Faried draws start in USA Basketball exhibition opener; Rose gets enormous ovation

It's just an exhibition game.

That will surely be the refrain after Kenneth Faried drew the start for USA Basketball's opener against Brazil on Saturday, starting at power forward in the absence of Paul George and Kevin Durant. George and Durant were expected to make up a smaller frontcourt alongside Anthony Davis, but the U.S. went with a more standard look Saturday.

That may be because Brazil has a big frontline, but it's also possible the U.S. plans to use it's size - perhaps with DeMarcus Cousins alongside Davis when the Kings' center is healthy - as an advantage instead of the length and athleticism they were previously poised to use.

In any case, the starting backcourt of Derrick Rose and Steph Curry, and James Harden at the three, are probably relatively set, along with Davis' inclusion somewhere.

And yes, Rose drew the start in his first game action since November, as expected. With the game taking place in Chicago, he also took the mic to welcome the crowd and thank USA Basketball for bringing the event to the city. The United Center crowd pretty clearly missed their star.