Brunson and Barrett Both Excel in Europe (while James Harden Throws Down the Gauntlet)

"Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he's a part of."

Plenty of topics to tackle on this beautiful Monday morning - let's dig in...

🏀 Team USA took down Spain, the No. 1-ranked team in the world according to FIBA, Sunday in Malaga behind a brilliant, efficient performance from Jalen Brunson. The Knicks' point guard scored a game-high 21 points, grabbed four rebounds, and was a perfect 9-for-9 from the field.

"I just wanted to make sure that we were all on the same page and that we wanted to win," Brunson told The Athletic. "I was just playing the way the defense was playing me. I wasn't coming in thinking I needed to put the ball in the hoop, but those opportunities came, and the ball went in."

America is 3-0 through its first three pre-World Cup contests, and Brunson has emerged as the engine driving Team USA and the squad's leader. Coach Steve Kerr has praised his PG early and often, and the rest of the world is getting an up-close glimpse at what Knicks fans enjoyed last season. 

"He's a natural leader," Kerr told reporters. "He's one of the first guys we secured on the roster, so we had a conversation a while back, talking about this team and then checking on him as we built the rest of the team. I started making plans, and we had a couple of conversations and texts. He is a really easy guy to get to know, and because he's the leader, it's important for me to connect with him too, because this is always a collaboration. But what makes it unique is it's just six weeks. You go hard, and then it's over, so you try to get to know the guys as best you can."

The U.S. will head to Abu Dhabi this week, where they will take on Greece (Giannis Antetokounmpo announced he will be unable to compete in the World Cup following offseason knee surgery) and Germany this weekend. The Americans begin their quest to capture the World Cup on Saturday, Aug. 26, vs. New Zealand (8:40 a.m. on ESPN2).