Two down, one to go for Crew USA within the group stage of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The star-laden American roster has picked up double-digit victories over South Sudan and Serbia to this point, and now, with just one Group C sport left, the knockout stage is almost at hand. Earlier than we get to the single-elimination portion of the event, although, Crew USA has one final little bit of enterprise: a sport towards Puerto Rico on Saturday, with the tipoff at 11:15 a.m. ET.

To name Puerto Rico an underdog can be a large understatement. Crew USA is favored by 33.5 factors as of this writing. Puerto Rico is ranked No. 16 on the planet by FIBA, a becoming thematic quantity given the acute rarity of No. 16 seeds defeating No. 1 seeds in March Insanity. It could take a historic effort for Puerto Rico to problem Crew USA. Listed here are 5 issues to know earlier than Saturday’s sport.

Puerto Rico has pulled off the upset earlier than

Crew USA has despatched NBA gamers to the Olympics 9 occasions. It has received gold in seven of these tournaments, and it’s hoping to take action for an eighth time in 2024. The one event by which Crew USA did not win gold got here in 2004. The ominous starting to that disappointing run? A 92-73 loss to Puerto Rico.

The groups concerned listed below are clearly fairly completely different. Carlos Arroyo led that sport in scoring with 24 factors, and the one holdover from both roster is LeBron James, who was an adolescent on the time and is now pushing 40. These two groups have not met within the Olympics since then, despite the fact that they squared off in a tune-up for the 2023 FIBA World Cup final August. So in a manner, it is a lengthy overdue revenge alternative for James and Crew USA, however that historical past is simply proof that Crew USA cannot take Puerto Rico calmly. Happily, they do not plan to.

Level differential issues

Crew USA does not simply wish to win on Saturday. It desires to dominate. “We wish the No. 1 seed,” USA coach Steve Kerr mentioned at follow Friday. “It offers you one of the best matchup within the quarterfinals. So if we drop down to 2 or three — which I believe is unlikely, however we have to deal with our enterprise — we presumably have a a lot more durable opponent.”

A win would take Crew USA to 3-0 within the group stage, however there will likely be different undefeated groups from the group pool. The primary tiebreaker for seeding within the knockout stage is the head-to-head document, however the second is level differential. Crew USA’s +43 margin proper now offers it one of the best level differential within the subject, but when that modifications earlier than Saturday’s sport, count on Crew USA to play for the blowout simply to be secure.

Puerto Rico’s greatest participant is taking part in harm

Puerto Rico is not precisely deep with NBA expertise, however its greatest skilled participant is Jose Alvarado. He led them by the qualifying event to get right here, however his Olympic debut almost ended very badly within the opener towards South Sudan when he wanted to be helped off of the ground with an obvious ankle harm.

Ultimately, he returned and did so at a excessive degree. He scored 26 factors and added 5 assists and two steals in that loss. He then struggled to shoot simply 1-of-6 in 17 minutes throughout their follow-up, a 107-66 blowout by the hands of Serbia. It is not clear how a lot Puerto Rico can count on out of Alvarado at this level. If he is hobbled, any upset hopes Puerto Rico may’ve had is perhaps gone.

Talking of accidents, Jrue Vacation is questionable

On a roster stuffed with superstars, maybe crucial participant on the staff is the one who’s snug doing the soiled work. Jrue Vacation was a key a part of the 2020 gold medal-winning Crew USA roster, and he is been important thus far in 2024 as nicely. Nevertheless, based on Kerr, Vacation is questionable after rolling an ankle.

If Vacation does certainly miss the Puerto Rico sport (or any subsequent matchups), Crew USA’s choice to usher in Derrick White to exchange Kawhi Leonard can be even additional vindicated. The 2 Boston Celtics guards deliver related defensive ability units to the desk, and White has performed nicely in a bench position to this point. If anybody on this roster is provided to copy what Vacation does, it is White, however for now, the hope is that White will have the ability to play.

Steve Kerr has already settled on a brand new beginning lineup… pending Vacation’s well being

To this point within the event, the story has been much less about who Kerr has performed and extra about who he hasn’t. Jayson Tatum was a DNP-CD within the opener towards Serbia. Joel Embiid was towards South Sudan. As dominant as these two gamers are within the NBA, this roster is so deep that somebody was all the time going to must sacrifice minutes, and Kerr has dealt with that on a game-by-game foundation. Regardless, it has induced a little bit of controversy, and Kerr tried to go that off by naming a beginning 5 towards Puerto Rico forward of time: Vacation, James, Embiid, Stephen Curry and Devin Booker.

Now, if Vacation misses the sport, that modifications issues. White has the ability set closest to Vacation’s. Tatum began at ahead towards South Sudan. Kevin Durant is one of the best participant on the staff that hasn’t began but, and he’s Crew USA’s biggest ever Olympian. In different phrases, Kerr will doubtlessly have one other powerful alternative on his arms even after attempting to get out forward of it by pre-naming a beginning lineup. Hopefully, Vacation is wholesome sufficient to present it a go and forestall any additional lineup questions from arising.