Pau Gasol and Spain are having a bad time at the Olympics

Good morning. We have that and more in Wednesday’s NBA newsletter.

Aug 10, 2016, 1:21 PM UTC

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Good morning. Let’s basketball.

REVIVAL: Paul George is making the most of his Team USA experience. I’m really eager to see how the Pacers’ season goes, having added in Jeff Teague and mixed up the roster a little bit. It’s still young, it’s still suited to go faster ... but PG was resistant to playing up a position in 2015-16, and if he won’t be a power forward, will everything else fall into place offensively? Nate McMillan is a great offensive coach, but has traditionally played a halting style. It’s going to be full of intrigue.

YAY TEAM: Kevin Durant and the men's team geeked out watching Michael Phelps win his 20th and 21st gold medals on Tuesday. I think this is one of the reasons American players might appreciate Olympic basketball so much more than the FIBA World Cup. It's not just that they grew up watching the Dream Team in the Olympics and not in the World Cup. It's also that the Olympics give them an opportunity to meet and hang out with the few athlete celebrities that rise to their level of fame. The women's team is there to fraternize with, the star swimmers and sprinters and tennis and volleyball players and judokas are there. Without even getting to the party atmosphere, it's just a much bigger event. Of course millionaire basketball players want to be there.

LOL WHAT? Britney Griner and DeMarcus Cousins talk a lot of trash to each other, and Griner wants to face Boogie one on one. They both appear to ... be having fun with it?

PAIN IN SPAIN: Spain lost again, this time to host Brazil in a nail-biter. Spain is now 0-2 in the tournament and at serious risk of failing to make the knockouts or, if they do, facing Team USA in the quarterfinals. Bad news, Spain! In other action, Lithuania beat Nigeria and Argentina beat Croatia.

TODAY: The USA women’s team faces Serbia at 2:30 p.m. ET and the men face Australia in a big showdown at 6 p.m. ET.

HOW THE OLYMPICS SAVED ANDREW BOGUT’S SUMMER.

HA: Draymond Green is in a new Foot Locker ad with Horace Grant.

KNOCK KNOCK / WHO’S THERE / POPOVICH / POPO-WHO? / POPOVICH, G.O.A.T. COACH / LEADER OF THE SPURS CREW

I FEEL LIKE THERE’S A BETTER WAY, C.J.: Via Reddit, C.J. McCollum tries to get info on Kyrie Irving’s modeling booking agent ... in the comments to an Instagram post.

BUMP: Michael Pina with a cogent case for Carmelo Anthony to move back to stretch four in the Derrick Rose era.

HEART OF A CHAMPION: Channing Frye’s first-person story on his unlikely championship ring given health concerns is so good.

AND FINALLY: Carmelo Anthony declared that he is not a hugger after hugging DeMarcus Cousins, who, according to Melo needed a hug after fouling out the other night. Dan Devine presents evidence that despite his claims Carmelo Anthony IS IN FACT a hugger.

Happy Wednesday. Take care.