After a blockbuster week of basketball at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, now it’s time to get real: Group play is over, four teams have gone home and the knockout round is here. No more margin for error; win and advance, lose and your Olympics are over.
For the U.S., the road to a fifth straight gold medal begins with a quarterfinal matchup against Brazil. The Brazilians are the Cinderella of this particular dance, advancing as a third-place team after a win in their final group game against Japan, but they’re experienced, they’re crafty and they’re not to be overlooked. Here are the biggest questions Team USA must answer to move on to the semifinals.
SEE MORE: Men’s basketball knockout bracket revealed: U.S. draws Brazil, France to face Canada
Who guards Bruno Caboclo?
Remember him? Once a first-round pick of the Toronto Raptors back in 2014, Caboclo has bounced around everywhere from France to Mexico to Germany to Serbia over the last few years. But he’s been Brazil’s best player so far in this tournament, including a 33-point, 17-rebound masterpiece against Japan to help see his team through to the quarterfinals. Any path to an upset for Brazil likely involves another huge game from the 6-foot-9 wing.
So, who will draw the assignment? Given the depth the U.S. has on the wing, the answer is likely “it depends,” but this would seem to be an ideal spot for someone like Jayson Tatum — who brings the same unique combination of size and athleticism, and happens to be an elite on-ball defender. Tatum started against Puerto Rico, and he might do so again here.
Can the U.S. clean up the defensive glass?
When asked about facing Brazil on Sunday, the first thing Steve Kerr brought up was the offensive glass. “They’re very physical,” Kerr said. “I think they’re the No. 1 offensive rebounding team in the tournament.” In fact, the Brazilians have averaged 13 offensive rebounds per game, crashing the glass with abandon from just about everywhere on the court.
That’s a concern for a U.S. team that lost the offensive rebounding edge by 16 over the course of group play. Of course, there’s some context needed to go along with that number; it’s harder to grab offensive rebounds when you’re shooting the lights out, as the Americans have. Still, keeping Brazil off the offensive glass will require buy-in from all five positions, especially if the U.S. goes smaller without Embiid on the floor. Shut Brazil’s water off, and you can take advantage in transition the other way. Don’t, though, and you open the door for kickout 3s for a team that’s shooting a torrid 45% from beyond the arc in Paris.
SEE MORE: Everything to know ahead of U.S. men’s basketball quarterfinal matchup with Brazil
Is Anthony Edwards ready to be The Guy?
On the heels of a monster season for the Timberwolves, Edwards was pegged by many to be the breakout star for Team USA, the sort of brash, young, off-the-bounce creator that was perfectly suited to take the torch from the old guard. And after a couple of up-and-down group games, he finally looked the part against Puerto Rico, erupting for a game-high 26 points and throwing down the dunk of the tournament.
SEE MORE: Full Anthony Edwards highlights from win vs. Puerto Rico
Will the U.S. start fast?
Group play is all well and good, but now the stakes ratchet up and the safety net disappears. There can be no room for error, none of the mid-quarter funks that plagued the U.S. in its Paris tune-up games. When Team USA is dialed in, they’ve run teams off the court, and they can do the same to Brazil. If it starts meandering through offensive possessions and not closing out shooters hard, though, this game could get interesting, and at that point who knows how U.S. nerves will respond to the heat of elimination.
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