Jayson Tatum came to the 2024 Paris Olympics on an emotional high. He had just won his first NBA championship and the Boston Celtics rewarded their 26-year-old superstar with a supermax contract worth $315 million over five years. But when Tatum left Paris, he was feeling low despite winning his second Olympic gold medal.

Tatum played just 71 total minutes for Team USA, got two DNPs and appeared in just four games. USA Basketball head coach Steve Kerr benched Tatum in the Olympic opener against Serbia, and benched him again in the semifinals of the knockout round against the same Serbian squad.

The first game against Serbia was a blowout, but the same matchup was a nail-biter as Team USA needed ever bit of Steph Curry’s magical 36-point performance to advance to the gold medal game against host nation France.

Tatum did see some action against France, making one of three shots from the field and grabbing three rebounds in 11 minutes. Majority of Tatum’s minutes came in the first half as he rode the bench for much of the second half as Kerr rode Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Anthony Davis down the stretch.

Tatum finished the Olympics with averages he probably hasn’t seen since his AAU days. During the 2023-24 NBA season, Tatum averaged 26.9 points and 8.1 rebounds while earning All-NBA first team honors. During the Paris Olympics, Tatum averaged 5.3 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 38.1% from the field. He played fewer minutes than both of his Celtics teammates Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. Holiday, who started five of the six games, played 94 minutes while White played 79 minutes.

Despite winning gold, Tatum left Paris feeling empty. He told the Boston Globe that the Olympic experience was “challenging and humbling” at the same time, and he wouldn’t commit to playing for Team USA when the topic of the L.A. Olympics in 2028 came up.

“You feel like you deserve to play and the competitor in you wants to play,” Tatum told The Globe. “And [Steve Kerr] is the coach for a reason. He makes those decisions.”

Tatum tried to diffuse the situation by not making it about him. But his lack of playing time was one of the main storylines for Team USA. It was hard to ignore, and the narrative could spill into the 2024-25 season — especially when the Celtics play Kerr’s Golden State Warriors.

“I sacrificed and put a lot into this game and worked really, really hard,” Tatum said. “In the moment it is tough, so I’m not necessarily worried about fueling me for [for the season].”

Kerr absorbed much of the heat for the Tatum sideshow. His explanation was simple. It was a math problem. “It’s just hard to play 11 people, even in an NBA game,” Kerr told reporters.

To be fair, Kerr is absolute right. It’s uncommon to play 11 or 12 players in a 48-minute NBA game, yet alone a 40-minute FIBA-style competition. In the playoffs, rotations tighten even more to about seven or eight guys.

Kerr was dealt a bad hand by USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill, who was mainly responsible for constructing the 12-man squad. Hill used an old-style approach by loading the roster with a boatload of NBA All-Stars with the hope of overwhelming the competition instead of building on the team that competed in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Hill completely moved away from the highly successful “program” approach implemented by former USA Basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski and former USAB head Jerry Colangelo.

As good as the U.S. roster was for the 2024 Summer Games — and it was pretty darn good with four MVPs wearing the Red, White and Blue — it was terribly flawed. There was too much duplication and not enough defined roles and floor balance. Outside of sharpshooters Curry and Booker, who were the only true floor spaces, the squad Hill created had too many iso-centric players more comfortable in one-on-one settings. LeBron and KD needed the ball in their hands to be effective, which in turn limited the touches for ball-dominant guys like Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Haliburton.

Despite the poorly constructed roster, Team USA escaped with the gold medal thanks to Curry’s heroics. Steph’s nine 3-pointers was the catalyst in the 17-point comeback against Serbia in the semifinals and his flurry of 3-pointers — four in the last three minutes to be exact — during crunch time against France sealed the gold medal.

Kerr won’t be around to coach the U.S. men’s national team for the next FIBA World Cup or the L.A. Olympics in 2028, but Hill will likely be the decision-maker again when it’s time to build a roster. Hopefully, Hill learned from his mistakes and bring back the program approach his former mentor Coach K and Colangelo flawlessly executed to avoid another Jayson Tatum situation.

Dennis Schroder came through in the clutch to lead Germany over Serbia in the gold medal game at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Manila, Philippines.

Schroder, who had a game-high 28 points in the championship game, was spectacular throughout the tournament, averaging 19.1 points and 6.1 assists en route to winning the FIBA World Cup MVP. The Toronto Raptors point guard headlined a star-studded all-World Cup squad, which included Bogdan Bogdanovic of Serbia, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Canada, Anthony Edwards from the United States, and Slovenia’s Luka Doncic.

Bogdanovic did all he could to push Serbia across the finish line, averaging 19.1 points and shooting 42% from 3-point range. The two-time FIBA World Cup silver medalists could have used reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, who skipped this year’s World Cup after a taxing NBA season.

Behind Schroder’s steady hand at the point, the Germans passed every test in the tournament as they went undefeated en route to their first World Cup gold medal, besting the bronze medal in 2002 with Dirk Nowitzki as their leading man.

Schroder had plenty of support from a well-constructed roster headed by coach Gordon Herbert. Center Daniel Theis, shooting guard Andreas Obst, and the Wagner brothers, Franz and Moritz Wagner, all played a major role in helping Deutschland reach the top of the podium. Franz Wagner, who made the all-tournament second team, was huge in the gold medal game against Serbia, finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Here are four observations from an incredible two weeks in Manila, Jakarta, and Okinawa.

Steve Kerr makes tactical mistake against Canada

Steve Kerr is a four-time NBA champion as head coach of the Golden State Warriors. It would be hard to question anything he does. But during the bronze medal game against Canada, Kerr decided to use a small-ball unit in the final five minutes and overtime. Kerr took out 6-10 Bobby Portis in favor of guard Josh Hart, who is generously listed at 6-5. Kerr rolled out a finishing lineup of Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Austin Reaves, Mikal Bridges, and Hart playing center. Bridges was the tallest man on the court for Team USA at 6-6. After Hart fouled in overtime, Kerr went with an ever smaller lineup by inserting 6-0 guard Jalen Brunson.

Playing small ball is a tactic Kerr often uses with the Warriors, with Hart playing the role of Draymond Green as the small-ball 5. However, Josh Hart is no Draymond Green.

The decision proved to be costly as the Americans got punished on the boards by the more physical Canadians. Dwight Powell (6-10, 240), Dillon Brooks (6-6, 225), Lugentz Dort (6-3, 215), RJ Barrett (6-6, 215), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (6-6, 180) were too much to handle as the Canadians dominated the offensive boards and got to several crucial loose balls down the stretch. Behind the superb playmaking of Gilgeous-Alexander (31 points) and improbable 3-point shooting from Brooks (39 points), Canada outlasted the U.S. in overtime, 127-118, to secure its first ever FIBA World Cup medal.

In Kerr’s defense, he didn’t have a lot of options at center. Starting center Jaren Jackson Jr. and his backup Paolo Banchero were both out with an illness. Walker Kessler (7-1, 245) was the last remaining big man on the roster, and he could only muster six points and seven rebounds in 16 minutes of action.

