No one is going to be able to run with this U.S. team, as the Dominican Republic demonstrated throughout its 113-59 loss in the Americans’ opening exhibition Thursday. So the ultimate goal for Team USA’s Olympic opponents later this month in London will be to control the pace of the game by avoiding turnovers, developing structured offense and shooting a respectable percentage.

It won’t be easy to slow the game, but France, Argentina, Brazil and Spain will be among the contenders aiming to do it. It’s in those potential situations that the U.S. will wish it had 6-foot-10 Blake Griffin, among its other missing big men. That lone vulnerability may also resonate with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley, the original Dream Teamers who scoffed this week at the idea that their 1992 collection of Hall-of-Famers might have lost to the current U.S. team.

There’s really no way Team USA loses in the Olympics unless the totally choke. This Team USA is a lot harder to root for than the 1992 team. I almost want to see one of the other countries knock them off. Not going to happen though.