Community Shootaround: Is Team USA Still The World’s Best?
At least they were better than Poland.
Team USA wrapped up a disappointing World Cup experience this morning with a 13-point win over the Polish contingent in a battle for seventh place. It’s not what the Americans expected going into the tournament or where they appeared to be headed when the invitations for training camp went out last month.
But that was before Anthony Davis passed on the chance to play in China, followed by James Harden, Eric Gordon, Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard, Tobias Harris, Kevin Love and a host of other NBA stars. The final 12-man roster didn’t have enough shooting, size or cohesiveness to compete with the world’s best teams, resulting in the worst finish for the Americans in a major tournament since NBA players started participating in 1992.
It’s easy to dismiss this year’s results and expect Team USA to be back on top at the 2020 Olympics. But Kobe Bryant, who helped re-establish American dominance after a similar performance in 2004, isn’t buying it.
“It’s not a matter of the rest of the world catching up to the U.S., it’s that the rest of the world has been caught up for quite some time,” Bryant told Brian Windhorst of ESPN. “And it’s to the point now where us in the U.S. are going to win some, we’re going lose some. And that’s just how it goes.”
Windhorst believes the Americans didn’t underachieve, but finished about where their talent level should indicate. They lost to France and Serbia in the tournament and dropped an exhibition game to Australia, leaving their overall record at 7-3. It would have been 6-4 if not for a fortunate win over a Turkish team that let a victory slip away because of missed free throws.
Whatever the roster looks like for 2020, Team USA won’t have the overwhelming talent advantage it has gotten used to in Olympic play. LeBron James will be 35. Kevin Durant may still be awaiting his return from an Achilles injury. Kawhi Leonard has never played in an Olympics or World Cup and isn’t a sure thing to participate.
As Bryant noted, the rest of the world has been catching up for a while. Many teams are filled with NBA players and work together frequently, while the Americans will be starting from scratch when Olympic training camp begins.
We want to get your opinion. Does the World Cup performance mean that Team USA’s Olympic crown is in jeopardy?
Head to our comment section below to share your feedback.
Five Key Stories: 9/7/19 – 9/14/19
If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
Joe Johnson returned to the NBA, agreeing to sign a partially guaranteed one-year deal with the Pistons. The 38-year-old sat out all of last season, but talk of a comeback was sparked by a dominant performance in the BIG3, where he earned MVP honors and led his team to the title. The Sixers, Bucks and Nets were also reportedly interested.
Team USA failed to medal at the World Cup and had its 58-game international winning streak snapped by France. The Americans also lost to Serbia and settled for a seventh-place finish. However, they did qualify for a spot in next year’s Olympics.
Shaun Livingston, who played an important reserve role for the Warriors during their five straight trips to the NBA Finals, announced his retirement. Livingston was able to overcome a severe knee injury in his third NBA season and put together a 15-year NBA career.
The Lakers petitioned the league for a disabled player exception to replace injured center DeMarcus Cousins. If granted, L.A. would have $1.75MM — half of Cousins’ $3.5MM salary — that could be used any time through March 10.
Kevin Durant discussed the free agency process, plus his experiences with the Warriors and Thunder, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Durant revealed that he didn’t talk to anyone from the Nets’ organization before deciding to sign with Brooklym
Here are 10 more noteworthy headlines from the past week:
- Jerry Colangelo, managing director of USA Basketball, vowed to remember which players reneged on World Cup commitments when the Olympic team is formed next year.
- Donovan Mitchell, who was among the bright spots for the American team in China, expressed interest in participating in the Olympics.
- The Nets may have increased interest in Carmelo Anthony after losing Johnson to Detroit.
- The Heat exercised their fourth-year option on Bam Adebayo‘s rookie contract.
- The Grizzlies have no intention of negotiating a buyout with Andre Iguodala before camp.
- New Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard said the team isn’t considering any trades involving Bradley Beal.
- Owner Tilman Fertitta admitted that the Rockets have a limited championship window, saying that if they don’t win the title in the next three to four years, it probably won’t happen for the next 10.
- David Stern looked back on his time as NBA commissioner and said he has “no regrets” from his 30 years in office.
- The league announced that Sixers forward Mike Scott won’t be disciplined for reported scuffles with Eagles fans during the NFL team’s opening game.
- Michael Jordan is selling a portion of his ownership stake in the Hornets, but will retain control over the team.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Agents Refuse To Accept NCAA’s Certification Plan
In conjunction with player agents, the National Basketball Players Association will send a letter to the NCAA refusing to accept a certification process, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The proposal applies to agents dealing with college players who are “testing the waters” to determine if they should remain in the NBA Draft.
The players union has been in communication with NCAA officials in an attempt to work together on the matter, Wojnarowski adds. NBPA executive director Michele Roberts refused to comment.