It’s back to the drawing board for Kerr and USA Basketball director Grant Hill after another disappointing World Cup. Team USA has failed to bring home a medal in the last two World Cups, finishing seventh in 2019 and fourth in 2023. Kerr and Hill have a year to retool the roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

USA Basketball definitely needs reinforcements

Team USA came into the World Cup with a roster short on senior international experience and short on big men. Those glaring weaknesses showed up in the meaningful rounds as the Americans lost three of their last four games. The U.S. defense, which had been solid in the showcase games and the first group stage, was shredded for 350 points (116.67 points per game) in losses to Lithuania, Germany, and Canada.

Steve Kerr and his coaching staff, which included Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and L.A. Clippers coach Ty Lue and Gonzaga coach Mark Few, had about a month to fully prepare and get the players familiar with the system. And it showed. The game plan was simple: wear down teams with depth and push the pace to create scoring opportunities. The plan worked against the lesser teams but against experienced squads with NBA-caliber talent, the all-too-simple formula got exposed.

Because the U.S. couldn’t create enough ball pressure against Germany and Canada, it left the team exposed on the back end. Starting U.S. center Jaren Jackson Jr. struggled staying on the court, averaging almost just as many fouls per game (2.7) as rebounds (2.9). The lack of rebounding from Jackson Jr. summed up Team USA’s troubles on defense. During the weighty moments in the semifinals and bronze medal game, the U.S. couldn’t get enough stops.

The quick fix would be to bring in the A Team. Kerr and Hill could convince Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant to rejoin Team USA. LeBron James and Anthony Davis have also expressed interest in rejoining the program in time for the Paris Olympics. Draymond and AD will certainly help fix the problems on defense.

NBA teams should look at Aleksa Avramovic, Andreas Obst, Arturs Zagars

After making the all-tournament second team, Latvia’s Arturs Zagars is reportedly generating interest from NBA teams. The 23-year-old point guard led Latvia to a fifth-place finish in the nation’s first World Cup appearance and set a tournament record 17 assists in Latvia’s game against Lithuania. Zagars, who averaged 12.4 points and 7.4 assists in 25 minutes a game, has played professionally in Europe since 2017, but injuries have derailed his career. After showing he can compete against the best in FIBA, he should be given a shot in the NBA.

Germany’s Andreas Obst is an absolute sniper. He delivered the dagger 3-point shot that sunk the U.S. in the semifinals and propelled Germany to the finals. The 27-year-old Obst, who currently competes in the Bundesliga and EuroLeague for Bayern Munich, is regarded as one of the best shooters in Europe. He certainly didn’t disappoint at the World Cup, making 44.7% of his 3-point shots. Any NBA team would love to have a shooting guard who makes nearly 45% of his 3-balls.

Serbia leaned on Atlanta Hawks standout Bogdan Bogdanovic for much of the tournament, but the team would have not have reached the finals without Aleksa Avramovic. Avramovic’s physical defense played a role in holding Okahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to just 15 points and 4-of-8 shooting from the field in Serbia’s win over Canada in the semifinals. In the finals against Germany, it was Avramovic’s offense that kept the Serbians in the game as he finished with a team-high 21 points, including 3-for-7 shooting from 3-point range. Avramovic, who plays professionally in Europe for Partizan Mozzart Bet, may not be viewed as an NBA starting guard, but he could potentially be a solid rotational player.

Basketball-crazed Filipinos embrace NBA stars

The FIBA World Cup games were held at three venues: Okinawa, Jakarta, and Manila.

With all due respect to the fans who attended games in Jakarta and Okinawa, the vibe from the games held at Philippine Arena, Araneta Coliseum, and Mall of Asia Arena was different. You could feel the passion and the love that Filipinos have for the game of basketball.

A record crowd of 38,115 filled Philippine Arena for the Aug. 25 opener between host nation Philippines and the Dominican Republic – easily the biggest crowd to see a World Cup game. The previous attendance record was 32,616, set in 1994 at SkyDome in Toronto.

Team USA played all their games at Mall of Asia Arena. The coaches and players were given the rock star treatment. The Americans were showered with adoration, especially fan favorite Austin Reaves. The L.A. Lakers guard generated the loudest cheers each time he made a play. “It’s special to me,” Reaves told BasketNews. “I knew coming out here, there’s a lot of Lakers fans which is lovely, and I love that, and I appreciate that.”

Filipino-American Jordan Clarkson represented his mother’s native country at the World Cup. After four tough losses in group stage, Clarkson gifted Filipino fans with an unforgettable performance for Gilas Pilipinas in a 96-75 win over China. The Utah Jazz guard exploded for 34 points, including a 24-point outburst in the third quarter where he splashed four straight 3-pointers that had the whole arena shaking. Clarkson credited the energy from the raucous crowd at the famed Araneta Coliseum — site of “The Thrilla in Manila” in 1975 — for boosting him and his Gilas teammates.

“When you start hearing that, as loud as it was, it’s kind of hard to calm me down at that time,” Clarkson told reporters. “I stayed hot. The crowd was just amazing. There was so much energy in there and we just really wanted to gift them with a win.”

The United States senior men’s national team enters the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup with the weight of the world on its shoulder.

Being the hunted is a familiar position for Team USA after being so dominant for nearly 20 years. But the rest of the world is catching up, and winning a gold medal is no longer a sure bet.

The 58-game winning streak for the Americans in FIBA and Olympic competition came to a crashing halt in 2019 when the Gregg Popovich-coached squad — headlined by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — finished seventh at the World Cup held in China. It was the worst finish by an American squad in an Olympic or World Cup tournament, and it was the first time the U.S. failed to medal in basketball’s biggest international stage since the 2002 debacle in Indianapolis. We still haven’t forgiven George Karl for that mess.

Popovich did find some redemption in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo as he coached the U.S. — led by Kevin Durant and Draymond Green — to a gold medal.

Durant and Green are sitting out this year’s World Cup. The 12-man unit USA Basketball is sending to the Philippines — which co-hosts this year’s tournament with Japan and Singapore — is untested and doesn’t have a single All-NBA performer.

“For us, we have a lot of young guys this year, so we all feel like we have something to prove,” point guard Tyrese Haliburton told ESPN’s Kendra Andrews during the NBA summer league in Vegas.

Haliburton is one of the many new faces on Team USA that may be short on name recognition and international experience but loaded with promise. Haliburton (Indiana Pacers) is one of three players on the national team who earned NBA All-Star nods this past year. The other two were shooting guard Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves) and forward-center Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies).

The rest of the squad includes Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic), Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Josh Hart (New York Knicks), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans), Cameron Johnson (Brooklyn Nets), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks) and Austin Reaves (L.A. Lakers).

“I don’t think the expectations are what they usually are for USA Basketball, but that’s not changing for us guys who are playing,” Haliburton said. “We are really excited to get to it.

“It’s gonna be a lot of fun,” he added. “A lot of guys are around the same age as me.”

Even though expectations are a bit muted this time around, Haliburton said it doesn’t change the primary objective: bring home the gold and reestablish American dominance.

“All the young guys feel like we have something to prove on the national level and obviously on the world level as well,” Haliburton said.

Following the Tokyo Games, USA Basketball underwent a period of transition.

Grant Hill, the former Duke standout and No. 3 overall pick in the 1994 draft by the Detroit Pistons, took over for Jerry Colangelo as managing director of the U.S. senior men’s national team. Steve Kerr, the four-time NBA championship coach of the Golden State Warriors, took the baton from Popovich as the head coach. Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat), Ty Lue (L.A. Clippers) and Mark Few (Gonzaga) round out Kerr’s coaching staff.

