Team USA overcame a sluggish first half to defeat China 101-70 in Beijing.  The United States struggled from outside, but were able to capitalize on their superior athleticism and pressure defense in the second half.

Dwyane Wade led all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-7 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free throw line.  LeBron James scored 18 points on 8-of-12 from the field, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 3 assists, and tallied 3 blocks.  Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant paced the US with 13 points a piece.

Team USA shot 38-of-70 from the field, but connected on only 7 of their 24 three-point attempts.  Bryant was 1-of-7 from behind the arc and took at least three ill-advised three-point shots.

Defensively, Team USA was solid, but not spectacular.  The United States had trouble defending the 3-point line early, as China opened the contest 5-of-7 from the three-point line.  Team USA's defensive intensity was good, but their rotations were slow at times.  Wade overplayed the passing lanes twice and gave up three 3-point baskets by failing to stick with his defensive assignment.

The United States was shaky offensively, but their ball movement improved when Coach K went with his two point guard lineup featuring Chris Paul at the point guard position and Deron Williams at shooting guard.  Williams applied great ball pressure and Paul had 6 assists in the contest.

There is plenty of reason for optimism after a 31-point victory.

But I'm still concerned about a few things:

• Outside shooting.  Team USA is 10-of-42 from the 3-point line over their last two games.  The reason is simple:  Michael Redd is the United States' only catch-and-shoot threat.  The international 3-point line is 20 feet, 6 inches, that's roughly three feet shorter than the NBA 3-point line.  Dwyane Wade and LeBron James haven't fine-tuned their mid-range games.  Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony have perfected their mid-range jumpers, but both players do their damage off the dribble or fading away instead of squaring up and measuring themselves from that distance.  The United States can get away with shooting poorly from outside against the likes of Australia and China because they can make up the difference with easy baskets off of turnovers.  But Spain, Greece, and Argentina will take care of the basketball.  Spain, Greece, and Argentina will also pack the paint and force the United States to connect from outside.  Kobe Bryant has to take better shots and shoot a better percentage from beyond the arc.

• Carmelo Anthony has failed to get on track.  Anthony was 0-for-3 from the field against China.  To be fair, Anthony was whistled for several bogus fouls.  Carmelo was also yanked at one point in favor of Kobe Bryant after he appeared to give an official an earful after being assessed a foul.  Dwyane Wade has done a fantastic job of picking up the slack by scoring in transition and creating turnovers.  But the United States is going to need Anthony's mid-range, half-court game before the Olympics have concluded.

• Offensive continuity.  Team USA failed to run any semblance of an offense to begin the contest.  The United States started the second half with two straight pick-and-roll possessions for Kidd and James that yielded a dunk for Bryant and a trip to the line for Anthony.  Kidd and James are Team USA's best playmakers.  I'd like to see more pick-and-roll opportunities for both players.

• Deron Williams needs more minutes.  Williams has been Team USA's best point guard thus far.  He's done an excellent job of pushing the ball in transition and he's been the best defender out of the United States' point guard triumvirate.  Paul had 6 assists against China, and Kidd was effective in pushing the pace, but Williams has the best skill set for international play.  At some point, Coach K is going to have choose a backup point guard to make more minutes for Michael Redd, he should choose Williams over Chris Paul.

Much has been made of Carmelo Anthony being the "best player in international basketball."  But LeBron James was the star today and may end up the MVP of Team USA.  At 6-9, 260 pounds, James can play all five positions in international play.  NBA basketball is about isolation and specialization.  The international game is about versatility.  And with his combination of size, speed, and court awareness, LeBron is a perfect match.

James had the play of the game - on both ends.  Offensively, James caught an alley-oop pass from Wade and slammed the ball home while drawing the foul.  Defensively, he had an awe-inspiring block where he skied to grab a shot attempt with two hands before it hit the backboard.

LeBron has also established himself as the vocal leader of Team USA.

All in all, it was an impressive performance for the United States.  But it's important to consider the quality of their opponent.  The competition will improve over the next two weeks.  If the 'Redeem Team' is to win the gold medal, they will have to play much better than they did today.

(Photo by REUTERS/Danny Moloshok)

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