featured-image

Game Preview: USA vs Argentina (Quarterfinals)

Though they weren't as dominant as many expected them to be, Paul George and the United States men's basketball team went a perfect 5-0 in the group stage to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Team USA, winners of Group A, will face off against a familiar foe in the first knockout round: Argentina, who came in fourth in a four-way tiebreaker atop Group B.

Argentina is the last country to beat the United States in Olympic play, having knocked off the Americans in the semifinals of the 2004 summer games in Athens. The Argentinians went on to beat Italy in the gold medal game, the crowning achievement for the "golden generation" of Argentine basketball.

The core of that 2004 team is still around 12 years later, with NBA veterans Manu Ginobili (39 years old), Luis Scola (36), Andres Nocioni (36), and Carlos Delfino (33) still on the national team roster.

They're still making significant contributions, too. Nocioni was ninth in scoring in group play at 15.6 points per game, with Ginobili tied for 10th at 15.2 and Scola 13th at 14.8. But while the old guard is still leading the charge, they're also getting lots of help from the next generation, particularly 25-year-old point guard Facundo "Facu" Campazzo.

Campazzo, a two-time Argentine League Finals MVP who currently plays professionally in Spain, leads Argentina in both scoring (16.4 points per game) and assists (5.2 per contest). He was outstanding in their signature win in the group stage, a 111-107 double-overtime thriller over hosts Brazil. Campazzo had 33 points, 11 assists, and four steals in the victory, teaming up with Nocioni (37 points and 11 rebounds) to lead his country to victory.

But the Argentinians expended a lot of energy in that win and were blown out by Spain two days later in their final group game. They'll have another two days to recover before playing the United States, but Team USA's youth and depth should play to its advantage in the knockout round.

Pacers All-Star Paul George has bounced back and forth between the starting lineup and the bench over the United States' first five games in Rio. Still, he's been a steady contributor in either capacity. PG ranks fourth on the team in points (11.6 per game) and assists (2.4) and fifth in rebounds (4.0), despite averaging just 18.6 minutes on the loaded roster.

The Americans blew out China and Venezuela in their first two games in Rio, but struggled to put away their final three opponents. They trailed Australia at halftime and didn't secure victory until late in the fourth quarter of a 10-point win, then beat both Serbia and France by just three points apiece.

Offense has not been a problem for Team USA, as their scoring average of 104.8 in the group stage was a full 16 points higher than the next best team. But the Americans struggled to contain their opponents on the defensive end in their last three contests.

That could mean more minutes for George, a three-time NBA All-Defensive team selection, in the knockout round. Expect him to see minutes on Ginobili, Nocioni, and possibly even Campazzo as the Americans hope to clamp down on the Argentinians' balanced attack.

These two teams also met in USA Basketball's first exhibition game this summer on July 22 in Las Vegas, with the Americans pulling away for a 111-74 win. George had 18 points in that contest, though the veteran Argentine team likely didn't put too much weight into the exhibition. This is more than likely the last Olympics for Ginobili, Scola, and Nocioni, so it's hard to imagine them going down without a fight.

The winner of this game will advance to meet either France or Spain in the semifinals on Friday.