Kerr is tasked with leading a group that is about as raw as they come in terms of international competition. Portis, 28, is the oldest player on the roster while Banchero, 20, is the youngest American to compete at a FIBA World Cup event since Dwight Howard in 2006. The average age on Team USA is 24, and the team is desperately searching for an alpha dog to take charge.

Kerr started with the combination of Brunson, Edwards, Bridges, Ingram, and Jackson Jr. in the exhibition game against Puerto Rico on Aug. 7 in Las Vegas. Barring injuries or a major surprise in camp, this will likely be the starting lineup for Team USA when it arrives in Manila to take on New Zealand in its World Cup opener on Aug. 26.

After what assistant coach Spoelstra described as a “sloppy” first half that kept the game close, the U.S. overwhelmed Puerto Rico in the second half en route to a dominant 117-74 victory in the first of five USA Basketball showcase games in preparation for the World Cup.

Brunson is the steady hand Kerr needs to run point, and he’s also emerged in training camp as the vocal leader. Haliburton came off the bench in the win over Puerto Rico and looked comfortable in that role. He may be better suited to be the secondary playmaker, with his ability to push the pace on the second unit.

Jackson Jr. is the clear starting center and there’s a huge gap between him and his backups Portis, Banchero, and Kessler. Jackson Jr.’s ability to impact the game on both ends is what makes him an invaluable piece.

The surprise of training camp has been Reaves.

His inclusion on the squad raised a few eyebrows. But after a solid debut wearing the USA colors, those doubts were put to rest. Kerr called Reaves “a connector” and “enhances any lineup that he plays with.”

“He fits in wherever we put him. That’s the beauty of Austin,” Kerr told reporters about the L.A. Lakers guard, whose efficiency from 3-point range (40%) and effective play-making are two vital skills he can bring to the table. Reaves is a solid compliment to Edwards, who is more of a volume shooter and slasher.

Throughout the showcase games, it is becoming clear that Reaves is one of the five indispensable players on the squad. It’s a list that includes Brunson, Edwards, Jackson Jr., and Bridges. This is Reaves’ freshman season on the FIBA stage and he’s soaking in every moment.

“I didn’t play much AAU growing up, so I don’t really know many of [my USA Basketball teammates],” Reaves told Fox Sports. “But this is a cool opportunity for me to play with a bunch of guys that are really talented. A bunch of good guys, honestly.”

One position this squad has plenty of depth is at the wing. Bridges is the ideal 3-and-D forward while Ingram, who is more for a natural small forward, is the ideal 4-man in the world of FIBA. Johnson can play either forward position and Hart — the third member of the Villanova Boys on the squad — will bring plenty of hustle off the bench.

The exhibition game against Puerto Rico wasn’t much of a game, but it did give us a sense of what style of play Kerr wants this group will run. It’s the same pace-and-space philosophy Kerr employs as headmaster of the Warriors. He wants his point guards to push the pace and he wants ball movement and man movement off the ball.

Kerr is one of the brightest minds in basketball. He and his outstanding coaching staff will figure out how to make this untested group play the right way and compete for gold.

Kevin Durant led Team USA to a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics. (Getty Images)

If there were any doubts that Kevin Durant was back near the top of list of best basketball players in the world, they were all extinguished during the 2021 NBA playoffs and the 2021 Summer Games in Tokyo.

Durant was nothing short of spectacular during the men’s basketball tournament at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The baller known as the Slim Reaper put USA Basketball on his back, leading Team USA to an 87-82 victory over France in the gold-medal game.

It was Team USA’s fourth straight Olympic gold medal and its 16th gold medal in 19 Olympics. Durant joined Carmelo Anthony as the only three-time gold medalists in Olympic basketball history. Durant also became USA Basketball’s all-time leading scorer, passing Anthony. It could be argued that Durant is the best player to ever wear the Red, White, and Blue.

Throughout the Olympic tournament, Durant was the one constant positive force on a squad that was put together in a month. Head coach Gregg Popovich didn’t have his full complement of players up until the first game against France on July 25. Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, and Devin Booker flew into Tokyo just a couple of days after finishing a brutal six-game series in the NBA Finals. They barely had time to get to know their Olympic teammates, yet alone figure out Popovich’s game plan.

The Olympics started off on a bad note for the Americans, losing to France in the opener 83-76. It was the first loss by an American squad in the Olympics since 2004. The team went unbeaten under coach Mike Krzyzewski in 2008, 2012, and 2016 on their way to three straight golds.

“There are more great players all over the world. That’s pretty obvious,” Popovich said prior to the start of the Tokyo Games. “There are more and more foreign players in the NBA. Every year they go back and play for their home countries as they should. It makes the competition even greater. Makes it more challenging for everybody, including us. But that’s a wonderful thing. Obviously the international has grown, and people love it.”

Popovich added, “When you have an opportunity like this, you respect the people you’re playing and you play as hard and as well as you can. But there’s no doubting that are more and more great players every single year around the globe.”

Despite Team USA’s lack of size and lack of cohesion, Popovich had one ace card he could always pull out whenever he needed. The ace card wore No. 7 in red, white, and blue colors.

Durant was absolutely brilliant. He cruised through pool play, allowing the other guys like Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, and Zach LaVine to get their shine. But once the knockout round began, KD put on the Captain America suit and saved the day — saved the entire USA Basketball program, actually. Anything less than a gold medal would have been considered a monumental disappointment and major setback for the USA Basketball program, which enjoyed a remarkable 12-year run under Coach K but endured a few stumbles under Popovich.

The U.S. failed to medal in the 2019 FIBA World Cup, and dropped two exhibition games heading into Tokyo.

“We went through some real adversity. We lost a game in the tournament. We lost two exhibition games. We had some unusual circumstances with COVID, guys playing in The Finals and coming in late. We just fought through everything,” Durant told NBC’s Maria Taylor after the U.S. completed the tournament with a 7-1 record.

“Two and half weeks again from our families. We’re basically in a bubble,” Durant said. “It was definitely different. I’m glad we finished the job.”

Whenever the U.S. fell behind in the knockout round, it was Durant who bailed them out. KD scored 29 points in the quarterfinals against Spain, the No. 2 ranked team in the workd and reigning world champs. KD scored 23 in the semifinals against Australia, the same squad that embarrassed the U.S. in Las Vegas. In the gold-medal game against France, Durant finished with a game-high 29 points. He made nine of 18 shots from the field and iced the game with two clutch free throws with 8.8 seconds left.

“France is a good team. They don’t quit. They play hard. They’re a big team,” Durant said of the silver medalists, which were led by Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, the NBA’s defensive player of the year.

“They presented a nice challenge for us,” Durant said. “But we wanted them again. We wanted to play them again, just like we wanted to play Australia again.”

Gobert and a defensive-minded French national team didn’t make it easy for the U.S. The game was up for grabs until late in the fourth quarter when the Americans were able to cobble enough winning plays, with timely baskets from Durant and Lillard and hustle plays from Holiday and Draymond Green.

“It’s winning time. It’s one game. It’s win or go home. I gotta give it my all every second I’m out there,” Durant said. “I’ve prepared the right way. I just gotta go out there and trust that work.”

