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After an exhibition season that included its first loss since 2006, Team USA kicked off the FIBA 2019 World Cup on Sunday. They beat Czech Republic 88-67 in their opening match of the tournament.
Donovan Mitchell led the way with 16 points, but he was far from the only star scorer. Kemba Walker and Harrison Barnes each paid 14, while Jayson Tatum added 10.
But as strong as their attack was, the defense was what won the day here. They limited the Czech Republic to 67 points on 41% of their shots, forcing 15 turnovers to victory. These turnarounds were particularly important to dictate the pace and energy of the match. Team USA was unstoppable when he was able to go out and run. Their athleticism is unparalleled in this tournament, and he showed in this victory.
This victory helped to restore the status of Team USA among the favorites of the tournament. Their defeat against Australia seemed to create an opening. Given their relative lack of star talent, there was a growing sense that Americans were vulnerable. But if the US team plays well throughout the World Cup, it will easily win the game.
Here are the points to remember from Sunday's impressive win.
Red, white and green
A group of Americans is probably not happy with the performance of Team USA? Fans of the East Conference. While many of the best teams in the East have a representative or two on the list, the Boston Celtics account for one-third of the team with four players present. Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart scored 29 points and collected half of the 18 assists of the US team. All in all, the four Celtics played about 75 minutes total in this match.
Compare this to the other major teams of the Eastern Conference. The Bucks only played about 25 minutes with Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton. The Philadelphia 76ers have no one on the team. The Celtics take full advantage of the World Cup as no other team can.
Basket spurs
Team USA tends to be quite unruly. This is a symptom of the huge talent advantage they usually have and this has made Gregg Popovich an ideal coach for international competitions. His teams are known not to fight. They move the ball well, take open shots and do not flip it.
This was the story of this game for the United States team. Their 18 assists do not do justice to the overall quality of ball movements on the ground. The first quarter was tough, but once the Americans made their mark, they looked like a team that has been playing together for years. The movement of the ball and the chemistry are the biggest weapons that their opponents will throw at them in this tournament. If the US team gives them reason in these respects, they will win the match. If they limit themselves to seven turnovers per contest as they did in this game, they will be virtually unstoppable.
A closer emerges
The summer story for Team USA is their lack of talent in the superstar. Only two All-Stars from Kemba Walker and Khris Middleton are on the list, and Walker, a third-team selection, is the only All-NBA player on the team. Without the large number of nominees as the most valuable player on which to support late in the game, questions arose as to who would be closest to the US team.
We are only a game and it seems we have our answer. Donovan Mitchell led the way in the fourth quarter, including this highlight slam:
Perhaps more important than his 16 points over his team, Mitchell played 25 minutes in this game. Smart was the only other American to rank in the top 20. Mitchell has been a consistent starter in their exhibition games, but what has become evident in this match, is that he has fully deserved Popovich's confidence at both ends of the track. He is the favorite favorite of the tournament MVP after this performance.
Rotation remains uncertain
Only two players spent more than 20 minutes on the ground, but 10 played at least 10. The 12 players spoke at one point for Team USA and none of them was submitted. to a lost time. They changed their original composition again by turning to Walker, Mitchell, Tatum, Barnes and Myles Turner.
At this point, it seems clear that Popovich has no intention of superimposing a single player and that he will modify his lines according to the match. Nevertheless, even with a single tournament in the books, we have an idea of how he would like to play.
The two players who spent less than 10 minutes on the field were Brook Lopez and Mason Plumlee, both centers. All in all, the US team spent about nine minutes of play without a center on the floor. Popovich wants to play small and take advantage of FIBA's favorable shooting rules. Unsurprisingly, the US team scored 26 points at 3-to-3, a notable figure considering the number of average wins of the San Antonio Spurs of Popovich in the NBA last season. This may seem insignificant, but the NBA games last eight minutes longer than those of FIBA.
Popovich has not yet fully engaged in a rotation, but he has adopted a style of play. He wants his team to be fast and versatile, able to take full advantage of his athletic advantage without sacrificing anything in terms of his ability. spacing. It will adapt depending on the opponent, but it's an interesting change of pace for the legendary NBA coach.
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