Every four years, the United States dons the guise of Santa Claus to gift basketball fans with the best possible lineup, dreaming of an enhanced All-Star team. Indeed, a Dream Team that makes history in fluorescent colors. However, sometimes it's not as picturesque as expected.

Stephen Curry, in fact, who has never been part of an Olympic expedition -although he has two FIBA WC titles in 2010 and 2014- dropped a bombshell yesterday: "Playing on a U.S. Olympic team filled with stars where I'm not expected to carry the offense has changed some players' plans."

For many, it's logical. Practically all 12 players making up the USA Team's star-studded roster are the main leaders and offensive references for their NBA teams. They are specialists at taking difficult shots and shouldering the team's burden. Now, they find themselves needing to form strategies where everyone gets involved, without causing turbulence in America's smooth sailing until they find the treasure.

This is the case for the 36-year-old star point guard from Akron, who, with an average of nearly 25 points per game in his career, only scored three points in 22 minutes during his team's win over Australia. The American all-stars, who went from strong to weak, nearly squandered a 20-point lead in the final quarter, ending up winning by just six points.

"Even though we're rotating lineups right now, just because we're trying to get a sense of different combinations," Curry clarified about coach Kerr's periodic and frequent substitutions.

However, 'Chef Curry' -as he is commonly known-, does not intend to panic American fans and simply warns that it is a situation destined to happen: "It's just a matter of being aware of where the shots might come from and being prepared for them."

With that statement, Curry refers to the fact that no matter how much quality his team possesses, there are always tough rivals in the FIBA universe. The Boomers provided great proof of this. Still using the last remnants of their golden generation,they have managed to raise a very promising generation to continue winning medals in international competitions.

The 'Aussie' NBA trio, Jock Landale, Josh Giddey, and Dyson Daniels, finished with double digits and combined for 51 points with a stellar second half.

On the horizon for the United States is another tough opponent, Serbia. It will be an exhibition clash on Wednesday also in the UAE capital, led by the current NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic, and his cohort of strong and experienced players blending Euroleague and NBA, such as the solid point guard, Vasilije Micic, or the sharpshooter, Bogdan Bogdanovic.