Team USA men's basketball is the top seed in the upcoming Olympics quarterfinals, but for the first time in years, they look vulnerable. They won each of the final two games of the preliminary phase by just three points, while a 10-point affair against Australia was close until some clutch shot making late in the game from Carmelo Anthony and Kyrie Irving.
USA vs. Argentina 2016, Olympic basketball: Time, TV schedule and team news for men’s quarterfinal
Argentina famously upset Team USA in the 2004 Olympics, but this team probably doesn’t have the same magic in them.
The problem the Americans are facing on a micro-level is their defense, which has been hideous. They’re playing too many average to subpar defenders and not giving enough effort in general, since these summer games don’t mean as much to the participants as, say, a playoff game would. The bigger picture problem is the team’s lack of continuity. About half the roster is new to Team USA, forcing a difficult adjustment period and all-around struggles to pick up the international game while trying to adjust to new teammates they’ll only play with for a month.
Yes, this paints a bleaker picture than the actual reality. Team USA is still the favorite to win the gold medal, and they might do it with three straight blowouts. They have that sort of talent and ability to roast teams when they’re clicking, no matter how well the opposition is playing, and everyone knows that. But when you’re a problem that hasn’t lost a game in years, any sign of weakness gets amplified.
Argentina probably isn't the team that will take advantage of that. They lost to Spain and Lithuania in the preliminary phase while only narrowly topping Brazil, who didn't make the quarterfinals cut. Argentina has failed to add significant young talent to the team since they shocked Team USA in 2004, and while their core of Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola, Carlos Delfino and Andres Nocioni is still potent, it's probably not potent enough to top Team USA even in a weaker year.
Nocioni and Ginobili have led the team in scoring with around 15 points per game, comparable to Team USA's two-headed attack with Kevin Durant (16.8 points per game) and Carmelo Anthony (15.2). But the Americans are much, much deeper than Argentina, even with players like Draymond Green and DeMar DeRozan struggling all tournament.
Team USA can’t take Argentina for granted, but this isn’t the team that will be their biggest threat in the tournament. That’s coming next.
USA vs. Argentina
Time: 5:45 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN
Streaming: NBC Sports
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