Team USA and The Team Building Conundrum

Team USA certainly doesn't lack talent, but other obstacles might be blocking the runway to gold.

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There is no question which country has the most talent in this year's Olympics. While the United States of America has at least five future Hall of Famers on its roster, the team's play has not been as dominant as most fans would have thought. Yes, they went undefeated in their group and won by an average of 21 points, but the manner in which they won left more to be desired. There are teams the U.S. could face on their way to gold with more established chemistry, continuity, and hierarchical order that could topple the defending Olympic Champions. Here are some questions about the Americans and their approach to team building.

1. How much can you rely on talent alone?

Patience is hard to come by in today's NBA. Teams seem to be on a self-imposed time crunch to court the best team they can in two to three years or it's time to hit the reset button. In the era of player empowerment, the most logical way to get to the promised land is to get the best players on one team and let them figure it out. And yet, massive free agent signings and foregoing the penalties of entering the luxury tax doesn't always guarantee a championship (just ask the Heatles or this past year's Phoenix Suns).

The problem isn't putting good players together but rather not letting them form chemistry. This rushed team assembly could lead to an underwhelming result for the USA. While the team boasts talent so overwhelming it would be earth-shattering for them not to win gold, they have less than a month of playing experience with each other. It takes time for players to get acquainted with their teammates' tendencies and for coaches to figure out rotations. When you just throw together a team and give them four days of training camp to gel, miscommunications and confusion are bound to happen.

Set aside the fact the U.S. averaged 14 turnovers in the group stage. The fluctuating starting five can at times look hesitant and grow stagnant, especially when they revert to Joel Embiid post-ups. It would make sense to throw the ball into the man who averaged more points than minutes last season, but there are four other players on the court (sans Jrue Holiday when he starts) who are all the number one guys on their respective NBA teams. Getting players to buy into roles they aren't used to playing is difficult when you have a whole season let alone one month.

Having the talent is one thing. When it comes to building championship-caliber teams, though, you need players who not only complement one another but also know how to play with each other.

2. How important is connective tissue?

Our bodies are constantly performing maintenance work. Whether we know it or not, there is constant activity going on inside that keeps us performing our day-to-day tasks. One of the ways we can function somewhat normally is by the role of connective tissue. As defined by the National Institute of Health, connective tissue performs multiple duties such as supporting organs and cells, transporting nutrients and wastes, defending against pathogens, and repairing damaged tissues. In gamer terms, connective tissue would be known as a support class. In basketball, it would be called Derrick White.

"We have an embarrassment of riches on this roster; that's the best way to put it," said Steve Kerr. And while that is a luxury to have, it can muddy up lineup combinations. Team USA is filled with alpha dawgs. With only one ball, how is it possible to make sure everyone is satisfied with shot attempts or touches? Well, you need players that maintain offensive flow and can fill in defensively without giving something back. You need players that grease the joints and keep everything moving uninterrupted. Players like White and Holiday are the perfect connective pieces that are absolutely necessary and yet taken for granted.

While it would've been nice to see Jaylen Brown come off the bench with his tough shotmaking and toolsy defensive abilities, his skill set as an on-ball creator is much more valuable than his off-ball play. Team USA has more than enough drivers, shotmakers, decision-makers, or just about any other primary playmaker that a more pressing need is guys who can play off that talent. White and Holiday are those additive pieces that don't stand out but whose absence is glaring, making Team USA look disjointed.

When it comes to how Team USA is built, there is cause for concern about whether or not the team has enough connectors. Other countries have a clear hierarchical order and play within the balanced, natural environment of their teams. No one does more, and no one does less. For the Americans, the irony of having a star-studded roster is that it may cause more problems than fixes. In a single-elimination tournament, all it takes is a slow start against Germany or Canada to expose perhaps this team's only weakness: the lack of connective tissue to support the powerhouse that is the United States.

3. Does any of this matter?

What if Team USA is just so much more talented than the rest of the world? What if it doesn't matter that they have minimal playing experience with one another? Or not enough players like White or Holiday? This team just might be so good that winning gold might come down to whether or not they show up mentally and physically prepared to earn it.

Sure, other countries have more playing time with one another, but not a single one has a better five-man lineup than the two the USA can play at any time. No team has more flexibility in terms of player and scheme than the U.S. At the end of the day, this might be one of the best basketball teams ever assembled, giving the Americans the largest margin for error in the Olympics.