This British writer, we think, doesn't quite understand what the U.S. is trying to put together. Unlike a lot of British sportswriters (we have read enough references to Duke College, thanks very much), he has a general grip on basketball, but not on the significance of what the U.S. team is trying to do. It's not just that it's a versatile, athletic team, it's that they have been together for a while, and they have some idea now of international basketball and what to expect.He is right in saying that it is essential to establish roles; he is evidently unaware that that is precisely what is happening.
None of this guarantees a gold medal, but the U.S. is taking it quite seriously and the less people understand that, the better.