Tag Archives: Anthony Davis

by | July 27, 2012 · 1:33 PM

Team USA should win Gold Again

To get you ready for the Olympics, here is a small post about Team USA. A Beef Slider if you will.

With the opening ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympic Games being held tonight, it is just mere hours until Team USA tips off to start their defense of the gold medal.

Much has been written about the perceived weakness, namely frontcourt size, that could be trouble when facing some of the taller teams in the Olympics. Those teams are Spain and Brazil. However, this incarnation of Team USA was built this way on purpose. Yes, several key big men, Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh, opted out of the summer games because of injuries that needed to be tended to, but there are quite a number of big men that Jerry Colangelo and Coach K could have brought with them to London. The fact is they didn’t. They have opted for a different style of play.

Much like the Excelsior, this manifestation of Team USA is a great experiment. Yet, the two brains behind the current upsurge in U.S. basketball have experimented before. In 2010, the United States fielded a remarkably similar lineup, small that is, at the FIBA World Championships in Turkey. As is the case with the current Olympic roster, Tyson Chandler was the only true center in Turkey. All of this is by design.

Big equates to slow and lumbering in basketball terminology. Therefore, this team is versatile, lengthy, and quick. Very quick. In their five friendlies leading up to the start of the Olympics, Team USA used those qualities to harass the opposing ball handler the length of the court subsequently creating turnovers. In the open floor, offensively, is where this team shines.

In the half court the offense has stagnated at times against larger frontcourts as the paint has been walled off. If jumpshots aren’t falling then Team USA could be seen as struggling but they will recover. This is an incredibly deep team with superstars subbing in all over the place, Anthony Davis aside. 

Buy into the the worries about size that some have put out there if you wish. It’s your right to doubt this team even if it is unfounded. The 2012 version of Team USA should win the gold medal. Will they blow out every team like the Dream Team did on their way to the gold? Probably not, international competition is vastly superior today than it was in 1992. That said, the U.S. should have convincing wins across the board as they step onto the highest podium. They are the best team in the world.

Here is a full schedule of all the basketball games in the Olympics.

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by | July 12, 2012 · 9:55 PM

Blake Griffin to miss Olympics

As Team USA was blowing out the Dominican Republic on Thursday evening, Brad Turner of the LA Times reported that Blake Griffin had suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee. Griffin will be forced to undergo surgery, likely within the next week, which will keep him out of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and off of Team USA.

The injury occurred Wednesday while Griffin was scrimmaging with Team USA in Las Vegas when he twisted his knee. After the incident, he was taken to Los Angeles to be looked at by doctors and have an MRI. Griffin injured the same knee in the playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The time-table for his return is roughly eight weeks, yet at this point that is up in the air. Andrew Bynum had similar surgery a few years ago and it took more time for him to heal after the surgery, keeping out of the beginning of the NBA season.

Anthony Davis will replace Griffin on Team USA’s roster.

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by | July 7, 2012 · 7:09 PM

Team USA Olympic Roster Finalized

London calling

The final roster that will represent the United States in Olympic men’s basketball has been set and is comprised of players who have almost all played for Team USA before.

LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Tyson Chandler, Blake Griffin, Andre Iguodala, and James Harden are headed to London later this month to compete for the gold medal. They are the favorites to win.

Griffin and Harden are the only players on the roster to have not played on Team USA in international competition before. They, along with Iguodala, were the final three players to be added to the roster. They beat out the likes of Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay, who played on the FIBA World Championship team in 2010, and Anthony Davis, the first overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Team USA was plagued with former members withdrawing from eligibility throughout the month of June. Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Derrick Rose, all who were locks to play in London, opted out of play, mostly due to injuries.

The omission of such All Stars led some to be concerned about the United States’ chances at defending the gold. However, with the roster they have assembled for London, those doubts should vanish.

The final three players selected are essentially no brainers. Harden, who had a rather rough time in the NBA Finals, is a good scorer with size who should do well in international competition coming off the bench. He an Gordon are almost interchangeable in terms of scoring ability but Harden is lengthier and has a knack for long range shots.

Iguodala played a crucial role on the “B-Team” during the Worlds in Turkey in 2010. He was the premier perimeter defender on the squad with his defense leading to plenty of transition opportunities for a team that was lightning fast.

As for Griffin making the roster over Davis, well, yeah, of course. If Davis and his propensity to groom himself as an homage to Frida Kahlo had made the roster he would be relegated to the role of Christian Laettner. Griffin is there because he can do this and this and this. Frederick Weis should be glad he doesn’t play anymore.

Though Chandler is the only legitimate center on the team, Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski has shown a willingness, especially with the 2010 team, to employ an unconventional or hybrid lineup. This incarnation of Team USA presents matchup options across the board with James’ ability to post up, Durant’s length and shooting ability, and Love’s ability to stretch the floor, opening up lanes for the likes of Westbrook, Williams, and virtually every player on the roster. And as Marc Stein points out, this team has some pretty good jump shooters as well.

Starting lineups have yet to be set but it would not be surprising if Chandler came off the bench depending on the matchups. This is the best team heading into the Olympics. Spain is a close second but they do not have the shear determination to win that Bryant brings to the table. That and the bonuses from all the endorsements.

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by | May 30, 2012 · 7:04 PM

New Orleans Hornets win the NBA Draft Lottery

Lucky socks

The NBA Draft Lottery is one of the silliest things ever created that has actual weight behind it. A series of beer ping pong balls dance around in a clear plastic cylinder and that decides who will get the first three picks of the NBA Draft. This is supposed to stop tanking with the random nature of the selection and combination of the balls. It doesn’t and it really just makes rumors swirl throughout the day. As with all things NBA, plenty of people think the whole process is rigged.

It isn’t. Get over it.

This year’s draft class is far superior to last year’s. 2011 was marred with the looming lockout which led some players to stay in college for another year before declaring for the draft, a decision that they will probably be glad they made in the long run.

Anthony Davis, a freshman from Kentucky is widely assumed to be the number one pick in the 2012 draft and now he should have a pretty good idea as to where he is going to begin his NBA career.

On Wednesday night, the New Orleans Hornets, a team with a 13.7 percent chance of winning the number one overall pick, became the future recipients of Davis. By winning the NBA Draft Lottery, the Hornets, who are in the midst of rebuilding after trading Chris Paul before the season began, will have a solid building block. However, New Orleans also holds the tenth pick in the draft so they should be able to get a second good player to help their rebuilding process.

Some will speculate that the Hornets won because the league wanted them to after the NBA took over ownership of the team last season. “Basketball reasons” will often be mentioned, but New Orleans won because that is how the balls fell. Well, there’s that and because Jarrett Jack wore his lucky socks (pictured above).

The rest of the Lottery went like this:

2. Charlotte Bobcats

3. Washington Wizards

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

5. Sacramento Kings

6. Portland Trail Blazers

7. Golden State Warriors

8. Toronto Raptors

9. Detroit Pistons

10. New Orleans Hornets

11. Portland Trail Blazers

12. Milwaukee Bucks

13. Phoenix Suns

14. Houston Rockets

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