Anthony Davis Plays Most of the Fourth Quarter in Team USA’s Win

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Published: July 12, 2012

Anthony Davis played all but two seconds in the fourth quarter of Team USA’s win over the Dominican Republic, converting a four point play in the process.

update: Davis is officially in for the 2012 Olympics

After sitting the first three quarters, Anthony Davis started the fourth  on the floor for Team USA and stayed there almost throughout. The highlight of his night was obviously the three-pointer he hit while being fouled and then the free throw conversion for a four-point-play. Boom! He added a great rebound put back as well as a steal.

I got goosebumps.

That said, he bricked a step back J from the corner, appeared out of rhythm on the offensive end for a good chunk of the quarter, and worst of all– ran 15 feet deep into the crowd after being fouled on a post-steal layup. The Hornets future flashed before my eyes.

All in all Davis had a really solid first appearance for Team USA, scoring 9 points on 4 shots and adding the rebound I mentioned. He barely practiced with the Olympic team, never seeing any competitive action prior to being cut initially. He’s got a ways to go in terms of being on the same page as the rest of his teammates, but one thing is for sure– the guy has some skills.

At the bare minimum I expect that he’ll be a fantastic garbageman right off the bat. With some hard work, luck, and good coaching, the sky is the limit. One thing that I noticed is how every time the ball goes at the rim he’s so active in getting into position to do something if it doesn’t go in. Some guys just stand there and wait, but not Davis. His energy is awesome.

After the game…

  • John Calipari said that the experience of playing in the Olympics and training with the best in the world would be worth two years of experience for Davis.
  • “Davis is not a key person,” according to Coach K. “He played eight minutes tonight and was really good. But for us to be staying with Argentina and Brazil it’s going to be these guys (motioning to Andre Iguodala).”

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