It's do or die time. Team USA is limping into the quarterfinals after dropping its first game of the summer to Lithuania. While the loss was somewhat inconsequential considering the team had already qualified for the next round, how the taste of defeat will mentally affect the players is an open question.

I've seen the loss described both as a necessary evil and as evidence of insufficient talent. Regardless of which camp you subscribe to, it's undeniable the team has been playing with fire for a while now. Our players have become overreliant on Haliburton's bench unit – not to mention scorching fourth quarters from Anthony Edwards – to dig themselves out of early holes. Prior to Lithuania, they played like they believed in their own invincibility; that no matter what happened through three quarters, their overwhelming talent would ultimately prevail.

Will the shattering of that spell serve as a wake-up call and spur Team USA to bring more energy early in the game? Will it lead the coaching staff to make changes in the starting lineup? Or will it cause the players to further doubt themselves and implode when they face another late deficit?

I'm not in the hot take business. Only time will answer those questions. The good news is that Italy should be a much easier opponent than Lithuania. That's not a shot at Italy, who has a very experienced and talented roster. I simply think that styles make fights and Italy plays a bit more perimeter oriented than the Eastern European teams Team USA has faced of late. I don't expect the Americans' struggles with size and rebounding to be exploited quite as ruthlessly against the Azzuri.

Again, that isn't a reason to look past this game. Italy has more than enough firepower to pull off the upset. Although Simone Fontecchio of the Utah Jazz was the only Italian player in the NBA last year, Nicolo Melli and Luigi Datome are both veterans who had productive stints in the league. On the younger side, Matteo Spagnolo and Gabriele Procida were 2022 second round picks of the Timberwolves and Pistons, respectively. Procida likely won't see much time against Team USA but he was one of my draft crushes last year.

Tune in to ESPN2 at 8:40 AM ET to see whether Team USA responds with grit or if the emperor truly has no clothes.

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