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BARCELONA — There almost was a devastating moment Wednesday for USA Basketball following practice in preparation for Thursday’s World Cup semifinal with Lithuania.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski was discussing the reinvigorated Derrick Rose after his 12 points and five assists in 18 minutes in the win over Slovenia and a late game crossover burst that had teammates jumping out of their seats and again Wednesday morning when they showed the game tape.

“That one move in the whole second half, the whole bench went up,” recalled Krzyzewski. “We watched tape today. We always give them a feedback tape and a preview of our next opponent in the meeting before we come here. When we showed that play, it was, ‘Way to go, man. That’s it.’ You could see in his face he was different. I’m glad. I think this starts the journey back to being who he is. And I think it will happen.

“I think the lid came off, the jar was open or whatever you want to say,” Krzyzewski went on. “Yesterday, he had his look. I think (previously) he was trying to be a team guy and whatever. He was a team guy yesterday. But before being a team guy, he has to be his guy. And you saw how excited our whole team was in response to his performance. He was excellent.

“’This is not a play we’re asking you to be an understudy or a role player,’” Krzyzewski explained about his talks with Rose before the Slovenia game. “’We’re asking you to be you. You haven’t been you for a while because of the injuries. But just be you.’ And he was. I think because he’s physically ready that it’s just a matter of the mindset that he would have. I think the mindset he had was to just help our team and be a facilitator and all that. But he’s ready to be Derrick. And I think for us just to let him know it’s OK for him to do that. And all the guys want him to do that. It was kind of a stark contrast, really.”

Though it was at that point media and staff standing near Krzyzewski began to wince. Was he actually going to break into song? With his mix of Chicago North Side and old South North Carolina? Oh, no!

“At some time,” Krzyzewski continue, his voice rising, “You have to say, ‘OK, it’s time to be me.’ I gotta…”

Whether I’m right or whether I’m wrong

Whether I find a place in this world or never belong

I gotta be me, I gotta be me

What else can I be but what I am.

Fortunately, Krzyzewski was stopped in time, though no physical force was necessary.

“I can’t sing one song,” Krzyzewski said apologetically. “I should sing . . . I won’t go there.

“It’s time,” Krzyzewski added about Rose. “It’s your show when you’re out there.”

It was another openin’ of another show for Rose Tuesday, though with the ease in which Rose switched into offensive mode it seemed it was just waiting to exhale.

It’s been a paradoxical summer for Rose, who came into the USA Basketball season with a strategy of working his way toward a strong conclusion. Earlier in the process, he even sat out two practices and an exhibition game, raising questions about whether he’d even be on the team in Spain. Then in coming off the bench behind Kyrie Irving, Rose accepted a role of being a facilitator, monitoring the game when he came in to assure the USA maintained and expanded the lead, play defense, run the team.

Ok, he was doing that. They were winning. What’s the problem?

It seemed on course until Krzyzewski and managing director Jerry Colangelo suggested before Tuesday’s game Rose be more offensive minded.

Ok, no problem, if that’s what you want, Rose seemed to say in coming out with powerfully aggressive moves to the basket. The message seemed timed to get Rose in a higher gear as the inevitable showdown with Spain for the gold medal comes up Sunday, assuming both teams win their semifinal games.

Lithuania Thursday in the semifinal game remains a big underdog to the USA team that has a winning margin of more than 30 per game after Tuesday’s 43-point win over Slovenia. Lithuania beat Slovenia by three. Lithuania has been led by Toronto’s Jonas Valunciunas, whom Krzyzewski called the best post player here. But it’s not an athletic team and missing some top players, though Krzyzewski reminded everyone the USA isn’t exactly at full strength with Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge late defections. Though Rose seems to like the path to the finals.

“If anything, it should be to our advantage (against Lithuania),” Rose said. “We play a fast paced type game and usually when we play against bigs (it) kind of makes the offense a little bit easier because we have quick guards and quick bigs. Like Rudy (Gay). He’ll be able to pop and shoot the ball and AD (Anthony Davis) should be able to get lobs because some of (their big men) are kind of slow on their feet.

“I’m very pleased (about last night),” added Rose, who has remained gracious and cooperative through constant questioning about his health and mind set, doing more interviews than any USA player. “I told you I have a lot of confidence in myself. Me not shooting the ball is not a lack of confidence; it was just I was trying to play team basketball. But Coach K, he gave me the green light and the green light isn’t to shoot the ball every time. It can be just play the way you normally play and that all I was trying to do last night.”

If it was perhaps a relief for fans of Rose, it was for USA Basketball as well with inconsistent play throughout the tournament from its starting guards. None has put together a stretch of consistent games, though each has had big games. So Krzyzewski, a master at pulling the best out of players, searched his motivational closet for something comfortable for Rose. His encouraging words were a nice, new and old look for Rose.

“Every time Coach K and the coaching staff come in the locker room, they always talk about just bringing that intensity to the court. That’s all we’re trying to do, play hard because we know that offensively we’re going to be fine,” said Rose. “Defensively, getting after people…it tends to show that all the games when our defense picked up that’s when the game is in our control. (I felt) good (after last night.) I think I really got my routine. I know I’ve been saying this a lot, but I really have my routine as far stretching, ice baths, NormaTec (recovery), really, really becoming a pro. Sometimes as a pro, you get caught up in your free time; you really want to do other things. But I’ve just really been in my room watching movies, reading and watching a lot of movies.

“I (also) think just getting my hands on balls, getting deflections and reading the play, I think I can affect the game in a way I never did before as far as reading the plays on the defensive end, getting steals and really playing without fouling,” said Rose. “I think I’m doing a great job positioning myself on the defensive end.

“When you come out here and play against this type of competition, it’s going to prepare you for the regular season,” Rose added about the advantage of playing time summer.

It’s been questioned at times around the NBA. Not only lately with the injury to Paul George during this USA training camp, but among many owners who wonder about risking health of top players. And some who complain the NBA doesn’t profit enough financially.

But it’s a good feeling to

“You’re going to into the regular season with a game like mentality (after playing here) where you’re already going to be fresh,” said Rose. “You’re already going to be making moves, you’re already going to be in condition. So you’re going to start out pretty quick, more than almost the entire NBA.”

Watch out NBA?

“I think he was just trying to fit in,” said Krzyzewski. “Who knows completely? I would think when you’re out that long, there’s part of you that’s unsure when you should let it go. They were keeping him out, managing minutes and all that. Part of that obviously is really good. But I think by playing continuously here and practicing continuously he now knows, ‘Well, I can do that every day.’”