It was their first game together, so they were feeling each other out. There was apprehension, uneasiness and unfamiliarity.

But there was also Tim Duncan.

Whenever someone made the wrong cut or got caught with the ball in the air, Duncan was there. He was the United States' running, dunking security blanket in the first quarter of yesterday's exhibition game against Puerto Rico, scoring 15 points in the opening nine minutes.

The presence of Duncan is one glaring difference between this squad and the team of N.B.A. stars that finished sixth at last year's world championships. With Duncan's size, skills and savvy, it is hard to imagine the United States doing poorly in the FIBA Americas Olympic qualifying tournament, which begins Wednesday in Puerto Rico. Duncan posted game highs of 21 points and 15 rebounds yesterday to lead the United States to a 101-74 victory before 16,473 at Madison Square Garden.

"This guy's the best," Coach Larry Brown said. "Everything our game's supposed to be about, that's what he is."

Duncan is only one reason this team looks ready to redeem the National Basketball Association from last summer's failure. A second quality that is immediately noticeable is the unselfishness of the players. To the surprise of many, Allen Iverson is leading the way in selfless play.

Known as a gunner who has trouble sharing the ball, Iverson has morphed into a Jason Kidd clone. Yesterday, he tied Kidd, his starting backcourt partner, with five assists, and his passing has been nothing short of stunning.

Midway through the first quarter, he tossed a soft pass over a defender into the hands of a sprinting Duncan for a fast-break layup. Later, he lobbed an alley-oop pass from the left wing to Richard Jefferson, who dunked the ball emphatically.

Just as important, Iverson is not forcing his shots. The result was an 11-point performance on 4-of-6 shooting. To those who wondered whether Iverson could adjust to playing with other superstars, he points to his 24 assists in four All-Star Games.