RIO DE JANEIRO — It probably wasn’t fair that the United States basketball team just happened to be matched up with China in the opening game of pool play, a team the Americans stars had beaten decisively in two exhibition games in late July.

It’s difficult to gauge how much Team USA has progressed after its 119-62 win over China on Saturday night at a mostly-full Carioca Arena.

A runaway win was expected as the US led by 20 points after the first period and then tried to remain engaged and crisp from there on. It won’t be any different Monday against Venezuela, which is ranked lower than China in the FIBA standings.

So the US will have to battle complacency until the medal round, attempting to play fundamental basketball while simultaneously offering entertainment. Bad habits can form in these games and the US avoided the sloppiness with just nine turnovers and pristine perimeter shooter from Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (4 of 5 on 3-pointers, 12 points).

It doesn’t help the US much that it won’t receive a real challenge until facing Australia on Wednesday. The Australians feature NBA players Andrew Bogut, Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova, Joe Ingles and Aron Baynes.

But this tournament has lost its luster because three of the FIBA’s top 10 teams didn’t qualify for the Olympics, while No. 14 China, No. 22 Venezuela, and No. 25 Nigeria did. Meanwhile, Canada, the team with perhaps the most young talent in the world, lost in the final qualifier to France – without Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Olynyk, and Jamal Murray.

So the 12-team field is diluted, and perhaps it should be increased to 16 for the 2020 Tokyo Games to add more intrigue. The lack of quality teams makes the road easier for Team USA. And on a night in which the Americans didn’t play particularly well, there was little concern.

Durant sparkled with 25 points and DeMarcus Cousins added 17, but the scoring barrage was expected.

“I thought our guys played really hard,’’ US coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “We played really hard and shared the ball. If we keep playing hard and sharing it, then we’re going to keep getting better. This is the Olympics. It’s a different deal.

“For some guys it’s their first Olympics. For a few guys, it’s their first game ever on international soil. It’s new. They know it’s a huge stage and a very important one. I was proud of my team. I thought we did a really good job.’’

For some players, it was just good to let the Games begin. It’s been a difficult couple of weeks for reserve forward Draymond Green, who had to settle a misdemeanor assault charge before the US team began exhibition games, and then he apologized for placing an embarrassing photo on social media last week.

If Krzyzewski’s rotation against China is any indication, Green will be the team’s ninth man after logging just 13 minutes, 42 seconds and scoring 3 points.

“Some games may be more of a challenge than others but we have to approach every game with the same mind-set,’’ Green said. “We didn’t do everything right out there, so it’s important to understand the things you didn’t do well. We won by 50-something points but that doesn’t mean we did everything well.’’

Yet, Green, as well as Cousins, said they were moved by the Olympic experience. Neither was expected to be here. Green was a second-round pick four years ago out of Michigan State and has catapulted to one of the top 15 players in the world.

“[The moment] was amazing, just walking out there in front of all those people was a surreal experience,’’ he said. “It was awesome.’’

Cousins, who has earned a mercurial reputation with the Sacramento Kings, hardly appeared to be a candidate for the Olympic team. But he has developed into a more polished player. While he usually growls at officials during NBA games, Cousins restrained himself on a couple of occasions in his Olympic debut.

In an international game that is faster, Cousins could become a critical component for the US with his ability to rebound and score at the rim.

“The biggest thing is representing your country,’’ Cousins said. “That’s an honor that not many people can say they’ve done. We’re on the biggest stage. We have the biggest responsibility. We’ve got a lot of pressure on our shoulders, that’s the ultimate honor.

“I’ve enjoyed this experience a lot. I’ve been wanting this for a long time now and this is my opportunity and I’m taking full advantage of it.’’

The opener was most important for this internationally inexperienced roster to soak in the raucous atmosphere and intensity. It was a positive night for Team USA, but we expect better, and they expect better.

Gary Washburn can be reached at gwashburn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GwashburnGlobe.