INDIANAPOLIS -- If the World Championships were a game of Clue, the answer to the Team USA mystery would go something like this:

	Fan fave Emanuel Ginobili, right, leads the World Championships in assists.

Paul Pierce. In the third quarter. With the 3-pointer.

Call it a rut or a method to its madness, but Team USA is getting awfully predictable. After yet another close first half, Pierce came in and did his third-quarter thing and the U.S. left New Zealand in the dust 110-62.

Pierce finished the quarter with nine points as the U.S. went on a 27-10 run to put the Kiwis away.

Once again, the U.S. seemed to struggle running its offense and relied on Pierce's superb one-on-one skills to get the engine going in the first half. While coach George Karl says he's happy with the way his team has performed, he admits that the chemistry still isn't there.

"We learn as the game goes on and improve as the game goes on. ... you go into halftime and make adjustments," Karl said. "Teams that have depth use it to wear down teams at the end of the game. That's what we're doing."

The U.S. wasn't looking past New Zealand for its matchup with Argentina. But just about everyone else in the NBA was.

Wednesday's showdown pitting the only two undefeated teams left in the bracket should give Team USA its first real test.

"Argentina is as good as anyone here," Karl said. "They play like an NBA team. They have a lot of depth. We've been successful wearing down teams. We won't be able to do it here."

There has been talk about the incredible depth and star power of Yugoslavia and the individual performances of players like Germany's Dirk Nowitzki and Spain's Pau Gasol. Argentina, however, poses a different challenge for the U.S. They put on a clinic of fundamentals and team basketball.

Led by soon-to-be Spurs guard Emmanuel Ginobili, Argentina boasts four players who have either played in the NBA or who have been drafted by an NBA team.

Argentina is not only the most physical team in this tournament -- NBA scouts say the team lifts weights daily, a rarity in international competition -- it may also be the smartest. To quote a Karl axiom, the Argentineans play the right way.

"They're very unselfish," says Tony Ronzone, the Pistons' director of international scouting. "There are no egos. They respect each other's games and always work together. Everyone touches the ball. You can do a clinic on their offensive and defensive sets.

"They play the way the game should be played."

It shows. Coming into Tuesday night's game against Germany, Argentina was averaging a 26-point margin of victory, shooting a tournament-high 56.7 percent from the field and leading the Worlds in assists.

So forget Yugoslavia for a second. The Yugoslavs have already lost two games and are battling for their lives against Turkey on Wednesday. Could Argentina plausibly pull an upset of the U.S. at Conseco Fieldhouse?

	“	The U.S. is more athletic, but the Argentineans really have their act together. I haven't seen the same type of team basketball from Team USA yet. ”
		— Tony Ronzone

"They'll be tough. The U.S. is more athletic, but the Argentineans really have their act together," Ronzone said. "I haven't seen the same type of team basketball from Team USA yet."

Argentina coach Ruben Magnano believes his team has a shot. "To be honest, that game will be very hard for us. But it's not impossible and we'll be prepared," he said.

The key for Argentina will be rebounding, fouls, and 3-point shooting.

"We need to pick up our game a lot," Ginobili said after Argentina's 86-77 victory over Germany. "I think the key will be tough defense. The U.S. hasn't played well together. We need to disrupt their lines of communication."

Argentina has struggled to rebound that ball against bigger teams and the U.S. should be no exception. Team USA has its own physical, low-post players in Ben Wallace, Elton Brand and Antonio Davis.

Argentina's big men have also been getting in foul trouble early on. The Argentines go eight men deep, but they can't afford to have any of their big men on the bench if they expect to beat the U.S.

Finally, Argentina is a good shooting team, but they aren't very consistent from behind the arc. Players like Ginobili won't be able to drive at will against the quicker U.S. players. They'll have to hit some threes to keep the game close. But one thing is for sure: Argentina feels no pressure.

"The Dream Team always beats everyone," forward Luis Scola said. "They must win. We have nothing to lose. The pressure is on them, not us."

ESPN.com talked to several NBA scouts to give you an inside look at the Argentinean team.

The Starting Five
Point guard: Pepe Sanchez
Sanchez is the glue that holds this team together. He has big-time experience on both the pro and international level. He played point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers when they played the Lakers in the NBA Finals in 2001. And last year he led Panathinaikos to the Euroleague Championship. He runs a complicated offense and has been referred to as the Jason Kidd of Europe because of his ability to make a major impact on the game without scoring a lot of points.

Shooting guard: Emmanuel Ginobili
Known as "Manu" by his many fans, Ginobili is already drawing raves for his crafty drives to the basket. He's averaging 18 ppg, 5.3 apg and 2.3 spg while shooting a scorching 59 percent from the field. Ginobili currently ranks number one in assists here at the World Championships.

Small forward: Hugo Sconochini
Sconochini is another legend in Europe who never decided to make the leap to the NBA. He's Argentina's second leading scorer averaging 14.3 ppg and 2.8 apg in just 17.8 mpg. Considered to be one of the savviest players here, Sconochini provides the team with veteran leadership when things get tough.

Power forward: Fabrico Oberto
Two years ago Oberto was considered one of the best scorers in Europe. He even got an invitation to the Knicks camp one year, but an injury limited his ability to play. Over the past few years, Oberto has subtly changed his game. Now he is one of the best defenders and offensive rebounders on the team.

Center: Ruben Wolkowyski
Wolkowyski is the muscle in the middle. He spent a year with the Seattle Sonics during the 2000-01 season and is known for his tough rebounding and physical defense.

The Bench
Forward: Andres Noccioni
Noccioni is a warrior. He's he most physical player on the Argentinian squad. He can play multiple positions on the floor and often is assigned the opposing teams top offensive player. He's also dynamite taking the ball to the basket.

Forward: Luis Scola
A young bruiser down low, Scola has struggled with foul trouble throughout the tournament but he's still considered a bright prospect. Like the other Argentinean big men, he crashes the boards, loves to bang down low and has an emerging low-post game.

Guard: Alejandro Montecchia
Montecchia is the veteran back-up point guard. He's more of an offensive threat than Sanchez, but doesn't have quite the same playmaking skills.

Chad Ford writes the daily NBA Insider column for ESPN Insider. To get a free 30-day trial, click here.