Team USA secured its third straight win with a dominant 104-83 victory against Puerto Rico on Saturday. The win completes both teams’ participation in the group stage. Puerto Rico lost all three of its contests and will not advance to the quarterfinals.
Here are three takeaways from Team USA’s latest win.
1. Jayson Tatum is starting to figure out his role
Tatum produced his best performance of the summer thus far. He ended the contest with 10 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. However, his perimeter shooting continues to be a concern, as he went 0-of-2 from deep and is 0-of-9 from the perimeter since joining up with Kerr’s team.
Nevertheless, Tatum played within the flow of Team USA’s offense. He was fearless when attacking the rim, punished mismatches and provided high-level help defense. If he can sustain this level of performance moving forward, any questions surrounding his value to the team should be answered.
2. Anthony Edwards off the bench is borderline unfair
Edwards is one of the best scoring guards in the world. His explosive style of play is only matched by his electric personality. He ended the game with 26 points, three assists, three rebounds and two steals off Kerr’s bench. Furthermore, his partnership with Kevin Durant is forming one of the best two-man games the Olympics has to offer.
If Kerr continues to bring Edwards off the bench, which he should, then Team USA will have a major advantage when facing opposing second units. Second-unit defenses will struggle to handle his elite skill set throughout the tournament.
3. Joel Embiid looked much improved
Embiid has consistently looked off the pace this summer. He is still recovering from meniscus surgery earlier in the year. However, against Puerto Rico, Embiid provided his best performance thus far. His size and strength allowed him to dominate an undersized opponent, while his footwork generated multiple interior buckets. He registered 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting while also knocking down one of his four attempts on the perimeter.
Nevertheless, Embiid must improve on the glass. Ending the game with three rebounds to his name is slightly disappointing. Team USA will face far sterner tests than Puerto Rico. If Kerr’s team wants to control the tempo, they must have multiple players crashing the boards. Embiid should be near the top of that list.
