Coach Steve Kerr unleashed two distinct lineups against Serbia and then South Sudan and both moves provided the desired results: blowout wins as the US advanced to the Knockout round. But Kerr is sparing no feelings or egos with his playing rotations. Jayson Tatum sat against Serbia and Joel Embiid did not play against South Sudan.

Who will sit Saturday against Puerto Rico? Kerr made it clear all 12 players can’t be part of his rotation. He prefers two five-man teams and then mixing and matching as the game progresses. Kerr has told his team to forget their NBA experiences, the ample playing time they receive and roles they prefer. Team USA is asking them to be uncomfortable for a few weeks, to play shorter minutes, different positions and sometimes not play at all. It’s all for the quest for a gold medal.

“The NBA is so popular worldwide,” Kerr said. “The regular season is kind of a soap opera, and we understand that. Social media takes over, and everything becomes so dramatic. I don’t read social media. I would hope that our guys aren’t paying too much attention to that. That’s a regular season thing where the soap opera can carry the ratings, but here it’s just win a damn gold medal. Every opponent is different. We’ve got options for everything, and we’re going to use those options how we best see fit.”