Argentina Olympic Basketball Team: How Gold Medal Contender Stacks Up Against US

Argentina may not be the dominant gold medal contender it once was, but it remains one of the more prominent threats to Team USA's medal hopes.

The fiercely competitive squad has a couple of things going for it—besides its fierce competitiveness, of course.

First and foremost, this team has Manu Ginobili going for it.

Yes, Luis Scola's interior presence could pose something of a challenge to Team USA's relative lack of size, but chances are he won't go off with guys like Tyson Chandler and LeBron James giving him a variety of defensive looks.

The real difference-maker is Ginobili. Though he's athletically out-matched against the United States, he's also behind a step against most of his NBA opposition. 

Needless to say, he's found ways to compensate. Who needs unearthly quickness or jumping ability when you have this guy's craftiness and creativity. Whether delicately working his way to the rim, or freeing himself up for difficult long-range shots, Ginobili is as skilled a scorer as Team USA will have to face in these London Summer Olympics.

Outside of the personnel its inherited from the NBA, Argentina also has the benefit of having played together.

Head coach Julio Lamas' club has cultivated chemistry over the years. A number of the players on this summer's roster also played together in the nation's 2004 march to the gold medal.

The summers since have provided additional opportunities for these guys to get to know each other, and it shows in their crisp and constant passing. Whereas Team USA must rely on its individual talent to carry so much of the load, Argentina looks like a real team.

For all its virtues, though, Argentina isn't what it used to be.

With so many of its key pieces aging, the Argentinians may not have a chance against Team USA.

As fierce as a starting lineup boasting LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul may be, this team often looks at its best when the bench steps on the floor.

Key reserves like Carmelo Anthony, Deron Williams and Russell Westbrook have consistently turned games around for this team or otherwise expanded leads to insurmountable levels. That kind of depth will prove too much for Argentina to handle, and the United States should be well on its way to reaching the gold medal unscathed.

While Argentina fought its way to a six-point loss in exhibition play, there's no guarantee it will be able to stay that close again.

Team USA might just be taking things a bit more seriously this time around.