National Basketball Association

Here's why Team USA keeps abandoning its best lineups and flirting with disaster

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:13 p.m. ET

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Andrew Lynch

Team USA has conceded its greatest power to the rest of the world. And until that changes, the path to a gold medal will remain more stressful than it needs to be.

How else to explain the drastic whiplash from the quarterfinals against Argentina, when Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green helped lead the United States to a 27-point win, to the semis against Spain, when Green was planted firmly on the bench in favor of more traditional lineups?

The common denominator is the opposing rosters. An aging Argentina squad relied on 3-point shooting and spacing, which gave Team USA an easy response. Put the best defensive players on the floor, let them switch everything, and get into transition on the other end.

Spain, meanwhile, lives and dies with its big men. Pau Gasol is the heart of everything Spain does on offense, and the presence of 6-foot-11 Willy Hernangomez in the middle buttresses Gasol's defensive limitations.

The simple, logical reaction this time was to ride DeAndre Jordan, DeMarcus Cousins and even Carmelo Anthony as rim-protectors who would stand toe-to-toe with the Spanish bigs. Such versatility is the United States' calling card, after all. Matching strength for strength when you have the ability to play any style seems reasonable, and it worked on Friday.

But Team USA isn't here to be reasonable. This squad should blow out opponents left and right by playing their game and making the other team respond accordingly, not barely squeezing through to the gold-medal game with a six-point win over an over-the-hill Spanish squad.

European teams might have popularized small-ball, but the NBA perfected it. When Green, Butler, Paul George, Kevin Durant and literally any other player are on the floor together, Team USA becomes a defensive juggernaut that slowly squeezes the life out of an opponent. It's demoralizing; nothing crushes an opponent's spirit like possession after possession of offensive futility.

Yet for some unknown reason, the 2016 USA Basketball team is terrified of unleashing its full potential on the rest of the world. Maybe it's because Green has struggled for most of the tournament on an individual level. His game is predicated on chemistry and timing; outside of the Warriors' motion offense, Green has looked a step slow. He's definitely not the top-10 player we saw over the past two seasons in the NBA.

To focus on his shortcomings is to miss the larger point, however: Green is the key who unlocks Team USA. He's the best passer on the squad and the least selfish player. His presence on the defensive end allows the rest of the wings to gamble aggressively and apply ruthless pressure to ball-handlers, knowing that Green will keep everyone on a string behind that defensive intensity.

In sum, he struggles in the Olympics because he draws the other team's focus with his manic energy and ubiquitous involvement in every damn play. Klay Thompson might not be ready to sacrifice for the Warriors next season, but that's Green's entire niche. No other player can have such an oversized effect simply by stepping foot on the floor for Team USA — not even KD or Melo.

Will coach Mike Krzyzewski finally commit to his best players in the gold medal game? Don't be too sure. As Durant sat in the first half with three fouls, Coach K still resisted going to small-ball. Not until late in the game, in fact, did he trot out a lineup without Jordan or Cousins on the floor for any significant length of time — and he trusted Melo over Green at center. Unfortunately, that's the one consistency with Coach K. He trusts very few players.

On the bright side, Serbia's 87-61 rout of Australia in the other semifinal might have saved Team USA from itself. Both Serbia and Australia gave the United States fits in the preliminary rounds, but Serbia at least plays a more perimeter-oriented game. With Andrew Bogut and Aron Baynes, Australia would have "forced" Team USA to go big in the final game of the 2016 Olympics. Against Serbia, the United States theoretically can get back to what works best — playing its best lineups as much as possible.

Or not, if the last game against Serbia is any indication. Either way, the United States will be the favorite. The only question will be whether it flirts with the ultimate disappointment: failure to win gold.

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