Team USA's loss to Lithuania in the FIBA World Cup could be chalked up to a couple of reasons. One of the most prominent reasons was their big men's struggles. Against a more physical Lithuania team, the American centers couldn't keep up. Jaren Jackson Jr, the team's starting center, got into early foul trouble and eventually fouled out.

After the game, Jaren Jackson Jr talked about the foul trouble. The Team USA center owned up to his foul-happy issue. The Grizzlies star and reigning Defensive Player of the Year vowed to be better at protecting himself from fouls, per ESPN.

JJJ: “You just gotta be super, super careful [with fouls]. “You have to understand you're very, very valuable. That's on me for sure. I think I've had great second halves, and I have to be able to have that same gear when we first start going. You don't want to be digging out that hole. So yeah, I'll own that for sure.”

Jackson has been struggling over the last few games for Team USA. He was brought on the team for his size and ability to alter shots at the rim. However, he's had trouble with fouls all throughout the tournament. This has been a recurring problem for him, even in the NBA. Additionally, Jackson has not rebounded well for Team USA. He's averaging just three (!!!) rebounds a game and only has one rebound in his last two games.

A team can play elite perimeter defense, but it ultimately won't matter if they cannot finish the possession with a rebound. Brandon Ingram was benched for that exact reason, as Josh Hart (who's averaging double the rebounds as JJJ) proved to be a better rebounder. Team USA doesn't have that same luxury in their center position, so they just have to hope that Jaren Jackson Jr can figure out both his rebounding and foul trouble problems immediately.