Kevin Durant quit.
Paul George broke his leg.
So what do we have here? The darkest days for USA Basketball since 2004 (Athens Olympics, which opened with a 19-point loss to Puerto Rico)?
Here is the news story on Durant quitting. Yes, quitting.
This is shameful, in my opinion. No national team anchor has ever done this.
The fact that it comes at the same moment that Durant is leaving Nike and finishing details of an unbelievably lucrative $325 million sneaker and apparel deal with UnderArmour makes it fishy. Nike is a major Team USA sponsor.
Let’s update our Team USA preview, including Friday’s news that Rudy Gay has been brought aboard. …
The first round of Team USA cuts were John Wall, Bradley Beal and Paul Millsap.
(RELATED: DURANT HEADS INCREDIBLE 2016 FREE AGENT CLASS)
The roster now stands at 16 again with Gay aboard. They have to cut it to 12 — and they’ve said they will cut it to 12 before leaving later this month for the World Cup in Spain. They still have four point guards. They are back to having just one power forward. They have four centers, one of whom — Andre Drummond — played horribly in the intrasquad scrimmage in which Paul George suffered his gruesome leg injury.
Who is on the bubble now?
BIG MEN
The four centers are Anthony Davis (the probable starter), DeMarcus Cousins, Drummond and Mason Plumlee.
The power forward is Kenneth Faried. The guy who will probably start at the 4 in most games is Kevin Durant, whose defensive deficiencies in guarding that position are ripe to be exploited. The emergency power forward was going to be George. Now, it may end up being Chandler Parsons. Or Gay.
Who gets cut?
The thinking here is there will only be one cut from the seven big guys (including Parsons) listed above. Drummond cannot shoot free throws and thus cannot be a viable on-the-court contributor for Team USA. The last time USA Basketball had a guy like Drummond on the team, it was 2002 at the World Championship in Indianapolis. Ben Wallace was the most beastly rebounder in the NBA in those days, but his free throw shooting was abominable — as was his mid-range game. Opponents left him undefended and dared him to shoot, and Wallace looked utterly lost. The only argument for bringing Drummond is his heft. But Plumlee brings similar size and strength, and is a much more fundamentally sound player. He began training camp as a member of the Select Team, played with the Senior Team in the intrasquad scrimmage and survived the first round of cuts. Bobby Gonzalez says he is a very strong candidate for the final 12 man roster, and I agree.
The cut: Drummond.
The bubble guy: Faried. Durant’s injury locked up Faried.
POINT GUARDS
The four point guards are Derrick Rose, Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving.
The common belief is that Team USA will carry three point guards into Spain, but you should keep in mind that Curry and Lillard are both quite capable of playing off the ball at shooting guard.
Who gets cut?
Two of this teams greatest strengths are speed and shooting, and if one of these guys gets cut it will sap the roster of a player who possesses both of those strengths. Four years ago in Turkey, coach Mike Krzyzewski started Rose but went to Russell Westbrook as his closer, and he also used Westbrook off the ball at 2 guard. Coach K feels very strongly that players who can man multiple positions are more valuable than guys who can only play one spot. Since he is going to have to play small in nearly every game due to the makeup of his roster, he will go with the guys who give him the most speed and shooting along with versatility.
The cut: Nobody.
The bubble guy: Lillard.
SHOOTERS
We are grouping the 2 guards and small forwards together here, because this is the area where there is a glut. The “shooters” are James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, Parsons, Gordon Hayward, Klay Thompson and Kyle Korver.
I am predicting above that the U.S. federation will take six bigs (and four point guards), so this is where the roster competition is going to take place — unless one of the bigs (Faried?) is deemed expendable and they are content to go with five. In my opinion, that is just too risky. One injury, or one overzealous anti-American referee could significantly level the playing field by cutting the pool of available big men from five to four.
Who gets cut?
The first qualification is the ability to shoot. All these guys have it, but Korver is probably the best pure shooter among them. I think there is an argument to be made that he makes it on that basis alone, but it is not the strongest argument.
The second qualification is the ability to slide over to the 3 or the 4 position to defend opposing bigs. Korver is long but is not strong enough to defend the likes of Serge Ibaka (who could be put on the floor along with both Gasol brothers in a gold-medal game matchup against Spain). Then again, which of these shooters could adequately perform that role? My vote would go to Parsons.
Who can make the decision the most difficult? My vote goes to DeRozan, who played as well as anybody on the 20-man roster during the intrasquad scrimmage in Las Vegas. Every four years, one guy plays so well that he makes it impossible for the hierarchy to cut him. Four years ago, that was Eric Gordon — who ended up being one of Coach K’s top five rotation guys at the Worlds in Turkey.
The cuts: Hayward, Korver, DeRozan/Thompson.
The bubble guys: Thompson, DeRozan.
MORE
Final Roster prediction pre-Durant quitting:
Davis, Durant, Harden, Curry, Rose (starters). Cousins, Plumlee, Faried, Parsons, Lillard, Irving, DeRozan/Thompson (reserves).
New final roster:
Davis, Faried, Harden, Curry, Rose (starters). Cousins, Plumlee, Parsons, Lillard, Irving, Gay, DeRozan/ Thompson (reserves).
The final cuts:
Drummond, Hayward, Korver, DeRozan/Thompson.
Chris Sheridan is publisher and editor-in-chief of SheridanHoops.com. He has covered every U.S. Senior Men’s National Team since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Follow him on Twitter.
MORE FROM TEAM USA CAMP IN LAS VEGAS:
DAY ONE: Derrick Rose looks great for Team USA, But there is a PG Glut.