Popovich called this version of Team USA a “high-character” and “high-spirited” group that worked very hard and understood the challenge. Those are nice compliments, but high character and high spirit might earn yourself a bronze. Czech Republic guard Tomas Satoransky, who played against the U.S. in pool play, said the Americans’ biggest strength was “anyone can light it up.”

“They are the best team in the world,” Satoransky said. “I think the gap is getting smaller between USA Basketball and the rest of the world, but obviously they have the most skilled players.”

The gap may be closing between the U.S. and the rest of the world, but there is only one Kevin Durant and USA Basketball was sure glad he made the trip to Tokyo.

To say that USA Basketball had a rocky training camp heading into the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo would be an understatement. The senior men’s national team lost its first two exhibition games in Las Vegas, had three players enter the health and safety COVID protocols, and two players dropped out.

Even head coach Gregg Popovich got off on the wrong foot with the media as he was involved in a testy exchange with a reporter after Team USA fell to Australia 91-83.

Popovich and his staff, which includes Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and former Atlanta Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce, have a gigantic task ahead of them. The 2021 squad has only been together for two weeks and have played just four exhibition games, going 2-2. It has already undergone multiple roster changes after Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal and Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love both left camp.

Beal’s exit was COVID-related, while Love was due to an injury. San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson and Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee were added to the 12-man roster. In addition to those moves, the team will need to absorb Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and Milwaukee Bucks teammates Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton as all three just finished playing in the NBA Finals. So, we won’t be able to see all 12 players together on the court until the team’s opening game on July 25 against France.

Then there’s the large shadow of Mike Krzyzewski. The legendary college basketball coach had a remarkable 10-year run as head coach of USA Basketball, winning three Olympic gold medals and two FIBA World Cup titles and finishing with an astounding 60-1 record. That’s quite a tough act to follow for Popovich, who has already lost five games since taking over USAB’s senior men’s squad in 2017.

Under Popovich, Team USA hasn’t won a significant international tournament and had a disappointing outing in the 2019 FIBA World Cup, failing to medal and finishing seventh.

Coach Pop has two holdovers from Krzyzewski’s 2016 gold medal team in Rio: Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets) and Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors).

He’ll lean on the former Warriors teammates to be the leaders of an inexperienced unit that has yet to forge an identity. Durant led Team USA in scoring (19.4) in Rio 2016, so he’ll be asked again to carry the load offensively and be the No. 1 option. Green is the ideal big man at the FIBA level. His versatility will be a huge asset, as well as his defensive acumen. Green and Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat) will rotate at the center position, and could even see time together at certain points.

“We do have all the best players in the league, but these national teams have NBA players, too, who are now No. 1 options and they’re used to playing that role internationally,” Durant told Yahoo Sports.

Despite all its issues, the U.S. remains the favorite in Tokyo. But winning gold is no longer a foregone conclusion. The rest of the world has closed the gap and many international teams are not intimidated by the Stars and Stripes.

“There are more great players all over the world. That’s pretty obvious,” Popovich said. “There are more and more foreign players in the NBA. Every year they go back and play for their home countries as they should. It makes the competition even greater. Makes it more challenging for everybody, including us. But that’s a wonderful thing. Obviously the international has grown, and people love it.”

Team USA point guard Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) is well aware of the talent outside the U.S. He recently faced one of them in the 2021 NBA playoffs in Facundo Campazzo. The Argentine guard played a huge role in helping the Nuggets eliminate the Blazers in the NBA playoffs.

“These teams are experienced. They’ve spent a lot of time together,” Lillard said. “We are working at becoming a team, still getting our legs under us, getting in shape. We’re not just gonna come out, roll the ball out, and beat these teams. We gotta play the right way … compete. We gotta play to win and give ourselves our best chance. If we don’t, we can get beat.”

Here are six teams that could beat Team USA in Tokyo.

Australia
NBA veteran Joe Ingles wasn’t surprised when his Aussies defeated the U.S. in an exhibition game in Las Vegas. In fact, Ingles said Australia expected to win the game. The Aussies have every right to be confident because they have one of the most talented rosters in the Summer Games. Head coach Brian Goorjian has seven players with NBA experience, including Ingles (Utah Jazz), Patty Mills (San Antonio Spurs), Matisse Thybulle (Philadelphia 76ers), and Aron Baynes (Toronto Raptors). NBA fans know Mills as a role player with the Spurs, but whenever he puts on the Australian national colors he turns into Allen Iverson. Thybulle is a lockdown defender who can “shut off water” in a hurry. Most basketball fans are not familiar with Jock Landale, but they’ll know who he is after Tokyo. Landale, 25, is a well-rounded center armed with a 3-point shot. Landale, who currently plays for Melbourne United in the NBL, would like nothing more than prove to the basketball world that he deserves a shot at the NBA. After finishing fourth in the last two major international competitions, this might be the year the Aussies (ranked No. 3 in FIBA) finally take home a medal.

Spain
Reigning FIBA World Cup champions and No. 2 ranked team Spain possesses the best group of centers and pure point guards in the Olympics. Brothers Marc and Pau Gasol anchor a big Spanish frontcourt that could present plenty of problems for teams in Tokyo. Pau, 41, is playing in his fifth Olympics and would love to finish his decorated career on the national team with a gold medal around his neck. Marc, 36, will be participating in his third Olympics. He won silver in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. Pau and Marc are not the only pair of brothers playing for Spain. Juancho Hernangomez (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Willy Hernangomez (New Orleans Pelicans) give Spain four quality big men who could wear teams down. Spain also has good depth at point guard with Ricky Rubio (Minnesota Timberwolves), Sergio Rodriguez, and Sergio Llull. All three are capable of running the show. It seems like Rubio has been around the international stage for decades, but he’s only 30 and still in the prime of his basketball life. Llull is one of the top players in the Euroleague and could easily run an NBA offense. At 36 years old, Rudy Fernandez no longer has the legs to attack the rim but he is still an excellent 3-point shooter.

Slovenia
Charles Barkley often refers to ordinary players as JAGs, which stands for Just A Guy. Luka Doncic might the only active player in the world, other than LeBron James, who could take a bunch of JAGs and win a major tournament. Doncic pulled off a stunner during the Olympic qualifying round when he put an entire nation on his back and carried it to its first trip to the Olympic Games. The 22-year-old Dallas Mavericks superstar dropped a triple-double (31 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists) in the win over Lithuania, sending his home country of Slovenia to Tokyo. “I don’t care about the MVP,” Doncic said. “We won here. We’re going to the Olympics, the first time in our country. It’s amazing. I think every kid dreams about being in the Olympics. I did too. So, here we are. We fought really, really hard, and I think we deserve to be here.” Slovenia may not be a medal favorite, but anything is possible as long as Luka is on the court.

France
Les Bleus returns seven players from its bronze-medal team in the 2019 FIBA World Cup. One of those returning players is three-time NBA defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert. The 7-1 center powered the Utah Jazz to the best record in the NBA and a second-round appearance in the playoffs. Gobert anchors a French squad sprinkled with NBA talent: Nicolas Batum (Los Angeles Clippers), Evan Fournier (Boston Celtics), Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot (Brooklyn Nets), Frank Ntilikina (New York Knicks). With Gobert protecting the paint and Batum and Ntilikina smothering perimeter players, France will have one of the best defenses in the Olympics. The problem will come on the offensive end. Scoring could be an issue, especially if Fournier struggles from the field.

