Kristian Winfield: Led by Anthony Edwards, Team USA primed for FIBA gold

Almost doesn’t count.

It’s what I started writing when Team USA basketball found itself in a double-digit second-half deficit in the FIBA World Cup Showcase finale against Germany on Sunday.

Team USA tipped off with an undefeated 4-0 exhibition record at noon but quickly found itself on the ropes by the third quarter, faced with overcoming a strong and savvy German national team that exploited the USA’s biggest weakness: size.

And midway through the fourth quarter, the headline changed.

Anthony Edwards saved the day once again.

A resilient Team USA that trailed by 16 at the 3:51 mark of the third quarter cruised its way to a 99-91 victory over a German team that had only one loss in its previous five games. The USA enters Saturday’s FIBA World Cup group stage opener against New Zealand undefeated. The country remains among the favorites to win the World Cup and automatically qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics next summer.

And after four dominant — but expected — showings through the first four Showcase games, Team USA strung together an unanswered 18-point fourth-quarter run to put Germany to bed.

It’s why the USA should be favored to win it all — not just the World Cup featuring the NBA’s B-Team, but also next summer’s Olympic run.

Edwards is the NBA’s next breakout superstar, and Team USA’s roster is loaded from top to bottom.

Minnesota’s all-world guard has undoubtedly earned the respect of his peers league-wide now that his play has transcended the American border. He has been the lone superstar for a USA team that has run through its exhibition games largely unscathed — yet t almost equally unchallenged.

Puerto Rico is not a serious World Cup contender. Luka Doncic sat out in Team USA’s blowout victory over Slovenia. Spain is no powerhouse without Ricky Rubio, who is out addressing mental health issues. Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for Greece, and so is any chance at gold for the country this summer.

Germany attacked Team USA with its unique blend of size, speed and shooting, but Edwards’ star power saved the day.

The Timberwolves star played 34 of a possible 40 minutes on Sunday and finished with 34 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the field. In the final minutes of Team USA’s comeback, Edwards connected on back-to-back pull-up threes, then hit a baseline turnaround fadeaway over Toronto Raptors point guard Dennis Schroder to put the game out of reach.

Edwards leads a talented — but lanky — starting five.

The superstar guard starts alongside Knicks floor general Jalen Brunson, Nets star Mikal Bridges, New Orleans Pelicans scorer Brandon Ingram, and Memphis Grizzlies reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Jaren Jackson Jr.

Of those five players, Greece took advantage of the Ingram-Bridges cross-match most often. The Greek national team features brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner, as well as former Boston Celtics big man Daniel Theis. The trio of bigs routinely set screens on Bridges, then pulled him to the paint to exploit the size mismatch.

Bridges, however, remained on the floor as part of head coach Steve Kerr’s closing lineup against Greece. He ultimately blew up one of Greece’s attempts at a cross-match later in the second half. Then after missing two attempts from the left wing with the game tied at 86 midway through the fourth quarter, Bridges connected on a three from the same spot that gave Team USA a lead.

Kerr instead subbed Ingram out for Austin Reaves.

He also went to reserve guard Tyrese Haliburton over Brunson in the closing moments Sunday.

Brunson, who had been Team USA’s captain through the first four World Cup exhibition games, had his worst performance of the Showcase against Greece, tallying just eight points and three assists on two-of-six shooting from the field. The Knicks’ star logged just 15 minutes on Sunday and watched most of the game from the bench in the second half.

Kerr went with Haliburton’s star power and size: The Indiana Pacers’ franchise cornerstone scored 16 points off the bench including eight straight to help bring Team USA back from down double-digits in the third quarter.

Kerr has played Haliburton and Brunson together at the one and two and has even kept Edwards on the floor at the three for different stretches of the five Showcase games, but it will be interesting to see who the head coach chooses as his closing point guard in tight games.

Brunson was the high scorer with 23 points against Spain and has been Team USA’s emotional captain and floor general on the court.

Haliburton’s talent, however, cannot be denied.

Nor can Team USA’s depth.

First off the bench in Kerr’s rotation has been Austin Reaves, the recipient of the LeBron James Co-Sign of the Year award that preceded his four-year, $54M contract extension with the Lakers this summer.

Reaves has been aggressive in both scoring and playmaking off the bench for Team USA. He has been either first or second off the bench alongside Milwaukee Bucks big man Bobby Portis.

Portis has added toughness where Team USA lacks size. In the Showcase opener against Puerto Rico, he got a transition dunk, hung on the rim and slapped the backboard.

Jackson Jr. has been a dominant rim protector in the starting lineup, but his inability to stay out of foul trouble forced Kerr to use his full rotation. Portis has played backup center, as has Orlando Magic reigning Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler has largely remained on the bench.

Meanwhile, Knicks star Josh Hart and Nets star Cam Johnson find themselves among the players coming off the bench behind Reaves and Portis. Johnson had as strong of a start to his first four Showcase games before the wheels fell off against Germany on a double-whammy offensive turnover that led to his man’s and-one layup on the other end.

Hart rested Team USA’s Showcase opener against Puerto Rico but has since been among Kerr’s regular rotation players.

Ingram is a wild card. He’s one of the most talented scorers on the team but can disappear if the ball doesn’t find his hands. He had just three points in 15 minutes and sat the comeback minutes against Germany.

Team USA should be concerned Germany’s brute force almost delivered the Americans their first loss.

Then again, almost doesn’t count.

Team USA enters Saturday’s FIBA World Cup opener undefeated and needs to win two of its first three games in the Philippines to advance to the next round.