Team USA vs. China: U.S. opens preliminary rounds with a familiar foe

In an article titled "No country can beat Team USA basketball in Rio, but we ranked their chances anyway", Tom Ziller of SB Nation ranked China as the 10th most likely team to beat the U.S. in a tier labeled "No Chance Whatsoever".

That pretty much sums up today's matchup between Team USA and China to open preliminary round play for each of them. And that's not just a national extension of #ArrogantSZN.

Team USA has already beaten China by 49 and 50 points in exhibition play, which makes it hard to get too excited about this game even though there will be three Golden State Warriors players suiting up. The most intriguing question for today's game might be whether the U.S. can hold them to exactly 57 points again.

Compound that with all the controversy surrounding the International Olympic Committee and the demands placed on Rio to get this event off the ground and I wouldn't blame you for sitting these games out.

On the other hand, we're all salivating at the thought of actually seeing Kevin Durant in a Warriors uniform alongside the rest of the team's core; the Olympics might give us something a little more concrete to fantasize about as Draymond Green and Klay Thompson join the new free agent acquisition on the floor in a competition that counts for something. But whether you're watching or just want to discuss the broader themes of what's going on in Rio today, here's the place to do it.