No Anthony Edwards, you should be worried about those guys: Exploring why Team U.S.A. lost to Lithuania

Team U.S.A. has suffered their first defeat at the FIBA World Cup. Lithuania out-hustled the American national team and utilized their size difference to devastating effect. Apart from Anthony Edwards, who cooked all through the game, ending with 35 points, Team U.S.A. didn't have an answer for a physically imposing Lithuania roster.

Losing to Lithuania wasn't what Team U.S.A. expected heading into the contest. However, the loss only puts further scrutiny on Edward's comments regarding Team U.S.A. not being worried about Lithuania.

“We’re not really worried about those guys," Edwards told The Athletic.

Judging by how Lithuania dismantled Team U.S.A.'s defense, they should be worried. Throughout the first half of the game, Steve Kerr's team was consistently torn apart by dribble-drive penetration, resulting in countless open threes for the Lithuanian national team.

When team U.S.A. wasn't being cooked on the perimeter, they were being pounded on the inside, losing every physical battle possible. Lithuania was beating the U.S.A. with crisp ball movement. Steve Kerr's Golden State Warriors team is known for its elite ball movement. Lithuania taught Team U.S.A. a thing or two about teamwork.

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Why did Team U.S.A. lose against Lithuania?

Team U.S.A.'s first loss in the World Cup can be attributed to the following four specific reasons:

#1 - An inability to guard the three-point line

Lithuania's size and strength made the Americans panic. Every time a Lithuanian guard, or wing, penetrated off the dribble, Team U.S.A.'s defense collapsed to protect the rim, leaving multiple passing options open around the three-point line.

When a defense is consistently collapsing and sprinting back out to recover, beating the closeout becomes a game within the game, and Lithuania showed this time and time again. As such, Team U.S.A.'s perimeter defense began to stretch, and mismatches started to occur; from there, Lithuania simply ramped up the pressure.

#2 - Rebounding

Lithuania dominated on the glass. With so much size, Team U.S.A. struggled to control the glass on both sides of the floor, allowing Lithuania to control the pace of the game and earn second-chance points at will.

#3 - Shooting variance

Outside of Anthony Edwards, Team U.S.A.'s usual offensive production was nowhere to be seen. Josh Hart had a difficult outing; he simply didn't find opportunities to get shot attempts. Tyrese Haliburton meanwhile struggled to find ways to impact the game. The same can be said for Austin Reaves, too. And, of course, Brandon Ingram's struggles off the bench continued.

#4 A lack of ball movement

Lithuania moved the ball with precision throughout their game against Team U.S.A. Team U.S.A. struggled to consistently make high-level reads, with multiple errors occurring on actions that usually wield better results.

There were certainly some individual moments as the U.S.A. tried to claw itself back into the contest, allowing Lithuania to continue carving their opponent open time and time again.

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What Team U.S.A. can learn from their loss to Lithuania

For Team U.S.A., this loss is exactly what they needed. So far in the FIBA World Cup, everything has gone their way. In games where they underperformed, they were bailed out by the strength of their bench unit.

And, very few teams have the size or athleticism to counter Team U.S.A.'s strength in depth. Yet, Lithuania's size was the perfect counter to their star-studded opponents' usual get-out-of-jail-free card. Steve Kerr and Erik Spoelstra have a reason to hold their team accountable now. Film sessions breaking down the porous defense and inefficient scoring will certainly be on the agenda.

Team U.S.A. needs to buckle up for the FIBA, Lithuania has shown them that. If Team U.S.A. wants to win the World Cup, they will have to restrategize their approach. Lithuania has laid out a blueprint for success against America, and only some legitimate adjustments will suffice.

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Team U.S.A. is missing a second elite big man

Jaren Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler are both on Team U.S.A.'s roster. However, that isn't enough to compete with some of the bruising bigs in the World Cup.

Jaren Jackson Jr. is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and has all the attributes to dominate on that side of the court. However, there needs to be another big body with experience and skill to step up when he goes to the bench.

This isn't a knock on Kessler; he's still developing his game and isn't equipped to deal with more experienced bigs, such as Jonas Valanciunas. Team U.S.A. isn't short on high-level big men and maybe can utilize an additional center. Perhaps bringing Myles Turner or Anthony Davis along to the World Cup would have provided the U.S.A. with the additional interior presence required when facing behemoths such as Lithuania.

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Team U.S.A. can still win the FIBA World Cup

Despite their loss to Lithuania, Team U.S.A. is still perfectly equipped to win the FIBA World Cup. However, some changes in approach and commitment to teamwork are mandatory.

Steve Kerr and Erik Spoelstra need to get their team in line to ensure Team U.S.A. has a shot at the world championship in the coming weeks.