DAY TWO: DeMarcus Cousins Finding a Different Groove for Team USA
DAY THREE: Shall we call this team “The Unknowns?”
DAY FOUR: What to watch for in Team USA Intrasquad Scrimmage
DAY FIVE: Leaving Las Vegas: Three Things You Didn’t Know About Team USA
PODCAST: Bobby Gonzalez on Witnessing the Paul George Injury
jerrytwenty-five says
I agree that KD did quit and it IS related to his new sneaker and apparel deal.
Lots of people in the media besides Chris are upset with KD and believe its no coincidence.
Sure if he chose not to be part of TeamUSA over 1 month ago, he wouldn’t be criticized. However, the success of Team USA was dependent on KD playing, and he let the USA down. He should finish what he started. I’d rather see KD play now and not play in 2016 when there will be other great players going for Gold.
Kevin says
You agree because you can’t formulate your own opinions. Have you ever started something and then found yourself saying “I think I bit off more than I can chew…this too much”? Better yet, go dig around on the internet and find a time he’s ever said “No” to a commitment (all-star weekend, community event, prior team USA, etc)…don’t worry I’ll wait
And even if it was about his deal with Under Armor (yeah, I can recite article too), the only reason he wouldn’t be playing is because of backlash from Nike…what incentive would he have to not play…he’s still getting his money either way. So, if that’s your stance then it needs to be “Nike pushed Durant out of team USA”. Stop cut-and -pasting other people’s theories and come with a better argument man.
Kevin says
Last one:
This further proves my point that he’s a hack writer…voted for Blake Griffin over Lebron for first team all-NBA. The defense rests, your honor!
http://sheridanhoops.com/2014/06/04/video-here-is-why-sheridan-voted-lebron-james-2nd-team-all-nba-2/
Davis says
what’s the point of putting the picture of him smoking hookah at the top? Durant has been a model citizen for his entire career. Now that he is taking time off after logging the most minutes in the nba over the past 4 seasons, you’re labeling him a quitter and attaching that picture which is related to the one semi-bad public thing he’s done his whole career? You’re an idiot.
jerrytwenty-five says
The smoking pic may be to grab attention (apparently it worked), but its not improper to call KD a Quitter.
He made a commitment to TeamUSA, which he reaffirmed after the PG injury. Its only after he decided to leave his Team USA, NIKE sponsor, that he Quit. Sure he’s played lots of minutes, but he looked and felt great after recent workouts according to those who watched him (reported by ESPN correspondents in the wake of this bombshell).
As far as his mentioning that he just might play in 2016, that does not make up for his actions. He was the anchor and by far the best player for TeamUSA. for 2014. Coach K and Colangelo were counting on him. He might not be needed for 2016. He is needed NOW.
areyouserious says
Well Chris, you just lost all my respect. The only thing that is shameful is this article. Unbelievable.
Jon says
Clearly you used the word quit to try and grab peoples attention. Durant has more minutes on the court in the last 4 seasons than any other player by a long-shot. Nearly 12000 minutes actually. That’s probably more time than you have spent writing articles in your entire career…. I’m happy he quit because he looked exhausted at times last year in the playoffs and OKC needs him fresh to win a title next year. How dare you sir.
Ryan says
According to his logic, I guess LeBron quit. Kobe quit. Carmelo quit. “Quitting” because of your body’s limitations is not quitting. He was fatigued, so he made the best move for his career in withdrawing from the team. Who are you to call him a quitter?
Kevin says
The 12,000 minutes comment is dead-on…he’s played 700 minutes more than the guy in second place (Monta Ellis…who knew?). Amazing a “journalist” like this idiot didn’t take two seconds to google his facts before writing garbage like this…which is even more ironic because he’ll probably be kidding KD’s ass for an interview somewhere down the road.
In addition to being ridden like a freaking jockey the last 4 seasons, KD saw what happened to Paul George. And I don’t care who you are, seeing an injury like that in person makes you second-guess playing in a tournament/game with little return…what does he have left to prove??? If this were the Olympics I’m pretty sure he would have stayed, but he’s a very calculated individual: the risk do not outweigh his desire to rest up and get the championship he wants. Again, this writer is a joke and everyone in the NBA knows it…he tweets with speed of a 16 year old girl and all his “sources” remain unnamed. Joke!
Kevin says
You’re an f-ing moron if you think this kid is a quitter. In your milk-toast world of providing commentary on a sport you’ve never played competitively, save maybe your rec league at the local Y, means your credibility in questioning anyone’s heart or work ethic, especially wth regard to a person’s level of fatigue, is laughable. I know doing your your work-from-the-couch “grind” of a job is extememly taxing, so you’re obviously qualified to weigh-in…picking up the sarcasm yet??? Stick to what you know best: giving misinformed “opinions” while chugging lattes at your local Starbucks…get a life you hack!
Ryan says
Thank you sir that is exactly what I was thinking.
S says
Wow, cool your jets. KD did quit. He was on the roster and then he quit. Also “work from a couch” grind… Are you f-ing kidding me? I guarantee you this writer is not making 200+ million dollars. It is suspect, the news that he quits piggybacks the news about the underarmour deal. How about you stop defending athletes who make an obscene amount of money for playing a game. A game, the grind you sarcastically refer to better not be referring to dribbling a ball and putting it through a hoop. I don’t know what you do but my job is not a game, not that much fun and certainly not that well paid. For 200 million dollars that he makes (not counting his salary) he can afford to really push himself. Breaking a leg? That risk comes with the job.
200m says
Durant is paid “200m” to play for OKC. He really needs to push himself for OKC and not for USAB. USAB is not his job.