Turkey came so close defeating USA in the game on Tuesday – the only thing that kept them from doing it was the four straight missed free throws at the end. So what did Turkey do to almost create a miracle?

In defense, Turkey stuck to a zone defense and gave priority to running back to their court when they missed shots. Thanks to FIBA's nearer 3-point line and USA's lack of sharp shooters, Turkey's players had enough time to switch, delay or double team before rushing to cover the opponents outside.

As a result, USA's field goal rate was only 35 percent in the game. Joe Harris and Khris Middleton were the only two that had FG rates higher than 50 percent. USA even trailed Turkey in fast break points 14-12, not to mention their big difference in points in the paint (38-20).

In offense, Turkey gave Ersan Ilyasova enough chances to give full play to his combination of size, skills and shooting range. The 32-year-old veteran contributed 23 points and 14 rebounds to respond to the team's trust and punish USA's small-ball squad. Moreover, Turkey focused on dishing out, knowing for sure that USA players are not defensively organized enough to cover open shooters outside in time. It was the implementation of such tactics that helped Turkey catch up from behind in the second quarter and tie the score in the fourth quarter again and again.

Nonetheless, USA also had themselves to blame for their problems. The team have no clear leader – Kemba Walker may be the biggest star but his seniority was not enough to convince young men like Donovan Mitchell or Jayson Tatum to listen to him.

As a result, instead of each player attending to his duties, USA only saw everybody play on his own. There's no cut, no give-and-go or off-ball screens. Instead, whoever handled the ball often drove towards the rim or did a pull-up shot right after a simple screen.

In defense, American players were like strangers to each other because almost everyone was looking at the ball without bothering to find out where his teammates were. As a result, the team might be able to force some turnovers from time to time via double teaming, but they also left too many open 3-pointers like what they did in the game against Turkey.

Head coach Gregg Popovich and assistant coach Steve Kerr - each of whom has more championship rings than the players do - need to convince the players that they are a team and must act like one. Walker should be the one commanding the team, just like Mitchell should do more catch-and-shoot, Harris should see more screens from teammates, Khris Middleton should be the team's last resort in offense and Tatum should reduce his isolation play. USA must change before it's too late, like, for example, when they meet Brazil, Greece, Lithuania, France, or Australia later in the tournament.