clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Team USA vs Argentina Exhibition Game Thread

Team USA looks to bounce back after two disappointing losses

By Matt Modderno
Australia v United States
Bradley Beal attempting to box out against Australia
Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images

The USA Basketball men’s national team will look to get its first win in exhibition play against Argentina this evening at 6 p.m. EST in Las Vegas. Argentina is also 0-2 so far in their warm-up games.

You can watch the game on NBC Sports Network, the national one,

Team USA starting 0-2 in their exhibitions games is bad. Going 0-3 during their time in Las Vegas would be a disaster for a team with gold medal aspirations. Yes, I know they’re only exhibition games but a team with that much talent cannot afford to go winless in exhibitions.

The Australians are a likely medal contender and the Nigerians were significantly underrated considering the amount of talent on their roster. Losing to either team in a vacuum would not be that big of a deal. This is not the Manu Ginobli-led Argentina team of old, this is a considerably less talented group. Team USA clearly has not found their rhythm yet but it would be an even worse look if they can’t beat a team that Nigeria easily dismissed by 23 points.

This is not to say Argentina’s roster is full of pushovers, they’re ranked fourth in the FIBA Men’s ranking and earned a silver medal at the 2019 FIBA World Cup. The team features 10-year NBA veteran forward Luis Scola, Denver’s Facundo Campazzo, Minnesota’s Leandro Bolmaro, New York’s Lucas Vildoza, and Oklahoma City’s Gabriel Deck.

Interestingly, Argentina, which won a gold medal in 2004 in Athens, is the only nation other than the United States that has won a gold medal and still exists. The Soviet Union won in 1972 and 1988 and Yugoslavia won in 1980. Both nations no longer exist.

The full Team USA roster includes: Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Durant, Jerami Grant (Detroit Pistons), Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors), Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks), Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls), Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers), Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers), Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks) and Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics).