Following a 95-78 thumping of Brazil that allowed Derrick Rose to debut in front of his hometown faithful, Team USA only has three more tune-up games before the 2014 FIBA World Cup kicks off in earnest.
Those games, which come against the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Slovenia, might not count, but they'll still be useful for the Americans.
After all, this is a roster filled with unproven players. They might be established stars in the NBA, but not many have suited up for intense international competitions.
While Team USA is the prohibitive favorite to take home a gold medal at the end of the World Cup, the players still have to prove a few things before the games that count begin on Aug. 30. They aren't mortal locks to sweep through the slate of matchups, one that will likely conclude with a barnburner against the Spanish national team, but they could achieve that status by making a few things perfectly clear.
Even with multiple All-Stars on the roster, this event cannot, should not and will not be taken lightly.
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Article written by Adam Fromal
5 Things Team USA Must Prove Before 2014 FIBA World Cup Begins
August 19th, 2014 by Adam Fromal Leave a reply »
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