Team USA Cruises in 106-57 Win Over China

The United States continued their basketball dominance by beating China, 106-57, on Sunday night at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Tonight I learned, via the Cold Omaha Wolves Wired podcast, that China is the one men’s basketball team headed to Brazil that doesn’t have an NBA player on their roster. So, naturally, the United States was going to win. Big.

If you missed the game, here is basically everything you need to know:

At this point, it will be a surprise if anyone does anything even remotely good against Team USA. Kevin Durant continued his scoring supremacy. He and USA teammates Klay Thompson are having a time, as shown above. Seems like Thompson and Draymond Green are going to love their new teammate at Golden State.

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As for Bulls star Jimmy Butler, the picture is becoming quite clear that his impact will be subtle. Jimmy had a modest state line of two points, one rebound, two assists and two steals. However, Jimmy only needed one field goal attempt against China to get his two points instead of the six he took against Argentina.

As Durant and Thompson establish themselves as the international kings of making the baskets, there isn’t going to be enough for everyone else. Anyone with a pulse who has seen basketball knew this was going to be the case, but we didn’t know who was going to be the odd man out in the rotations. Now, we have a better idea of who will be who for the USA. Butler will get his looks, undoubtedly, but he also must be somewhat resigned to his position on the roster.

Argentina features several familiar faces to go with an NBA and Olympic gold medal-winning pedigree. It isn’t a lack of world class talent that hampered Argentina, though there was no fighting the inevitability of the USA, time has simply caught up with their wunderkinds, the Golden Generation. It would have made sense that while Durant was showing out, everyone else would have faded into the background, but Butler was right there firing away.

In a continuation of reverse logic, China is a country and they have a basketball team. They don’t have a gold or a generation worthy of naming. The closest thing they have to an NBA player is Yi Jianlian. Or is it Zhou Qi? I’m not sure, to be honest. One isn’t here anymore, the other hasn’t arrived yet. Given the status of this team, now would seem like the time to push for a big international performance. Except, Butler hit the only field goal he attempted (and missed both of his free throw attempts).

Butler will be careful as he still has a tweaked ankle to be mindful of, but much like pain returning to the body as adrenaline wears off, so it seems that the opening surge of playing for Team USA has provided clarity to Jimmy’s role going forward. He isn’t going to force himself to be someone he isn’t and he is going to focus on controlling what is available to him.

Butler is becoming the team player that the USA will need in Brazil. But don’t expect that to stop him from trying to show out in the United Center later this week.