ESPN has a copy of the letter, which alleges that the NCAA is attempting to “garner access to personal and private information of certified agents in what amounts to subpoena power to embark on investigations that are wholly unrelated to protecting the interests of men’s basketball student-athletes in deciding whether to remain in school or to enter the NBA Draft.”
College players who declare their intentions to enter the draft have several weeks to consider that decision while going through the combine and team workouts. The NCAA wants to register agents who would be speaking to the players during that time, even though they’re already subject to oversight from the NBPA and state regulatory organizations. The NCAA originally sought a requirement that prospective agents own at least a bachelor’s degree — dubbed the “Rich Paul Rule” because he doesn’t have one — but later relented.
“While we refuse to subject ourselves to these regulations, our biggest concern is that the process itself undermines the ability of student-athletes to truly receive the most competent representation when they are testing the waters,” the agents wrote. “By continuing to legislate in a manner that ignores the realities of the world that student-athletes with professional prospects live in, the NCAA is only entrenching an ecosystem that cultivates and fosters an atmosphere of distrust among the student-athletes whom the NCAA is supposed to protect, thus pushing these kids out of school far before they are ready.”
Hoops Rumors Originals: 9/7/19 – 9/14/19
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Here are our original segments and features from the past seven days:
- Our Offseason in Review series spotlighted the Knicks.
- This week’s Community Shootaround discussions focused on:
- This week’s poll, published in the wake of Team USA’s elimination, asked which team would win the 2019 World Cup.
Western Notes: Harden, Westbrook, Jenkins, Clippers, Dozier
Rockets star James Harden expressed confidence that he and Russell Westbrook will get adjusted to playing with each other quickly this season, sharing his thoughts in a recent interview with Alex Shultz of GQ.com.
“I don’t really do a lot of interviews, so I actually don’t answer it that much,” Harden said when asked if the questioned about him and Westbrook irritate him. “The questions are usually the same, though: How are you and Russ going to fit in? It’s like, yo, we’ll figure it out. Everything isn’t necessarily going to be smooth at first, there are going to be ups and downs, and that’s part of an 82-game season. Hopefully by the end of the season, we’ve caught a rhythm and everybody is on the same page going into the playoffs. That’s all you can ask for.”
Harden and Westbrook, known as two talented, ball-dominate players, will play in the same backcourt for the first time since the 2011/12 season with Oklahoma City. The duo is eager to prove they can co-exist, with both players still seeking their first NBA championships.
“We’ve formed into the players that we want to be, in terms of superstar status,” Harden said. “We had opportunities to be at the top, at the peak; he won an MVP and I won an MVP. And there were conversations before, when me and Chris [Paul] joined the same team about whether it was going to work. We ended up with the best record in the NBA and were a game away from the Finals.
“It’s not like me and Russ were just teammates in Oklahoma City for three years. We’ve known each other since we were 10 years old. There’s a different kind of relationship and communication that we have, a different type of excitement that we have for each other. We don’t really care or pay attention to what other people say or think.”
There’s more out of the Western Conference today:
- New Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins is eager to lead his young team into a promising future, Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com writes. “So, for me, it’s that mentality of defining each day who we are,” Jenkins said as part of a larger quote. “We’re naturally and organically going to grow and not just have this set plan for how we’re going to be from Game 1 to 82. That excites me, because organically, we’re going to get to a really good spot with everything we’ve laid down already. We’ve hit the ground running, and Oct. 1 (first training camp practice) is rapidly approaching.”
- Jovan Buha of The Athletic examines what the other newcomers (not named Kawhi Leonard or Paul George) could bring to the Clippers this season. Buha discusses the talents of players such as Maurice Harkless, Rodney McGruder, Mfiondu Kabengele and more in his piece.
- PJ Dozier hopes to make a strong impression with the Nuggets in training camp this fall, Alex Labidou of Nuggets.com writes. “I love the city [of Denver], it’s a beautiful city,” Dozier said. “[I want to] continue to show that I belong and that I belong for a reason. I feel like I have a lot to show for — a lot to bring to the table. It’s just all about getting the opportunity and being prepared for it.”
Pacific Notes: Ballmer, Ariza, Caruso, Howard
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer invested $100MM in the city of Inglewood, California this week, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com.
The investment was created as part of the city’s new arena development agreement, with the Clippers labeling it as the largest funding commitment for community programs related to a sports or entertainment venue in California.
“We’re close to a residential neighborhood and we are being very mindful,” Ballmer told ESPN in July about building a potential arena in Inglewood. “Investing well into the community, being a good citizen of the community. No homes need to get moved but we need to be a good neighbor.”
Ballmer’s proposal for a new Clippers arena, according to Youngmisuk, would include a corporate headquarters, team training facility, sports medicine clinic and much more.
“I want it to be beautiful,” Ballmer said. “But I want it to be about basketball. I want it to be comfortable. But I want it to be about basketball.”
