It's hard to imagine a better start to the Paris Olympics than the one the U.S. men's basketball team authored against Serbia. The offense shot over 60%, Kevin Durant looked like he'd never left and Team USA's defensive intensity and offensive composure were both much improved from what we saw in their pre-Paris tune-ups. 

Still, that was just one game. This tournament is a marathon, not a sprint, and if the U.S. wants a historic fifth straight gold medal, there are still plenty of areas to improve — starting at 3 p.m. ET Wednesday against a South Sudan team that nearly pulled off a shocking upset in London just a couple weeks ago.

What does the U.S. have to do to avoid a similar fate in the rematch? Here are four questions that will go a long way toward deciding the game.

So, how much will Jayson Tatum play?

In some ways, it's a sign of how well the U.S. played that the topic of conversation after the Serbia game was why Jayson Tatum never saw the floor. Still, this has officially become A Thing, so much so that head coach Steve Kerr has already vowed that his first-team All-NBA wing will play against South Sudan. Just how many minutes he'll play and whose spot Tatum will take in Kerr's rotation, however, remain to be seen. 

The U.S. caught a nice rhythm against Serbia. Granted, that was a unique matchup, one that Tatum may not have been suited to — not to mention the extra wrinkle of working Durant back into the lineup. Still, how Tatum looks — and more importantly, how the team looks when he's on the floor — will be something to monitor, as the Celtics star was struggling a bit in exhibitions this summer.

Will U.S. defense improve?

The single biggest reason that South Sudan nearly toppled the U.S. the last time these two teams played was defense; Team USA's simply wasn't good enough, especially at the point of attack, allowing the Bright Stars to get into the paint far too easily. The U.S. rotations and aggression were much better against Serbia, but South Sudan offers a more athletic challenge. Will Steph Curry, Anthony Edwards and company be up to the task of keeping their man in front? Allowing 100+ points again would be a real warning sign.

Which Joel Embiid shows up?

Beyond the Tatum question, the only real drawback from the opening game for the Americans was the play of Joel Embiid. Granted, Nikola Jokic is a bear of a matchup for any center, but Embiid seemed physically overmatched on defense and tentative on offense, putting up just four points and two rebounds with a plus/minus of -4 — the only U.S. player in the negative in a game the team won by 26. 

Embiid had been stacking up positive performances in tune-up games, including against South Sudan, where he put up 14 points and seven rebounds on 5-of-6 shooting from the field in just 18 minutes of play. The Bright Stars don't have the sort of traditional center that can stand up to Embiid; he needs to feast in this matchup, and if he doesn't, it's time to have a real conversation about Kerr's big-man rotation. 

Can Kevin Durant get some rest?

Durant wasn't the least bit rusty in his return from a calf strain, hitting his first eight shots against Serbia. Still, Kerr can't love the idea of immediately playing him heavy minutes after more than a month on the shelf. The U.S. can turn this game into a laugher if it brings its A-game, and that would come with the added benefit of keeping Durant on ice and making sure he's healthy when the competition starts to really ratchet up. This team has a tendency to play down to its competition, but doing so comes at a cost even in victory.