Team USA has faced a number of high-level NBA players thus far in its exhibition slate. Canada is led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray. Australia is built around Josh Giddey and a host of NBA role players. However, Wednesday will be the first time in the buildup to the Olympics that Team USA will definitively lack the best player in a game. It will face Nikola Jokic and Serbia in Abu Dhabi in a critical tuneup matchup ahead of the Paris games.
Serbia may lack Team USA’s depth of star power, but it is not to be trifled with. Serbia defeated Team USA 94-89 at the 2019 FIBA World Cup, and it will be among the biggest threats facing the American roster when the Olympics begin. The two share a group and will face off again for real on July 28, and it’s possible that they will meet for a third time if both advance into the knockout stage. These two teams are going to get to know each other quite well in the next few weeks. Here’s how you can watch Wednesday’s exhibition.
Team USA basketball vs. Serbia
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET | Date: Wednesday, July 17
TV channel: FS1 | Live stream: fubo (try for free)
Odds: USA -15.5, O/U: 175.5
Storylines
Team USA: Can Team USA play a full, 40-minute game? A sluggish start against Canada saw Team USA fall behind 11-1 early, and then a 20-point lead was nearly blown in the fourth quarter against Australia. Steve Kerr is very much still figuring out what he has with this roster, and certain combinations of players are working far better than others. With less than two weeks to go before Paris, the Americans are going to have to prove that they are capable of staying locked in for a full game because such slips in the Olympics could be the difference between winning and losing.
Serbia: There has been a long-running joke in the NBA about Joel Embiid ducking Nikola Jokic in the regular season. It isn’t entirely fair. Injuries happen, after all. But Embiid is here now, and while he isn’t exactly facing Jokic on his home floor, he’s doing so under the sort of uncomfortable circumstances NBA fans have long wanted to witness. Thus far, during Team USA’s exhibitions, he’s played relatively uneven basketball. Anthony Davis has outshined him off the bench, leading to questions about who should be starting. There are matchups in which Davis might make more sense. But Embiid is on this team to slow down Jokic in the post. He’ll have his first chance to prove that he can do so on Wednesday.
Prediction
Canada might have more raw talent, and Australia might have a stronger overall international track record, but top to bottom, Serbia could easily be the best opponent Team USA has faced thus far. Its roster makes complete sense: everything orbits around Jokic with a variety of viable ball-handlers and cutters (Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nikola Jovic, Vasilije Micic) supporting him. Team USA should win this game, but it won’t be a walkover. Expect another hard-fought exhibition on Wednesday. The Pick: Serbia +15.5
