RIO DE JANEIRO -- The hardest grader in the NBA when it comes to scoring defensive competency was asked, on a scale of 1-to-10, to rate Team USA's smothering of poor China in the teams' Rio Olympics opener.
Tom Thibodeau predictably played some dancing D of his own and half-answered the question without revealing anything from his report card.
"Every night you want the bar set high," Thibodeau said. "So there's a lot of things we did well, but I'm sure there are things that we could do a little bit better. And that's what we want to keep our focus on."
When a helpful reporter followed up by suggesting that the Americans had to have registered at least an "8 and a half" with the way they tormented China in a 119-62 rout, Thibodeau shot back: "I wish I had a professor in school like you."
Then the new coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves burst into laughter, realizing that not even he could be this gruff about the resistance witnessed Saturday night at the Carioca Arena 1, where Team USA used its USA used its copious amounts of length, athleticism and appetite for the smear to inflict its biggest of three routs of the young and helpless Chinese in a span of two weeks.
"It was good," Thibodeau said as he strode off, smiling as broadly as you'll ever see him smile after a basketball game.
It was, of course, more than good. It was also just the latest illustration of the pride these 12 Yanks, who have been together for a whopping 21 days, take in keeping the ball out of their own basket, which is a refreshing and distinctive approach for a program more commonly expected to put on a show at the other end..
The storied collection of groundbreaking superstars who would ultimately become synonymous with the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 remain the one and only Dream Team. The group of avengers in 2008 that won back the gold for the chagrined United States, after a string of the most humbling defeats imaginable, will forever be remembered as the Redeem Team.
The gold-medal-winning squad that conquered London in 2012 didn't really have a nickname -- "There was no moniker; we just went out and defended our title," USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo conceded the other day -- but the 2016ers are certainly establishing a reputation.
Even if it doesn't exactly inspire anything catchy.
It's an All-Star team that, without an obvious T-shirt slogan, legitimately would have you believe that defense is actually, um, fun.
"Yes!" Toronto's DeMar DeRozan exclaimed.
Said center DeMarcus Cousins. "That's our identity. That's something that's preached on the daily. That's something we've accepted as a team."
It's getting harder and harder to dismiss the sincerity of such sentiments when you see Team USA, no matter who's on the floor, playing as aggressively as possible, whether by extending the defense farther than any mortal national team can, or by regularly snuffing out the other team's spirit on those rare occasions when it does get to the rim.
The cynic could justifiably say that the Americans are getting too much praise when they really haven't played anyone this summer beyond a solitary exhibition against aging Argentina in Las Vegas, but the suspicion here strongly continues to be that it won't matter even when the foes get tougher.
"Their defense is so good," says international hoops veteran John Cox, star of the Venezuelan team that next must face the suffocation head-on Monday night in the teams' second Group A date.
"They can switch at every position," Cox said. "There's not really another team in the Olympics who can do that. Even their bigs can move their feet with our guards. That is why they are special."
With a 29-point halftime lead, Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski trotted out an all-new starting lineup just to see what sort of havoc a fresh fivesome's feet could wreak. Out went Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Cousins; in went Kyle Lowry, DeRozan, Jimmy Butler, Paul George and DeAndre Jordan.
"When they came in, it looked like there were seven guys on the court," Krzyzewski said. "Their lateral quickness is so good.
"I like the fact," Coach K continued, "that we don't play the score. We just play the play."
One reason for that, perhaps, is that Thibodeau, in his role as Krzyzewski's defensive coordinator, never stops barking instructions from the bench. Even when Team USA was tossing out a 30-10 gem in the first quarter that seriously made an 80-point victory feel within reach against the lonely Yi Jianlian & Co., Thibodeau could be heard screaming himself hoarse all the way up in the new building's top deck, where the world's media was seated.
Another factor, according to DeRozan: "We're kind of challenging ourselves" to play this hard.
"You go all out," DeRozan added, "[because] you know you're not going to play a large amount of minutes to where you get fatigued."
With the bonus of 31 assists on 38 made baskets -- plus France looking like zero threat to join Spain in holding at least a sliver of hope for playing the United States close after it was blasted in its opener by Australia -- Day 1 of the 2016 Games was pretty high-grade stuff.
The competition will eventually get tougher, realistically as soon as Wednesday when the gritty Aussies take their swing, but haven't you already achieved something if you can make Thibs borderline gush?
"It's the willingness to play for each other, on both sides of the ball, that makes this so special," Thibodeau said.