LILLE, France – Worrying about which superstar might not play on a given night is not the U.S. national team's problem, but may ultimately become its trademark.
The relentless strength of this team will continue to create some awkward moments as coaches grapple with how to balance it all, but it will continue to fuel the Americans on their way to their fifth consecutive gold medal.
On Wednesday, it was again the driving force behind the 103-86 win over upstart South Sudan, which gave the US team a 2-0 deficit in the Olympic game and secured their ticket for the quarterfinals next week.
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The American bench was outstanding, scoring 66 points (compared to just 14 points for South Sudan) and making two crucial runs that essentially decided the game.
Bam Adebayo, who got more playing time because it was Joel Embiid's turn to sit out the game, had perhaps his best game ever with the national team when he came off the bench to score 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting and seven rebounds.
Kevin Durant returned to his role as a substitute and provided his usual firepower with 14 points, and Derrick White contributed 10 points with three steals and a block in addition to a number of excellent defensive plays.
In Sunday's win over Serbia, the most important moment of the game turned out to be when Durant came off the bench in the first quarter. Six minutes into the match against South Sudan, with the score at 10-10 and the Bright Stars gaining confidence, the Stade Pierre Mauroy honked the horn and U.S. coach Steve Kerr sent his substitutes into the game.
It's so tempting, even natural, to pay attention to who's starting in these high-profile games. And on this night, it was especially exciting because Jayson Tatum, the underdog in a controversial decision against Serbia, was part of the starting group. So were LeBron James, Steph Curry and Anthony Davis, players who have won six MVP awards and nine championship rings between them.
However, the fundamental strength of this squad is ignored.
When the group of Durant, White, Adebayo, Jrue Holiday and Anthony Edwards came in, the game changed. This group is full of excellent defenders and still has plenty of offensive power.
South Sudan, which has great athleticism with a group of former NBA players and shooters, is a great story and a dangerous team with a bright future, but it just can't compete with that depth.
That group, also augmented by Devin Booker, went on a 23-4 run in the first and second quarters that essentially decided the game. That group repeated its role in the second half as South Sudan, led by the hot shooting of Nuni Omot (24 points) and Bul Kuol (16), cut the lead against the American starters from 19 points to 10. Then the substitute extended the lead to 16 points by the end of the third quarter.
Then the starters James, Davis and Booker, who scored 30 points together, made sure that the lead was maintained comfortably until the end.