Argentina
Luis Scola is the last remaining member of the golden age of Argentina basketball. Scola won a gold medal with Argentina — a squad spearheaded by San Antonio Spurs superstar Manu Ginobili — in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Those glory days a long gone for both Argentina and Scola, but the 41-year-old power forward remains one of the craftiest low-post scorers in FIBA despite having logged thousands of minutes in his basketball career. Scola is surrounded by a talented group of Argentines, including feisty point guard Facundo Campazzo (Denver Nuggets) and 20-year-old sensation Leandro Bolmaro. Bolmaro starred on FC Barcelona in the Euroleague and his draft rights are owned by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Nigeria
Nigeria stunned the basketball world when it defeated the U.S. 90-87 in an exhibition game in Las Vegas. Then, the Nigerians dominated Argentina in the same Vegas tuneup event. The blowout against Argentina proved that the win over Team USA wasn’t a fluke. The Nigerians are for real and poised to make noise in Tokyo. Head coach Mike Brown — currently an assistant with the Golden State Warriors — is building a formidable program, utilizing the same principles that made the Warriors successful. They share the ball and have some 3-point snipers to space the floor. Three Miami Heat players are on the Nigerian roster: Precious Achiuwa, Chikezie “KZ” Okpala, Nnamdi Vincent. Guard Caleb Agada, who plays in the Israeli league, made a name for himself in Vegas as he lit up Team USA for 17 points. Agada will be on the Denver Nuggets summer league squad.

Jaylen Brown and Gregg Popovich had a rough FIBA World Cup. (Getty Images)

Gregg Popovich became Papa-vich almost immediately after Team USA’s win over Poland on the final day of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

What should have been the culmination of another USA dominance at the World Cup turned into a sad post-mortem following the worst finish by an American squad in an Olympic or World Cup tournament. For the first time since the 2002 debacle in Indianapolis when the U.S. finished sixth, the red, white, and blue failed to win a medal in a major international tournament. Team USA were removed from medal contention after losing to Rudy Gobert’s French squad in the quarterfinals. A few days later, Team USA lost to Nikola Jokic’s Serbia squad in a consolation-bracket game. After that game, the Serbs didn’t even celebrate. They just walked off the court as if they expected to win.

Serbia was likely disappointed as well for not winning gold as it was one of the favorites entering the tournament. Spain — the No. 2 team in the world and led by NBA veterans Ricky Rubio and Marc Gasol — went home with the gold medal after defeating Argentina in the final. Rubio was named MVP of the tournament. France defeated Australia to claim bronze.

The U.S. played out the tournament by beating Poland 87-74 in a meaningless seventh-place game. Afterwards, Popovich went off on critics while praised the players who sacrificed their offseason for an opportunity to represent the red, white and blue on the international stage. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Popovich said anyone who thinks the team should be ashamed for not winning a medal is “immature” and “arrogant.”

“Some people want to play the blame game. There’s no blame to be placed anywhere,” Popovich said. “They want to play the shame game, like we should be ashamed because we didn’t win a gold medal? That’s a ridiculous attitude. It’s immature, it’s arrogant, and it shows that whoever thinks that doesn’t respect all the other teams in the world and doesn’t respect that these guys did the best they could.”

He added: “Their effort was fantastic. They allowed us to coach them. You give people credit for what they did, and that’s it. But it’s not a blame and shame game. That’s ridiculous.”

Popovich should be commended for his fatherly move to help ease the pain of the team’s failure. But there’s no silver lining in the team’s performance. It was awful.

The team was poorly coached and poorly constructed. USA Basketball president Jerry Colangelo can criticize the NBA superstars for skipping the tournament, but it doesn’t hide the fact that this team was not built to compete for gold. Sometimes is amiss when you have four members of the Boston Celtics (Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart) and Mason Plumlee on the roster. Only Walker was worth of a roster spot and fit the mold of a FIBA-type player. Brown and Tatum are good NBA players but their games don’t translate well to the FIBA game. They thrive in isolations. The FIBA game is more about ball and man movement, and offense is created with passing and outside shooting. Tatum ended up getting hurt and missed the final games.

Smart was a curious choice as well. You can make an argument that Pop kept Smart for his defense, in case the U.S. runs into Greece. Well, it did run into Greece and Smart locked up Giannis Antetokounmpo. But outside of that game, Smart was basically useless. He’s not a good shooter and not a true point. He was a liability on offense.

Speaking of liability, Plumlee’s inclusion on the squad was the biggest headscratcher. We get it that he’s a legacy player from the Mike Krzyzewski regime. But Plumlee had no business being on the roster. He’s barely an NBA player. Team USA would have been better off keeping Kyle Kuzma, whose game is suited for FIBA and can play center in a pinch.

About the only good news to come out of this World Cup was the fact that Team USA qualified for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Pop and Colangelo have 10 months to regroup and try to piece back together a fractured program.

Marc and Pau Gasol lead a formidable Spanish frontcourt. (GETTY IMAGES)

The FIBA Basketball World Cup — known as the FIBA World Championship from 1950 until 2010 — is arguably the most intense international basketball competition in the world. And, based on the strong play during the qualifying rounds, the world can’t wait for #Spain2014.

Host team Spain — led by the Gasol brothers — captured the silver medal in the last two Olympic Games, losing both times to the United States. The Spaniards, ranked No. 2 in FIBA, will look to their home crowd to push them to their second world title, and they could likely see the top-ranked Americans in the championship game on Sept. 14.

Spain took home the FIBA gold in 2006 in Tokyo, the same tournament the last time Team USA lost an international competition.

Here’s a look at the 24 teams that will compete in Spain and where they currently rank in the world:

United States (ranked No. 1) — Team USA earned an automatic berth to the World Cup by winning the gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics. As usual, Team USA will be prohibitive favorites to win the gold medal — and it would be a monumental upset if they don’t. USA Basketball president Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski have dealt with withdrawals and a devastating injury to NBA All-Star Paul George this summer. The group Coach K brings to Spain won’t be as strong as his 2012 and 2008 teams, but don’t tell that to Anthony Davis, James Harden, Stephen Curry and Derrick Rose. Curry and Rose were on the 2010 World Cup team that took home the gold, while Harden and Davis played for Coach K in the 2012 Olympics. Those four stars will be asked to step into the vacuum vacated by Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony.

Spain (No. 2) — The Spaniards are the biggest threat to the U.S., and they will have an entire nation behind them. Injuries are a concern for head coach Juan Antonio Orenga. Pau Gasol, the cornerstone of the program for a decade, is dealing with tendonitis on both knees and point guard Ricky Rubio is coming off ACL surgery. Rubio came back to play in the 2013 EuroBasket and he appears to be close to 100%. The good news for Spain is that Rudy Fernandez looks rejuvinated, and Marc Gasol seems to embrace the leadership role. Pau and Marc anchor a formidable frontline that also boasts the NBA’s leading shot blocker in Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka. Jose Calderon and Juan Carlos Navarro are a bit past their prime, but they’re still considered two of the best guards in the world.

