The US loses their 78-game basketball winning streak to Australia

A penny for Greg Popovich’s thoughts. The USA coach could be forgiven for wondering what on earth he had gotten himself into as he watched Patty Mills put up 30 points during Australia’s historic 98-94 victory over his US side. A squad he hoped would contain Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard instead finds itself relying upon Mason Plumlee, Myles Turner and Derrick White. While Pop may call Plumlee the “ultimate teammate” and Turner’s website can proudly run the tagline “the NBA’s leader in blocks per game during the 2018-19 season”, it is hard not to be underwhelmed. This United States team is eminently beatable, with well-drilled and cohesive sides such as Serbia and Spain poised to take advantage. 

While this incarnation of the United States is depleted in terms of All-Star calibre talent, the defeat to Australia hinted at wider, underlying issues. The team seemed sloppy and unmotivated, playing more like a group of individuals than a side committed to a coherent game plan. The team totalled eleven assists, with Marcus Smart (3) leading the side, remarkably for a player whose usual role is the Boston Celtics attack dog rather than its silky playmaker.    

Worryingly, the Americans were also poor from beyond the arc, contriving to shoot 2-for-14 from the 3-point line. In a period of basketball where scoring from range is more important than ever, if the US continues to shoot poorly then teams will be content to fill the paint with bodies. Without a transcendental big man such as Anthony Davis to break teams open and if players such as Donovan Mitchell cannot sink threes – it will be much harder to space the floor and create driving lanes. The team will find itself neutered by failing to take its opportunities from distance.

Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo play for Serbia and Greece respectively, and both are the sort of earth-shattering talent the US team will struggle to contain

This is without mentioning the fact that for the first time in decades, the tournaments best player is not an American. Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo play for Serbia and Greece respectively, and both are the sort of earth-shattering talent the US team will struggle to contain. Indeed, Serbia has already thrown down the gauntlet, having declared “may god help them” should the two teams meet.

The Serbians are an incredibly dangerous threat. In Jokic they have a 7-foot centre who can pass like a point guard, a player as comfortable driving to the basket as he is creating open shots for his team-mates. Around this generational player, they have surrounded NBA-quality talent who have been playing together for years, such as Bogdan Bogdanovic and Boban Marjanovic. Bogdanovic is a lethal wing who can score at will, making his partnership with Jokic one to look out for.

Although perennial medal-contenders Spain has seen their depth take a hit with the likes of Serge Ibaka and Nikola Mirotic unable to participate, they still have a wealth of experience to call upon. Marc Gasol, Ricky Rubio and Rudy Fernandez comprise a core which will trouble any team, with Gasol’s playmaking and Fernandez’s shooting vital. Then we have the elephant in the room.

The only hope for the US may lie with their coach

In Giannis Antetokounmpo Greece have the tournament’s best player, and not by a particularly close margin. He combines the length of a centre with the speed and scoring ability of a wing. Only a handful of players can guard him, and none of those are present at this tournament. If Greece surround him with enough shooting talent to force one on one match ups in the paint, he will be unstoppable. No team has an answer for Giannis at his best, they can only put bodies in the way and hope it slows him down.

The only hope for the US may lie with their coach. With Myles Turner the only of the 3 traditional centres available with any kind of scoring ability beyond the perimeter, Popovich has decided to go small. By deploying the likes of Jaylen Brown and Khris Middleton as nominal ‘centres’ in game one against the Czech Republic, Popovich created a small-ball line up with plenty of ball movement. This spaced the floor well enough for Donovan Mitchell to thrive, top scoring with 16 points.

Popovich is one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time. His teams are renowned for their discipline and ability to transcend the sum of their parts. While the threat from others is greater than ever, if anyone can turn this motley assembly of players into world champions, it is him.