After a shaky exhibition season that included their first loss since 2006, Team USA kicked off the 2019 FIBA World Cup on the right foot Sunday. They defeated the Czech Republic 88-67 in their opening game of the tournament. 

Donovan Mitchell led the way with 16 points, but he was far from the only star scorer. Kemba Walker and Harrison Barnes each poured in 14, while Jayson Tatum added 10 of his own. 

But as strong as their offense was, defense was what won the day here. They held the Czech Republic to only 67 points on 41 percent shooting, forcing 15 turnovers in the victory. Those turnovers were especially important in dictating the pace and energy of the game. Team USA was unstoppable when it was able to get out and run. Their athleticism is unmatched in this tournament, and it showed in this victory. 

The win helped reestablish Team USA’s standing as the tournament’s favorites. Their loss to Australia seemed to create an opening. Given their relative lack of star-level talent, there was a growing sense that the Americans were vulnerable. But if Team USA plays this well throughout the World Cup, they will win the whole thing with ease. 

Here are the key takeaways from Sunday’s impressive win. 

Red, white and green

One group of Americans likely not thrilled with Team USA’s performance? Eastern conference fans. While many of the East’s best teams have a representative or two on the roster, the Boston Celtics represent one-third of the team with four players present. Those four were stellar on Sunday, as Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart scored 29 points and racked up half of Team USA’s 18 assists. All told, the four Celtics played around 75 total minutes in this game. 

Compare that to the other top teams in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks saw only 25 or so minutes of playing time with Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton. The Philadelphia 76ers don’t have anyone on the team. The Celtics are taking full advantage of the World Cup in ways no other team can. 

Spurs basketball

Team USA tends to be fairly undisciplined. It is a symptom of the overwhelming talent advantage that they usually have, and it made Gregg Popovich an ideal coach for international competition. His teams are known for not beating themselves. They move the ball well, take open shots and don’t turn the ball over. 

That was the story of this game for Team USA. Their 18 assists don’t do justice to the overall quality of ball-movement present on the floor. The first quarter was rough, but once the Americans had their bearings, they looked like a team that has been playing together for years. Ball movement and chemistry are the greatest weapons their opponents will throw at them in this tournament. If Team USA matches them in those respects, they will win the whole thing. If they limit themselves to seven turnovers per contest as they did in this game, they will be virtually unstoppable. 

A closer emerges

The story of the summer for Team USA has been their lack of superstar talent. Only two All-Stars in Kemba Walker and Khris Middleton are on the roster, and Walker, a Third-Team selection, is the team’s only All-NBA player. Without their typical slew of MVP candidates to lean on late in games, there were questions coming into this tournament about who would serve as Team USA’s closer. 

We’re only one game in and it seems as though we have our answer. Donovan Mitchell led the way in the fourth quarter, which included this highlight slam: 

Perhaps more important than his team-leading 16 points, Mitchell played 25 minutes in this game. Smart was the only other American to top 20. Mitchell was a consistent starter during their exhibition games, but what became apparent in this one is that he has fully earned Popovich’s trust on both ends of the floor. He is the early favorite for tournament MVP after this performance. 

The rotation remains unsettled

Only two players spent more than 20 minutes on the floor, but 10 played at least 10. All 12 players took the floor at some point for Team USA, and none were subjected solely to garbage time duty either. They changed their starting lineup yet again, turning to Walker, Mitchell, Tatum, Barnes and Myles Turner. 

It seems clear at this point that Popovich does not plan to overtax any single player, and that he will shift his lineups based on matchup. Still, even with only one tournament game in the books, we have a sense of how he’d like to play. 

The two players to spend less than 10 minutes on the court were Brook Lopez and Mason Plumlee, both centers. All told, Team USA spent around nine minutes of game action without a center on the floor. Popovich wants to play small and take advantage of FIBA’s shooting-friendly rules. Unsurprisingly, Team USA took 26 3-pointers in this one, a notable number considering Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs averaged only 25.3 per game in the NBA last season. That might not seem significant, but NBA games are eight minutes longer than FIBA contests. 

Popovich hasn’t committed fully to a rotation yet, but he has landed on a playing style. He wants his team to be fast and versatile, able to take full advantage of its athletic edge without sacrificing anything in the way of spacing. He’ll adjust based on the opponent, but it’s an interesting change of pace for the legendary NBA coach.