The men's national basketball team has wrapped up exhibition play and is set to take on Finland for their FIBA World Cup tournament opener on Saturday. The team defeated Slovenia 101-71 in its final exhibition game and, after many players backed out of the tournament, Team USA appears ready to make a run for gold.
Andre Drummond was the most recent addition to the young team which already has sturdy big men in Anthony Davis, Kenneth Faried, Mason Plumlee, and DeMarcus Cousins. Faried started all four exhibition games alongside Davis, who led the way against Slovenia with 18 points and 9 rebounds. The Americans' depth down low will be key as they head to Spain for the tournament. Team USA will have a notable height advantage against almost every opponent, but is also very strong at the guard position with the likes of Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Rose and James Harden. Anthony Davis is leading the balanced attack averaging 13.8 points per game through the first four matches. Harden is close behind averaging 13 points per game and five additional players are averaging above 10 points per game.
The United States will play five teams in the opening round of the World Cup before the Round of 16 begins on September 6. Their schedule is not particularly difficult as few, if any, of their opponents produce many star basketball players. Finland is first up followed by Turkey, New Zealand, the Dominican Republic, and Ukraine. Team USA beat the Dominican Republic handily in an exhibition game, 105-62.
But while it may seem as though the United States has dominated World Cup play, the men have never won back-to-back titles. Coach Krzyzewski led the team to a gold medal in the last tournament in 2010, the fourth gold and 11th overall medal added to the U.S. trophy case since the tournament started in 1950. Coach K has only lost three games in the three years he has coached the national team and set the bar high with a 9-0 record on the way to a championship in 2010. Only two countries-Brazil and Yugoslavia-have ever repeated as World Cup champions.
Will the lack of superstars playing in the tournament result in failure for the USA? Young talents like Davis need to step up if the team wants a chance to compete for another title. While youth may not seem like the key to success in the World Cup, six players on Team USA were just 21 years old in 2010, including Rose and Curry, who have returned for a second run.
The mission will start on Saturday with Finland taking the court to try to shrink the American big men in the paint. Team USA certainly has a favorable schedule before entering the Round of 16. At that point, the tournament hosts may be the biggest road block for Coach K's team with three powerful forwards Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, and Serge Ibaka lining the backcourt for the Spaniards. Until then, opposing defenses will look to be the first to hold Team USA to under 100 points.