Thursday, August 21, 2014

Five Things I’ve Noticed Watching the USA Basketball Team




   1.     Paul George’s injury
  • USA Basketball shouldn’t be blamed for George’s gruesome injury because it could have happened anywhere at anytime

o  Don’t forget that many players play in amateur leagues like the Drew League and Pro-Am exhibitions games where the quality of competition and resources aren’t even comparable to USA Basketball

  • However, the George injury will undoubtedly discourage superstars from competing in international play when there is no financial incentive
  • I don’t believe the PG injury will change the landscape of international basketball, but it definitely has opened up the floor for debate
  • Paul George should be able to come back to play after taking this season off as his leg injury was a clean break and doesn’t show structural damage


   2.     Kevin Durant is looking out for himself this offseason

  • KD withdrew from Team USA a few days after the Paul George injury, which in my honest opinion was the most selfish act Durant has committed as an athlete

o KD was by far the best player on the roster, yet was the only one to leave after he made the excuse of physical and mental exhaustion
o Clearly, seeing the PG injury left mental scars on Durant and he realized that he was only one unlucky play away from being injured as well
o My rebuttal to KD’s excuse is, “Who isn’t tired and exhausted on the team? You made a commitment, so see it through.”
  • KD expressed interest in returning to his hometown of Washington D.C. and playing with the Washington Wizards when he becomes a free agent in 2016

o The rumors look to have some substance to them… Durant is close to signing a $265+ million contract with Under Armour, a company that has its headquarters in D.C.
o Coincidence? I don’t think anything is a coincidence in the NBA anymore

    3. Two Sacramento Kings are competing for a spot on the final roster
  • Demarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay are both on the bubble to make the final cuts

o Cousins has been warned that his temperament will be a factor in whether he makes the team or not
o Coach K and Jerry Colangelo have been thrilled with Rudy’s versatility as a two-way player
o I see Rudy playing a role similar to what Andre Iguodala had on the previous Olympic team; a “jack-of-all-trades” type of player who can really be the rock of the team
  • Regardless, Kings fans should be ecstatic and proud that two of its players are considered among the best in the world

  •  For Cousins to make the team, he needs to shift his focus from a scorer’s mentality to that of a big man willing to do the “dirty work” of rebounding and playing solid post defense

   4.     Team USA doesn’t lack in confidence
  • Stephen Curry thinks that he is the best offensive player in the NBA

o Check out the link if you don’t believe me (http://es.pn/1l3R8aB)
o  Best 3-point shooter? Yes!
o  Best offensive player? Not yet. LeBron, KD and Carmelo are still ahead

  •  Even more ridiculous, James Harden thinks that he is the best player in the world right now!!!

o What is James Harden smoking? Because Legarrete Blount and Josh Gordon want to know!
o Check out the link (http://ble.ac/1v3f5lz)

   5.      Derrick Rose needs to rest his knees and focus on NBA season

  • Rose has only played 10 games in two full seasons with the Bulls
  • Rose sat out last night’s game because of knee soreness, which is scaring the hell out of all Bulls’ fans

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