Team USA Basketball Men’s National Team traveled to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to take on the Australian National Team in an exhibition match to prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics, coming out with a 98-92 win despite struggling during portions of the game.
Team USA came off a dominant 86-72 win against the Canadian National Team last week in a game that featured explosive offensive and suffocating defense on the part of the Americans.
Forward Anthony Davis said after Team USA’s win over Canada that a gold medal was in their future if the team continued to play that well; however, the players’ narrow victory against Australia showed some of the flaws Team USA must address before Olympic play begins.
Despite leading the Boomers by 16 points at halftime, Team USA seemingly took its foot off the gas in the second half, allowing Australia to keep the score close and slowly climb back over the closing minutes.
Team USA struggled to defend the paint for large portions of the game due to Australia’s ball movement. This was highlighted by the Boomers’ high scoring, shooting 57.38% on two-point attempts.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Americans continued to struggle with turnovers.
Team USA accumulated 15 turnovers in its first game against a Canadian team that features some of the best defenders in the world. The problem only seemed to grow against Australia, as the team finished with 18 recorded turnovers.
Many of these turnovers were unforced and caused by miscommunication between two players, which is a problem that will likely resolve itself as the team builds more chemistry over the next few weeks.
Head coach Steve Kerr credited Australia after the game, acknowledging that Team USA does not have “continuity like a team like Australia,” meaning it will have to work even harder to figure out the smaller aspects of the game.
“That means we have to adapt pretty quickly, in a couple of weeks. It takes a little time to become a team. We will get there. This is a good lesson for us. Better to learn that lesson now than later,” Kerr added, per NBA.com.
Potential fixes for Team USA could revolve around two players, as Davis and guard Anthony Edwards each stood out amongst their peers for the second game in a row.
Davis finished the game leading the team with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks. He made 50% of his field goal attempts during just 18 minutes of game time off the bench.
The 31-year-old also once again proved to be the most effective defender on the U.S. roster, allowing the team to switch nearly every screen and play a much more active style on that end of the court.
After the game, Kerr said he would continue “experimenting” with lineups and “looking at different combinations” over the next few weeks.
“It’s going to be important for us to figure out combinations and putting the right people together. It’s still a work in progress,” he added, per NBA.com.
Similarly, Edwards opened the game attacking Australia to help Team USA get out to an early lead, picking up 11 points in just the first quarter of action.
Edwards’ aggressiveness and ability to attack downhill provided a different aspect to a Team USA roster that features mainly shooting threats, proving an invaluable asset and a player who will likely continue to see increased minutes as Olympic play draws near.
Team USA will now remain in Abu Dhabi as it prepares for the next exhibition on July 17 against a Serbian team that features reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.
Following the game against Serbia, Team USA will match up against South Sudan and Germany on July 20 and 22, respectively.
