The recently assembled Team USA got the work from a lineup mostly comprised of G League players in a heated Wednesday scrimmage, losing 36-17. According to reports, this didn't happen once, but rather twice in the same day — a clear sign of worry for a team that was already viewed as fragile after numerous household names dropped out of consideration for the upcoming 2019 FIBA World Cup.
A lineup of Kemba Walker, Donovan Mitchell, Harrison Barnes, Jayson Tatum, and Mason Plumlee was devastated by a Select Team that came ready to play and pushed them through the course of the scrimmage, forcing them into bad shots and careless mistakes early.
Head coach Gregg Popovich closed with a lineup of Walker, Mitchell, Barnes, PJ Tucker, and Brook Lopez to up the defensive intensity, but it was all for naught as the Select Team cruised to victory:
While this could come as a surprise, this Select Team played together before when they qualified the U.S. for this FIBA tournament in December-February under coach Jeff Van Gundy. The synergy and chemistry they have on the court is no small factor, and that showed, as various Team USA lineups just looked out of kilter, running simple action plays with not a whole lot of passing or creating off the ball.
Donovan Mitchell’s wing trey at the 8:22 mark would be the last bucket Team USA would score, as the Select Team went on a 14-0 run to close out the game. The closest the white jerseys had to a highlight in this hard-fought tilt was a Mitchell missed tomahawk dunk at the 9:56 mark, one that ricocheted to the half-court line.
Marcus Smart, who didn't play in this scrimmage and has been forced to sit out the past week with calf tightness, called this performance “embarrassing” in nature.
Despite the talent discrepancy between these two teams, this Select Team has taught the senior group a very important pair of lessons — chemistry and fluidity are of utmost importance at the international stage. There are only 40 minutes and fewer chances of righting wrongs during a brief tournament. Popovich might be elated with this bit, given how it can become a teaching moment for this young group — lessons they can learn before the real challenge starts in a couple of weeks.
If they are to make waves in the World Cup, Team USA must start by shedding off their individual exploits and trusting one another to yield the most of their abilities, as they could risk defeat by letting their talent take over a team concept that can prove key against some of the powerhouses awaiting.
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