Argentina (No. 3) — Manu Ginobili decided not to participate in this year’s World Cup, which is a huge blow to the Argentines. Ginobili is coming off minor knee surgery, and the San Antonio Spurs would rather see him rest his knee this offseason. Without the Great Ginobili, the South Americans will look to veterans Andres Nocioni, Walter Herrmann, Pablo Prigioni and Luis Scola for leadership. Scola, 34, is one of the last links to the golden age of Argentine basketball, a decade that saw the team win a gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics, silver at the 2002 World Cup, and bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Argentina has a proud tradition, so don’t expect them to lay down in 2014.

Lithuania (No. 4) — The Lituanians boast one of the biggest, if not the biggest, team in international competition. They have four NBA-type centers on the roster: Darius Lavrinovic, Robertas Javtokas, Jonas Valanciunas (Toronto Raptors), and Dontas Motiejunas (Houston Rockets). The Raptors have high hopes for Valanciunas, and the 21-year-old is the present and future of Lithuania basketball. Teams that played against Lithuania have to expect a rough-and-tumble game, and you better have some size to combat their size. Linas Kleiza is the team’s best scorer, but he goes hot and cold. Point guard Mantas Kalnietis, who led Lithuania to a 2006 European U-20 Championship title, is the catalyst on offense and plays with a ton of confidence.

Greece (No. 5) — The Greeks remain the last team to beat the United States in FIBA competition, pulling off the monumental upset during the 2006 World Cup. But that core group — led by Dimitris Diamantidis, Teo Papaloukas and Vassilis Spanoulis — that shocked the world is lone gone. This year’s national team is headed by former Florida standout guard Nick Calathes, 7-foot center Giannis Bourousis and 20-year-old phenom Giannis Antetokounmpo (aka the Greek Freak). Antetokounmpo was one of the stars of the Las Vegas Summer League, playing everything but center for the Milwaukee Bucks. The 6-11 guard-forward is growing leaps and bounds, and he could be the breakout star of the 2014 World Cup.

Turkey (No. 7) — The silver medalists in the 2010 World Cup enter this year’s tournament on a downward spiral. The Turks went 1-6 in the exhibition season, tying Finland for the worst record. Hedo Turkoglu, Irsan Ilyasova and Mehmet Okur are no longer fixtures on the team. Center Omer Asik (now with the New Orleans Pelicans) is now one of the leaders on a Turkish team that may not be as talented as the 2010 team that reached the gold-medal against Team USA but is solid enough to move on to the knockout stage. Turkey will get tested early when it faces the United States in pool play on Aug. 31.

France (No. 8) — France heads into the World Cup on an emotional high after capturing the country’s first EuroBasket title. Given the number of NBA players on the national team and the amount of talent they possess, the French should be ranked much higher than No. 8 in the world. But for whatever reason, France keeps disappointing at the World Cup and Olympics. This year, France had high hopes until star point guard Tony Parker decided to take the summer off and not compete for his native country. Thomas Heurtel and Antoine Diot will share the ball-handling duties for coach Vincent Collet. France boasts two of the most versatile forwards in the world in Boris Diaw (San Antonio Spurs) and Nic Batum (Portland Trail Blazers), and both are expected to do most of the heavy lifting in Spain. Another player to watch is 7-1 center Rudy Gobert, 22, who had a strong summer league. On paper, despite the loss of Parker, France still looks like a medal contender.

Australia (No. 9) — The bad news for the Aussies is international veteran Patty Mills (San Antonio Spurs) is out of the tournament because of a shoulder injury. The good news is this could mean more playing time for the country’s next big superstar: Dante Exum. The 19-year-old combo guard, who was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 2014 NBA draft, showed flashes of brilliance during the Las Vegas Summer League. Exum will team up with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova in the starting backcourt. Maccabi Tel Aviv standout Joe Ingles — Australia’s second-leading scorer behind Mills during the 2012 London Olympics — and three-time Euroleague champion David Andersen, 34, bring plenty of international experience.

Brazil (No. 10) — The Brazilians are still reeling from the 7-1 beatdown they suffered at the hands of Germany in the FIFA World Cup, and the Samba nation is hoping its basketball team will restore some pride in Spain. Brazil will have its hands full in Group A (tagged the group of death), competing with powerhouses such as Spain, France and Serbia. But Brazil has enough talent to qualify to the knockout stage behind four NBA players: Nene, Anderson Varejao, Leandro Barbosa and Tiago Splitter. Barcelona point guard Marcelo Huertas, 31, is regarded as one of the best point guards in the Euroleague. With Nene, Splitter and Varejao, Brazil is one of the few teams that can match up with Spain in the frontcourt.

Serbia (No. 11) — Former New Jersey Nets and current CSKA Moscow center Nenad Krstic is the anchor on both ends of the floor. Krstic is the leading scorer and rebounder of the team, and even though he’s slowed a bit with age he still finds ways to score in the post or the baseline. His CSKA teammate Milos Teodosic, considered one of the best point guards in Europe, missed the 2013 EuroBasket tournament because of a calf injury but should be ready to go for the World Cup.

Slovenia (No. 13) — Goran Dragic holds the key for the Slovenians, as he’s the engine that drives the whole program. The team feeds off his energy, and when he’s able to get in the paint with his dribble penetration he can cause a lot of problems. Dragic was sensational during EuroBasket 2013, leading his country to a fifth-place finish and earning all-tournament honors. Dragic’s brother, Zoran, is a 6-5 shooting guard who plays in the Spanish League. Uros Slokar, 31, is Slovenia’s best inside player.

Angola (No. 15) — Since becoming a FIBA member in 1979, the Angolans have built a very successful program that has dominated the African region. The team has captured 11 FIBA Africa tournament gold medals, including the 2013 championship. The Angolans have come a long way since getting elbowed by Charles Barkley and the 1992 Dream Team.

Croatia (No. 16) — Once a basketball power during the 1990s led by Drazen Petrovic and Toni Kukoc, Croatia has gone relatively quiet for a long time. Since winning a silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and bronze at the 1994 World Cup in Toronto, Croatia hasn’t been much of a factor . . . until now. The team finished in the top four at 2013 EuroBasket for the first time in 18 years, and the resurgence is led by forward Bojan Bogdanovic, 7-footer Ante Tomic, and 20-year-old sensation Dario Saric. The 6-10 Saric, the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, has a terrific all-around game and makes good decisions with the ball. Roko Ukic, who had stints with the Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks, is a big guard (6-5) who can play either point or shooting guard, and naturalized player Dontaye Draper gives Croatia a quick, dynamic ballhandler and defender off the bench.

Puerto Rico (No. 17) — Guard play is very important at the FIBA level and Puerto Rico has two good ones in Carlos Arroyo and J.J. Barea. Arroyo had a long NBA career, playing for seven teams, while Barea currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Former New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets forward Renaldo Balkman provides the team with lots of energy and passion, and scores most of his points in transition. He now plays professionally in Puerto Rico with hopes of making it back to the NBA.

New Zealand (No. 19) — With half of the roster playing for the New Zealand Breakers, the Tall Blacks have a lot of familiarity and continuity. One tall guy who won’t be playing in Spain is 7-footer Steven Adams. Adams chose to train with the Oklahoma City Thunder summer league team instead of his national team, which baffled New Zealand officials. But head coach Nenad Vucinic fields a solid squad led by an experienced starting backcourt in shooting guard Kirk Penney, 32, (who played at Wisconsin) and point guard Lindsay Tait, 31.