There’s more today out of the Pacific Division:
- James Ham of NBC Sports Sacramento examines how Trevor Ariza could fit in a crowded Kings rotation this season. Ariza, a veteran 3-and-D forward, signed a two-year, $25MM deal to join the Kings in free agency this past summer.
- Mike Trudell of Lakers.com discusses several Lakers-related items in his mailbag, including the possibility of Alex Caruso starting at point guard this season. Caruso was better than Rajon Rondo while playing alongside LeBron James last season, though head coach Frank Vogel also has the option of testing Quinn Cook at starting point guard in training camp.
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com examines whether former All-Star Dwight Howard could help solve the Lakers‘ depth issues at the center position. Howard is expected to fill in the role that injured center DeMarcus Cousins was supposed to fill before tearing his ACL, likely playing back-up center behind JaVale McGee to start the season and controlling the team’s interior presence on defense.
Donovan Mitchell On 2020 Olympics: “I Want To Be There”
Coming off a disappointing finish in the FIBA World Cup, Team USA guard Donovan Mitchell has shifted his focus to representing his country next summer in Tokyo, Japan, where the 2020 Olympics are scheduled to be held.
Mitchell, one of the few NBA stars who played for Team USA in the world cup this month, cherished the experience and enjoyed playing against the international competition.
“For me, this is an amazing experience,” Mitchell said, as relayed by ESPN. “Everybody likes to look at the end goal, but when you sit back and reflect, I played on Team USA. That’s incredible for me. I think that in itself is amazing. So yes, it was definitely worth it.”
USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo valued Mitchell’s participation with so many players dropping out this summer, and, as covered in a recent Hoops Rumors story, it’s something Colangelo likely won’t forget heading into the Olympics.
“I can only say, you can’t help but notice and remember who you thought you were going to war with and who didn’t show up.” Colangelo said, as relayed by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. “The players (we have) did everything they can do… But we went in with higher expectations in terms of roster and it didn’t kind of happen the way we were hopeful and anticipating and expecting. That, to me, was a big disappointment.”
For Mitchell, the abundance of American superstars dropping out of play didn’t change his decision. As the 23-year-old prepares to enter his third NBA season with the Jazz, the desire to represent his country next summer remains should the call come.
“I think I have to wait for them to ask,” Mitchell said. “But I want to be there.”
Horst: Bucks Will Offer Giannis Antetokounmpo Super-Max
Reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will be primed for a massive super-max extension next summer and the Bucks are already looking forward to locking him up long-term.
At a recent town hall, GM Jon Horst addressed one fan’s question about Antetokounmpo’s contractual status.
“The answer for now is that we can’t negotiate anything,” Horst said. “So Giannis, basically a year from now will be eligible for a super-max extension. At that time, of course, he will be offered a super-max extension.”
Antetokounmpo, 24, is coming off an incredible 2018/19 campaign in which he averaged 27.7 PPG, 12.5 RPG and 5.9 APG in 72 games for Milwaukee. As the reigning MVP, Antetokounmpo’s earning potential skyrockets and he would be in line for the largest contract in NBA history.
The Bucks could potentially offer the “Greek Freak” a five-year, $247MM extension next summer, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. While it remains to be seen if Antetokounmpo commits to Milwaukee long-term next summer, another strong year and extended playoff push could help persuade him.
NBA Sends Memo To Teams About New Tampering Rules
In an attempt to curb tampering around the NBA, the league has sent out a memo to teams about new regulations that are set to be implemented, Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter links).
The memo proposes increasing the maximum fine for any players and/or teams found to be in violation of he league’s tampering policy. Under the new rules, teams could face up to $10MM in fines, an increase from $5MM. Also, unauthorized agreements would result in a fine of up to $6MM for teams and $250K for players, Charania adds.
The memo also calls for stricter enforcement on player-to-player tampering, a requirement that NBA owners submit proof no tampering occurred when signing new players, and audits of five random teams annually, per Charania (Twitter link).
The NBA Board of Governors will vote to pass the new rules on September 20.
Zion Williamson ‘Couldn’t Ask For Better Situation’ With Pelicans
This year’s first overall pick Zion Williamson is preparing for his first NBA season and the Duke product could not be more thrilled with the situation he’s in. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Williamson said that landing in New Orleans has been conducive to his style of play.
“I couldn’t ask for a better situation,” he said. “The Pelicans keep up the pace constantly, just the way I like it. I am already working with members of the technical staff and the idea of running is emphasized in each exercise. I’m sure that our offensive schemes will allow me to be lethal for the next season.”
Williamson, 19, figures to be an integral part of the Pelicans’ postseason aspirations in his rookie season. Despite trading away superstar Anthony Davis, New Orleans’ lineup will consist of Lonzo Ball, Jrue Holiday Brandon Ingram, J.J. Redick, Williamson and others. Williamson believes it’s a core that can potentially win a title.
“I think we can compete for a championship,” Williamson added. “Yes, I am convinced that this team can have the NBA title as a goal…I’d be lying if I said something different.”