Paul George and Team USA Beat France in Another Too-Close-For-Comfort Win

Paul George came off the bench for Team USA to help the Olympic squad edge France and remain undefeated in Rio.

While Team USA had a lot more breathing room late than a 3-point final score might suggest, its victory over France was too close for comfort. Even though it had a 10-point lead in the closing minutes — against a good French team — this marks a third straight game in which the Olympic squad looked dethrone-able.

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USA Basketball is not supposed to win — it’s supposed to win easily. In any given competition, there might be a game or two where the opponent plays particularly well or the red, white, and blue has an off night.

But three straight competitive games? In group play? That is, given the high expectations for this roster, bordering on unacceptable.

The game against France started off just as roughly as the outing against Serbia. Coach Mike Krzyzewski re-inserted Klay Thompson into the starting lineup, pushing Paul George back to the bench, and the early returns were uninspiring. While the U.S. men found some separation, France was scoring way too easily, even as Tony Parker sat out the whole game to rest.

Those preaching for PG to start got some ammo for their case, however, when he and the reserves entered the contest and began to bully the Frenchmen. Paul George and Jimmy Butler spurred a charge that gave Team USA its first large lead and brought some much-needed energy into the contest. (Counterpoint: Klay went NUCLEAR in the second half, reaching 30 points on a boatload of 3s that helped the Americans get up by double digits to start the fourth.)

George had two very nice plays, both using some surgical dribble moves to conjure up 4 points for the good guys. His first was a slick spin into a turnaround fadeaway around the elbow that ripped the net for a bucket. Then he crossed up a defender something fierce to get into the lane, draw more attention, and dump the ball off to DeAndre Jordan for an uncontested dunk.

Each showed the type of precise handle that Indiana Pacers fans should be drooling over. After his year off with injury, PG came back and displayed more command off the bounce, knifing his way into the midrange with more confidence and ease than he generally displayed in his prior seasons.

These two moves looked like the best of that.

The news wasn’t all good, though. PG did have an equally dreadful mini-stretch in the second half.

After joining the starters on the court early on after DeMarcus Cousins was pulled (due to some turnovers and perhaps a foul or two), George made a perfect defensive play. He read the dish out to his man on the wing and jumped the passing lane. The ball was his. He was off to the races for an easy deuce.

Unfortunately, he opted to try to lay it up rather than dunk and was perhaps bothered by a light chasedown attempt by a French defender. And he missed the gimme, his soft layup attempt rattling off the rim.

Not long after, again in weakside defensive position, he fell asleep. And his man rushed baseline, from the corner to the rim, to receive a pass and put in an uncontested layup.

The combined effect was yikes.

He generally played well all game outside of two brain farts, however, even if his compatriots really didn’t take his postgame criticism to heart after their near-loss to Serbia.

Next: Paul George Says Team USA Can't 'Keep Playing Like This'

With no signs that this team is eager to reach another stratosphere, Team USA now looks troublingly beatable. While some more ball movement would be nice, the defense as is the larger concern. On a whole, it remains too lackadaisical and disorganized for this squad to really unleash its dominance unless the offense is truly flowing.

And now, is seems obvious that these past three games will either serve as a wake-up call or a harbinger of a loss to come. Another level of defense is definitely there if this roster just decides to dig in fully and realize its potential. It can surely win gold even if it doesn’t. But failing to realize its fallibility and rising to the occasion will leave the possibility open for a silver — or bronze.

Golden State Warrior forward Kevin Durant summed it up best after beating France: ““It’s Game 7s from now on.”