Iran (No. 20) — Behind 7-2 center Hamed Haddadi, the Iranians captured the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship held in Manila. In the finals against host nation Philippines, Haddadi took advantage of a Gilas Pilipinas team without starting center Marcus Douthit and completely took over the game. As long as the Phoenix Suns big man is on the court, the Iranians can compete against other Wold Cup teams but Haddadi will need help from his guards if Iran wishes to advance past some of the European, North and South American teams.

Mexico (No. 24) — The Mexicans pulled off a minor upset at the 2013 FIBA Americas tournament when they finished first, outlasting favorites Argentina, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Gustavo Ayon, who is under contract with the Atlanta Hawks, was named the FIBA Americas tournament most valuable player, scoring 20 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in the final against Puerto Rico. Former UCLA standout Lorenzo Mata may not be skilled offensively, but plays hard all the time.

Dominican Republic (No. 26) — The Dominicans have a solid roster, but their coaching staff is more impressive. Head coach Orlando Antigua was known as the “Hurricane” during his playing days, which included a stint with the Harlem Globetrotters. Antigua was the first Hispanic player to play for the Globetrotters. Prior to joining Antigua’s coaching staff, Rod Strickland was regarded as one of top point guards in the NBA. Strickland played for 10 NBA teams, including the Knicks, Spurs and Blazers. The most intriguing player for the Dominicans is 18-year-old Karl Towns, but the 7-1 high phenom from St. Joseph High School in New Jersey decided not to play in the World Cup. Towns will play next year for John Calipari at the University of Kentucky.

South Korea (No. 31) — The Koreans finished third at the FIBA Asia championships in Manila, losing in the semifinals to Gilas Pilipinas but rebounded by beating Chinese Taipei. It will be the first time since 1998 that Korea will be participating at the World Cup of Basketball. Exciting young star Kim Mingoo led the team in scoring at FIBA Asia, including 27 against Gilas Pilipinas and 21 against Chinese Taipei.

Andray Blatche has expressed his desire to play for the Philippines’ national team. (GETTY IMAGES)

Philippines (No. 34) — Gilas Pilipinas earned its first World Cup berth since 1978 when the event was held in Manila. The Philippines has a rich basketball history, going back to the days of the great Carlos “Caloy” Loyzaga when he led the country to a bronze medal at the 1954 World Cup in Brazil. Former Brooklyn Nets center Andray Blatche was cleared to play for the Philippine national team, and he’ll team up with former George Mason standout Gabe Norwood. Blatche is the best big man Gilas Pilipinas has had in decades, and his presence in the paint will free up shooters like Jimmy Alapag, Jeff Chan and Ranidel De Ocampo. A foot injury to speedy point guad Jayson William set the team back, but he seems to be over the injury. William is considered one of the five best point guards in Asia.

Finland (No. 39) — The Fins open the tournament on Aug. 30 in Bilbao, Spain, against heavily favored Team USA. It’ll be the only time the Fins will be make headlines. Finland is led by former Utah forward Hanno Mottola and Erik Murphy, who now plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Fins are given little to no hope in advancing to the knockout round, but they will at least play in front of a world audience as their game against the Americans is on ESPN.

Senegal (No. 41) — After finishing third in the FIBA Africa tournament, Senegal will make its first appearance at the World Cup since 2006. The team has plenty of size up front with six players over 6-9, led by Minnesota Timberwolves center Gorgui Dieng. The 6-11 center was on the Louisville team that captured the NCAA championship under Rick Pitino. Center Hamady N’Diaye, 27, plays for the Delaware 76ers in the D-League.

Ukraine (No. 45) — If you see a Mike Fratello lookalike roaming the sidelines for Ukraine, that’s not an impostor. That’s the real Mike Fratello. The Czar of the Telestrator led Ukraine to a sixth-place finish at 2013 EuroBasket, helping the country earn their first World Cup berth. Fratello’s squad is spearheaded by another American, Eugene “Pooh” Jeter. Pooh Jeter is a naturalized Ukrainian player who played one season with the Sacramento Kings.

Egypt (No. 46) — Egypt scored a surprising second-place finish at the 2013 FIBA Africa tournament, but that should be the highlight of its run toward the World Cup. The last time Egypt was in the FIBA World Cup, Larry Johnson’s Grandmama commercials were running on TV. Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Derrick Rose has looked sharp for USA Basketball this summer. (USAB/EPA)

Despite several players declining invitations to play in this summer’s FIBA World Cup, it will be hard to find a more talented and deeper roster than the one USA Basketball will send to Spain.

USA Basketball president Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski have built a solid enough program that it can withstand the losses of several marquee guys such as Paul George, Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love and Blake Griffin. George broke his leg in an intrasquad scrimmage in Las Vegas, while Durant, Love, Aldridge and Griffin dropped out for various reasons.

It opened the door for new faces to step into the vacuum and help the red, white and blue defend the gold medal it won in 2010 in Turkey. Here’s a look at the final 12-man roster:

Derrick Rose —The Chicago Bulls point guard played for Coach K in 2010, and he has something to prove this summer after coming off back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in the NBA. As long as he doesn’t suffer any setbacks from his surgically torn meniscus, Rose should be the starting point guard and one of the team leaders.

Stephen Curry — The Golden State Warriors sniper says he’ll most likely play more shooting guard than point guard, but his ability to play both guard positions makes him a valuable asset. Curry is familiar with system, having played for Coach K in the 2010 World Championships in Turkey.

James Harden — The 6-4 shooting guard can also play the small forward role against most FIBA teams, giving Coach K more options. The Houston Rockets star — who won a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics — will be looked upon to be the catalyst on offense now that his good friend Durant is no longer on the team. Harden could lead the team in scoring and show the world that he’s one of the best.

Kenneth Faried — The Manimal is one of the wild cards on the roster. He may not be your prototypical forward but what he brings to the table are effort and energy. You don’t need to draw up plays for Faried because he has a nose for the ball. He’s a terrific rebounder, runs the floor well and loves to play defense. Colangelo and Coach K rave about him in practice.

Anthony Davis — With Love and Griffin gone, the New Orleans Pelicans power forward should be the lead anchor of the U.S. frontline. The 6-10 Davis could play more center than power forward, and maybe have Durant play as the stretch 4. Davis has looked real good in camp and his experience from the 2012 Olympics will only raise his confidence.

Kyrie Irving — Coach K loves his former Duke Blue Devils, and Irving was one of his prized pupils. Irving is the ideal point guard to go against international competition. He can create offense off the dribble against man-to-man defense or bust a 3-pointer if the defense goes zone.

Klay Thompson — At 6-7, Thompson has the size to play both forward spots. The Warriors sharpshooter is the ideal FIBA forward because of his ability to stretch the floor with his shooting. Thompson is also a very good one-on-one defender.

Rudy Gay — When Indiana Pacers All-Star Paul George went down with a gruesome leg injury, Gay stepped up and volunteered his services. Gay was on the 2010 squad that took home the gold medal in Turkey, and he is very familiar with Coach K’s system. Gay is a natural small forward, but is capable of playing the stretch 4 against most international teams. He is also a capable defender, and could stick versatile wing players such as Spain’s Rudy Fernandez, France’s Nic Batum and Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.

