Anthony Davis Appears Unlikely to Make Team USA

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Published: July 7, 2012

ESPN is reporting that Blake Griffin is a lock to make Team USA.

Read: Anthony Davis will likely be cut tomorrow.

From Marc Stein– 

“Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin has been elevated to a lock to make Team USA’s Olympic squad, according to sources close to the process, leaving USA Basketball coaches and officials with essentially five players for two remaining roster spots.”

With the news that Blake Griffin will make Team USA, it appears unlikely that Anthony Davis will receive a spot on the team. The reality that Griffin– a guy not ideally suited to international play and with no real international experience as an adult– is a lock, is largely, at least in my opinion, the result of Anthony Davis spraining his ankle prior to heading out to Vegas. During the first day of Olympic practice Davis said that his ankle is only at 65-70 percent.

As I noted earlier, Coach K said that “Anthony Davis isn’t ready yet to really… did a little bit of 5 on 0, but he’s not near 100%.”

The brief statement by Coach K made me feel much more pessimistic about the odds of Davis making it than I had previously. Davis could use some international experience, and has the skill-set that would make him a good fit at that level for years to come, but it just didn’t seem like Coach K was confident at all that Davis would be ready to play against competition at any point before Team USA leaves Vegas on the 12th.

That’s essentially a death sentence for a guy fighting for a spot to begin with, and the news that Griffin will make it pretty much seals the deal, at least in my opinion. Big men Kevin Love and Tyson Chandler are also expected to make the team.

Sure hope I’m wrong!

There were some bright-ish quotes to come out which would seem to suggest that he’s not dead in the water quite yet.

The need for size has Colangelo intrigued by Davis, the shot-blocking college player of the year who led Kentucky to the national title. But he’s not ready to go full speed yet after hurting himself less than a week ago while working out with the Hornets, leaving him frustrated but eager.

Colangelo said it would be a “reach” to pick Davis without really seeing him, but acknowledges the 6-foot-10 forward has qualities no other U.S. player has. So he could pick him Saturday and hope he’s ready in a couple of weeks, with the Olympic opener not for another three weeks.

As for Eric Gordon, if Griffin and Iggy (another guy I just can’t see being cut ) are both in, then that leaves Harden, Gay, Gordon, or Davis for the last spot. Frankly I don’t like Gordon’s chances too much more than I like those of AD, but I guess stranger things have happened.

Damn…

In case I haven’t made this clear– This is my first Olympics, and this is largely just my opinion about who will make it. That said, I do read a thing or two, so I’m not just pulling this out of my arse.

 

15 Comments

  1. Pingback: Anthony Davis will likely be cut from Team USA | Walter's Wildcat World

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