LILLE, France — Worrying about which superstar player might not play on a given night isn't Team USA's problem — it could end up being a trademark.
The relentless depth of this team will continue to create some awkward moments as the coaching staff struggles to manage it all, but it remains the fuel for the Americans as they work toward a fifth consecutive gold medal.
On Wednesday, he was again the driving force behind a 103-86 win over upstart South Sudan that pushed Team USA to 2-0 at the Olympics and sealed its ticket to next week's quarterfinals.
The Americans' bench was devastating, racking up 66 points (compared to just 14 for South Sudan) and having two key runs that essentially defined the game.
Bam Adebayo, who got more minutes because it was Joel Embiid's turn to sit out the game, had perhaps his best game with the national team coming off the bench with 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting with seven rebounds.
Kevin Durant returned to his role as a substitute and provided his traditional firepower with 14 points, and Derrick White added 10 points with three steals and a block among a series of excellent defensive plays.
In Sunday's win over Serbia, the biggest moment of the game came when Durant came off the bench in the first quarter. Six minutes into the game against South Sudan, with the score tied 10-10 and the Bright Stars starting to gain confidence, the Stade Pierre Mauroy buzzer sounded and U.S. coach Steve Kerr sent in his substitutes.
It's tempting, and even natural, to pay attention to who starts these high-profile games. And that night was even more intriguing because Jayson Tatum, who was left out in a controversial decision against Serbia, was in the opening group. As was LeBron James, Steph Curry and Anthony Davis, players with six MVP awards and nine championship rings between them.
But that doesn't reflect the underlying power of this roster.
When the group of Durant, White, Adebayo, Jrue Holiday and Anthony Edwards came in, the game changed. That group is full of excellent defenders and still has plenty of offensive power.
South Sudan, with excellent athleticism and a bevy of former NBA players and shooters, is a storied and dangerous team with a bright future, but it can't compete with that depth.
That group, which also featured support from Devin Booker, went on a 23-4 run during the first and second quarters that essentially decided the game. That group repeated its role in the second half, when South Sudan, led by the sharp shooting of Nuni Omot (24 points) and Bul Kuol (16), cut a 19-point lead to 10 against the American starters. The bench then extended it to 16 points late in the third quarter.
Then starters James, Davis and Booker, who combined for 30 points, made some plays down the stretch to keep the lead comfortable down the stretch.
