Can Team USA Ride Splash Brothers Through Knockout Rounds of FIBA World Cup?
Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry is finally starting to play like the breakout All-Star who took the NBA by storm last season—and fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson is following suit.
That's good news for Team USA's gold-medal hopes at the FIBA World Cup in Spain.
After averaging just 9.4 points and 37.8 percent shooting through the first five games of group play, Curry exploded for a team-high 20 points in the United States' 86-63 victory over Mexico in the round of 16 (the opening round of tournament elimination play). Curry added four dimes, in line with the 3.8 assists he averaged during group play.
Thompson was Team USA's second-leading scorer with 15 points.
The two guards combined to make nine of 18 three-point attempts, leading a 45 percent team-wide effort from beyond the arc. It was an encouraging sign for a squad that has thus far relied heavily upon inside scoring, offensive rebounding and fast-break points.
Indeed, six of Curry's seven buckets were three-pointers on Saturday, an appropriate outcome from a guy who attempted 7.9 long balls per game a season ago.
As Team USA's starting 2-guard, the 26-year-old has been responsible for setting an early tone. Unfortunately, Curry's rhythm has largely eluded him until the meeting with Mexico. Despite a 14-point performance against Ukraine, Curry's production during group play had been fairly pedestrian.
CBSSports.com's Zach Harper notes, "Curry started off the tournament 0-of-5 from three-point range when he couldn't hit against Finland. He started creeping back toward warmth from outside, like a Boy Scout learning how to build a fire in the wilderness. He hit 3-of-6 in the second game and 2-of-4 in each of the next two games."
Building on his success against Ukraine, the Davidson product was electric Saturday.
Curry scored 11 points in the third quarter alone this time, helping break the game wide open in the process.
Head coach Mike Krzyzewski's club will need more of that going forward.
As SB Nation's Drew Garrison put it, Curry "is arguably the most important player for Team USA on offense, having an elite, super-refined skill in his three-point shooting. If he can continue shaking and baking, he can become USA's first option on offense and help this group grow together."
Granted, the pressure on Curry to lead should be put in perspective. As is typically the case with U.S. teams, this remains a primarily ensemble effort without the trappings of "hero ball." Such is the life of a team on which there are multiple stars in the primes of their careers. If Curry is off, chances are someone else will pick up the slack.
That said, Curry's contributions are particularly key for a couple of reasons.
First, he's the most well-rounded point guard on the roster—especially with reserve Derrick Rose still attempting to shake off the rust after playing in just 10 games last season. During his 2013-14 campaign, Curry averaged 24.0 points and 8.5 assists per contest. Beyond perhaps James Harden, no member of Team USA is better equipped to make plays and create offense (for himself and others alike).
Second, Curry is the United States' best pure shooter. His 44 percent career mark from three-point range is telling, but his ability to get off a wide variety of shots (off the dribble, coming off screens, etc.) makes him incredibly difficult to guard. Few—if any—on this planet are better at creating space on the perimeter.
With opposing teams attempting to slow tempo and throwing various zone looks at Team USA, a reliable shooter becomes all the more valuable.
Two reliable shooters is even better.
Thompson is now averaging 11 points in World Cup play and making 40 percent of his 5.8 three-point attempts per game. In addition to scoring five of his points in the final frame on Saturday, he showed off his passing prowess with a late alley-oop lob to Andre Drummond that caught Mexico sleeping.
The 24-year-old is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 18.4 points per game. Though he remains best known for his lethal spot-up shooting, Thompson's offensive game has diversified with a range of weapons now in his arsenal.
Paired with Curry, Team USA boasts a duo of marksmen who can stretch the floor and keep the half-court offense in sync. That outside proficiency is especially important given the difficulty with living on penetration in international play.
As Thompson himself explained in a World Cup diary entry, per Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle, "The other big differences in the international game seem to be more spacing and passing. It can be tougher to get into the lane, because there is no defensive three seconds. I think we’re all making the adjustments and playing hard."
The adjustments seem to have come naturally enough for Thompson. He opened group play with 18 points against Finland and hasn't looked back.
Though Curry and Thompson have shared some minutes on the floor with one another, Krzyzewski may want to consider giving the two more opportunities to team up. On a squad that doesn't have much experience together as a unit, that kind of chemistry doesn't hurt.
"We’re all really talented players," Thompson told reporters, "but we’ve only been playing together for a few weeks now."
Big men Anthony Davis and Kenneth Faried were the story for Team USA during group play, but the United States will have to go through Spain to get that gold medal. That means matching up with a front line that includes Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka. Though Davis and Faried should be up for the test, Team USA will need everything it can get on the perimeter.
Thus far, the U.S.'s ability to maintain a breakneck pace has made up for the uneven performances from its guards and swingmen. Against elite competition like Spain, the open floor may not come so easily.
There will be a premium on Curry and Thompson's abilities to strike with just a shred of daylight.
And while they may not lead all scorers through the interim, they should be right in the mix.
It's tempting to believe that Krzyzewski's deep roster can survive with or without its Warriors playing in top form. But it would be dangerous to test such a hypothesis.
The challenges that await will require Team USA to fire on all cylinders—especially when the ball goes to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
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