SAITAMA (Japan) -- We all love a blowout. But this one for the United States men’s basketball team was extra special. It cleansed the palate and began a string of crucial games at the Tokyo Olympics.For their first Olympic win, the Americans defeated Iran 120 to 66 Wednesday afternoon. They will be able to advance to the next round if they win Saturday's match against the Czech Republic. However, this margin of victory still gives them the chance to advance even if the Czechs lose again.Because the Iranians were outclassed, it was difficult to see the American improvements. They just couldn't keep pace with the talent. There were some signs that Gregg Popovich, coach, made adjustments after Sunday's loss to France. These could be useful for the future.Popovich first changed his starting lineup, inserting Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker and others who were on the bench against France following their return from the NBA Finals.This resulted in a more balanced and faster lineup. The Americans scored 19 fast-break points alone in the first half. This speed allowed for open shots and kept Iran from being out of balance in defense.This shooting-based team was able to make its mark on Wednesday, after going only 10-of-32 with 3-pointers against France. Damian Lillard, who has shot the ball below his standards since joining the team, broke out and made seven 3-pointers to score 21 points. His rhythm was obvious when Lillard made a long shot that went well beyond the arc, which is his signature move in the opening minutes of the game.Lillard stated, "Being at the hotel, eating, and practicing on the practice court, and just talking after that loss made us come together." It's time for Team USA to look like Team USA.Six different players each made multiple 3-pointers, and the U.S. scored 19 on 39 attempts in the game that the Americans planned. Booker took advantage of the opportunity to score 16 points and grabbed five rebounds. Jayson Tatum had 14 points, while Zach LaVine had 13.Popovich stated that each of the guys scored 20 to 25 points for their team; it's impossible to play like that and so we don’t." Popovich stated that everyone is now a role player in a sense; we don’t need heroes.Popovich tried to establish his primary centers, Bam Adebayo, and Draymond green, in the opener. This was an attempt to have five creators so that any player could begin the offense. It didn't work against France. They took it as an invitation and squeezed the American offense to the half-court.The idea was to play more traditionally to set an offensive pace and outrun the slower Iranians. The Americans were able to push the pace by pushing for misses, turnovers, and that was exactly what they did.Kevin Durant finished with 10 points. "[Playing alongside two large men] might have clogged up it for us offensively," Durant said. "Tonight, I played on the 4 and was able stretch the floor and give guys some space. We were able get some confidence and hit some shots."This is the traditional way Team USA played in the Olympics. They deployed 10-man and even 11-man rotations, and ran down their opponents. All this was possible thanks to liberal substitutions that allowed for more star depth.The Americans have not been able do that, even in the four exhibition games in Las Vegas two weeks ago. This is because they don't have their entire team. Those players who were there weren't in good shape after the just-concluded NBA Season.This resulted in slower games and half-court offense. Half-court offense requires more organization and chemistry. These are skills Team USA did not have the time to develop and left them behind their French counterparts, especially with their deep history of playing together.Some players felt uncomfortable due to the grind of the gears, with Popovich asking for more ball movement off the bench. Great shooters in France were often unable to take shots because they tried to adapt to a new system.This would normally be a temporary issue that reps would resolve; it is not indicative of a flawed system, or subordinate players. Popovich has had to make changes to his starting lineup almost every game because Team USA doesn’t have the luxury to do so.Durant stated that "we were a little too self-centered early on, which hurt us." "Tonight, guys came out super aggressive. Although it may seem bad that the shots didn't go in, we still had great intentions since our first meeting.It remains to be seen if this faster and freer style will last. Although it was difficult to predict the outcome of this team, some relief did come from the positive results.Popovich met Mehran Shahintab, Iran coach, and complimented their team's fundamentals after Wednesday's match. The players shook hands. It is rare for the U.S. to share the same playing field with Iran, which are often at odds over political issues.Popovich stated that people from different countries can get along better than their governments. Popovich said that the Olympics are a place and time when sports transcends all petty crap."We wish it was real life!"Iran's Hamed Haddadi was a four-season player with the Memphis Grizzlies. He scored 15 points.
