Gregg Popovich and Team USA have received a ton of flak for falling to Nigeria and Australia in their first two exhibition games leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Although they turned things around with a massive victory over Argentina, national media talking heads like Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins have continued criticizing the coaching legend.
The early losses are undoubtedly embarrassing for a historically dominant international program. Still, 21-year-old combo forward Keldon Johnson has been one of the few positives from an otherwise rocky start for the United States. His energy has been infectious, and his comfortability operating off-ball has made life easier for his superstar teammates.