DeMarcus Cousins — The way team is constructed Coach K will need a true low-post player to compress the defense, and that could mean a big role for Cousins. The Sacramento Kings center is one of only two true centers in camp and his presence could come in handy against bigger teams such as Spain, Australia, Brazil and Lithuania.

Andre Drummond — The same reason why Drummond should make the roster. An injury to Davis or Cousins leaves Team USA very vulnerable up front, so having the Detroit Pistons big man serves as insurance policy.

DeMar DeRozan — The surprise of training camp has to be DeRozan. The Toronto Raptors star has played well in practice and the exhibition games, and he’s making it very difficult for Coach K to cut him. DeRozan brings versatility and athleticism to the roster, and he can guard his position.

Mason Plumlee — No one saw this coming, not even Coach K. Plumlee started out on the practice squad then got elevated to the national squad after Aldridge, Love and Griffin dropped out. But even then Plumlee was still a longshot to make the squad. But the more he played, the more impressive he looked. And his understanding of Coach K’s system — his old coach at Duke — gives him a distinctive advantage over the other big men on the roster.

Indiana Pacers All-Star Paul George is taken off the court on a stretcher after breaking his lower right leg in an intrasquad scrimmage in Las Vegas. (GETTY IMAGES)

It was the perfect storm. An NBA All-Star suffers a major injury on national TV while playing a meaningless intrasquad scrimmage on a court many suspect does not meet NBA standards.

Everyone at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Arena cringed when Indiana Pacers star Paul George broke his lower right leg while trying to block a layup. It was later diagnosed as a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula, which likely knocks George out for at least 12 months or longer.

You could see the pain in the faces of players when they saw their teammate crumble to the floor and unable to get up. Some couldn’t even look. Their worst fears were realized, and all of a sudden playing for the red, white and blue wasn’t such a good idea anymore.

This unfortunate injury is a major setback for USA Basketball, the NBA, FIBA and the Pacers. Fortunately, the right person is at the helm to do damage control.

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski smartly called off the game, knowing that the rest of the team was in no mood to finish the exhibition game. He joined USA Basketball president Jerry Colangelo at the post-game press conference where he immediately put a hold on any roster moves and channeled all the focus on the health of George.

If there is one man who can restore order amid the chaos and the depression that has fallen over Team USA, it’s Krzyzewski.

He made the right call in not continuing the game and he avoided digging the program into a deeper hole by suspending training camp and allowing the players to be with their support system outside of basketball.

When Coach K was hired to lead Team USA in 2005, he inherited a program that needed a major overhaul. The senior men’s national team was coming off a disappointing bronze-medal finish in the Athens Olympics. Since Coach K took over the program, Team USA is 62-1 in international competition. The U.S. won two Olympic gold medals and finished first in the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Turkey. The only blemish on Coach K’s USA Basketball resume was a loss to Greece in 2006.

Krzyzewski was saddled with the huge task of restoring Team USA’s dominance in Olympic competition, and he accomplished that by leading a squad anchored by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant to gold in Beijing in 2008. That team was known as the Redeem Team.

Now, Coach K will be asked again to redeem Team USA.

This challenge will be a bit different. It won’t be about winning gold medals or blowing out teams by 30 points. The challenge will be more about fixing the team’s psyche and reassuring the NBA community that George’s injury was a freak accident and players shouldn’t pass up an opportunity to represent your country against the rest of the world.

No one knows the pulse of the USA Basketball program better than Coach K. He will carefully assess the situation and figure out the next more with the blessing of Colangelo.

“We need to take care of right now appropriately and then move on,” Krzyzewski said.

The remaining 19 players in camp, the majority of them under 30 years old, will look to Coach K for strength and guidance. And you can bet that Coach K will find the right things to say. He always does.

Krzyzewski will likely use George’s injury as a rallying point. Once the shock of the grisly injury wears off and Team USA returns to training for the FIBA World Cup, Coach K will find a way to bring this unit together. All the players are reportedly going to honor their commitment to USA Basketball, which is a good sign. That’s the first sign of healing.

George’s injury could have occurred anywhere. He could have done it while working out on his own or while playing in the L.A. Drew League. The reason why there was so much overreaction was because it happened on live TV.

The players on this team have a ton of character and resolve. They knew what they were signed for when they accepted the invitation to wear the American colors.

In the short term, there will be some hesitation. In the long term, Team USA should rebound and bring home the gold medal for Paul George.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Houston Rockets guard James Harden will take part in the Team USA training camp in Las Vegas. (GETTY IMAGES)

When Jerry Colangelo and Mike Krzyzewski were putting together their list of players for Team USA in preparation for the 2014 FIBA World Cup of Basketball they may have been listening to California Love on their Beats by Dre headphones.

OK, that’s probably way not how Coach K and Jerry C. roll. But you can’t help but notice the number of players with West Coast on the 20 players who will participate in the men’s national team’s training camp in Las Vegas.

The players invited to camp include: Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards); DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings); Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors); Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans); DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors); Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets); Paul George (Indiana Pacers); James Harden (Houston Rockets); Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz); Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers); Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks); Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers); Paul Millsap (Atlanta Hawks); Chandler Parsons (Dallas Mavericks); Mason Plumlee (Brooklyn Nets); Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls); Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors), and John Wall (Washington Wizards).

Six of the 20 players invited to camp grew up in California. DeRozan is from Compton; Harden attended high school in Artesia; George grew up in Palmdale; Korver is from Lakewood; Thompson is from Santa Margarita and his dad is former Los Angeles Lakers great Mychal Thompson; and Lillard represents Oakland.

In addition, Curry and Cousins play for NBA teams rooted in the Pacific Division. So that’s eight players, nearly half the roster, with West Coast ties. It would have been nine but Russell Westbrook — who went to Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, Calif. — and his former UCLA teammate Kevin Love (born in Santa Monica, Calif.) both dropped out and won’t take part in the selection process.

Durant, Davis, Harden, Curry and Rose should be locks to make the 12-man roster when the squad heads for Spain. All five were either part of Coach K’s gold-medal winning team in the 2012 London Olympics or the gold-medal winning team in the 2010 FIBA World Cup (then called the World Championships).

Irving should also make the final cut because he played for Coach K at Duke (that’s a no-brainer), as well as George. Both participated in Team USA’s training camp in 2012. George’s versatility and defensive prowess makes him a valuable asset.

That leaves five spots left from a pool of 13 players.

Krzyzewski would likely take another big man and the decision will most likely come down to Cousins and Drummond. Cousins is the more polished low-post player but Drummond presents a matchup problem for any team with his size and athleticism. Love’s departure could mean both Cousins and Drummond may make the squad.

Because the FIBA 3-point line is shorter than the NBA 3-point line, you can’t have enough shooters on the team. That’s good news for guys like Thompson, Korver, Hayward and Parsons. A lot of the decision-making will hinge on how the players look and perform during camp and the exhibition games.

The World Cup of Basketball features 24 national teams and will be held Aug. 30-Sept. 14. The USA World Cup Team will play its preliminary round games in Bilbao, after being drawn into Group C along with teams from the Dominican Republic, New Zealand, Turkey and Ukraine.