Tim Bontemps, ESPN
On Tuesday afternoon, Team USA will take off from Las Vegas and fly about 10 hours — without Wi-Fi access, much to the dismay of the players — to Malaga, Spain, where the team will spend several days as part of its ongoing preparation for the FIBA World Cup, which begins in the Philippines later this month.
The flight comes on the heels of what Team USA coach Steve Kerr deemed a very successful five-day training camp, one that culminated with a 43-point demolition of the Puerto Rican national team Monday night.
After taking in four practices, several scrimmages and Monday’s exhibition game, here are five takeaways from the start of what Team USA hopes will be a six-week sprint to a gold medal next month:
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1. The starting lineup is coming into focus
Kerr doesn’t like to give much away to the media — and he especially doesn’t like to discuss starting lineups.
He has done everything in his power to downplay any sort of hierarchy when it comes to his current gig leading Team USA into the FIBA World Cup.
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However, after Monday’s game against Puerto Rico, it seems clear what direction Kerr is leaning toward as the team prepares to begin play in the Philippines in a few weeks.
It’s a group that makes sense. Although Team USA has another bona fide star at point guard in Tyrese Haliburton, Kerr has raved about Brunson’s leadership. Bridges is arguably the NBA’s best 3-and-D wing, and Jackson was always going to be starting at a big spot. And with the team searching for a go-to scoring option, surrounding those three with the two best isolation players on the team in Ingram and Edwards also checks a lot of boxes.
Kerr was quick to say this “might not” be the group he sticks with. But after its impressive showing Saturday gave that group the edge to start against Puerto Rico, Monday’s performance did nothing to change the notion it should be the starting group.
2. Edwards might become this team’s go-to guy
Now, we get to the most interesting question about this team: If it’s a close game with three minutes to go, who is going to be asked to make a play?
Team USA managing director Grant Hill, senior director Sean Ford and Kerr have put together a well-balanced, versatile roster. The one thing it lacks, though, is the alpha presence in the closing moments of a game — something that was only magnified when that person on the 2021 Olympic team, Kevin Durant, sat courtside Monday night.
As the team’s starting point guard, Brunson will likely get some of those opportunities simply by having the ball in his hands — and he has shown he’s unafraid in those moments. Ideally, though, that player would be on the wing — and Edwards has the ability to grow into that role on this team.
It’s not a coincidence Edwards’ insertion into the starting lineup Saturday led to a far different Team USA. And although he tied for the team lead with 15 points Monday, it was his four steals that made the biggest impact. When Edwards is using his physicality to be a two-way force, there shouldn’t be anyone in this tournament who can slow him down.
And if he becomes that player consistently, that will be a significant step toward Team USA winning gold.
3. This team is going to play small
Kerr’s Golden State Warriors teams have helped revolutionize the NBA by playing small lineups built around Draymond Green at center. So it should come as no surprise that this team is going to be playing small over the next few weeks.
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At no point over the past five days did any of the team’s three true centers — Jackson, Bobby Portis and Walker Kessler — share the court. Instead, it’s clear that Kerr has decided to lean into the team’s strength, which is its depth and athleticism on the perimeter.
It’s also generally the way Team USA has deployed its forces in recent years. In Tokyo, for example, Bam Adebayo started and Green came off the bench.
On Monday, Jackson started at center, with Portis following him off the bench. Kerr even used Paolo Banchero as a small-ball 5 late in the first half and clearly fancies the Rookie of the Year in that role (more on that in a minute).
4. Ball movement is a strength
Ever since Kerr took over the Warriors in 2014, he has preached the importance of passing, of sharing the ball, of playing together.
He has done the same over the past few days — and has repeatedly said how much he enjoys the way this team shares the ball. And it has become apparent that that’s going to be a big strength of this group.
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The lack of an obvious ball-dominant force means the best way for this team to score is for the ball to hop, skip and jump around the court. And even with Team USA going 6-for-27 from 3-point range against Puerto Rico, the Americans were able to generate consistent open looks. With a group of shooters this good, the shots will fall.
The ball movement is especially apparent when the second unit, led by Haliburton and Austin Reaves, takes the floor. The two have a natural chemistry, and they combined for 16 assists to just two turnovers against Puerto Rico, leading a unit that was rocketing up and down the court, constantly kicking the ball ahead to the open man for runout layups and dunks.
Kerr has singled out both players — Reaves in particular — for their play during training camp, and they are going to be the two most important players coming off the bench, presuming Kerr sticks with his current rotation. If he doesn’t, it will be because Haliburton or Reaves earns a chance to move into the starting group.
5. Paolo = Draymond?
Perhaps the most interesting thing to come out of Monday’s game was seeing Banchero at small-ball center — especially when Jackson picked up his third foul early in the third quarter.
Even more interesting? Kerr’s answer when asked about Banchero’s time at the 5, and whether it was a sign of things to come.
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“He’s gonna play some 5,” Kerr said. “One of the things we really found in [2021] in the Tokyo Olympics was having a 5 who can push the ball and transition and create plays is very difficult for FIBA teams to handle.
“So he can play some 4, as he showed, but he’ll play plenty of 5, as well.”
While Kerr is correct about the way Team USA deployed its centers in the 2021 Olympics, there is one fairly notable difference: the centers on that team were Adebayo and Green — two of the best defenders in the NBA.
Banchero, on the other hand, played only about 3% of his minutes at center during his rookie season with the Orlando Magic, per Cleaning The Glass and is nowhere near the defensive presence either of those players are.
If Kerr does give Banchero some extended looks with the second unit, having him fly up and down alongside Haliburton and Reaves could be a devastatingly effective offensive unit.
One thing is for certain, though: With Jackson, Banchero, Portis and Kessler, Team USA has a lot of different ways it can play at the center spot. And in a tournament with all sorts of potential opponents to prepare for, the more options that are available the better.