Several prominent NBA players may have dropped out of USA Basketball, but it’s a decision that puts their priorities in the right place.
The NBA world has converged to Las Vegas as USA Basketball opens training camp in preparation for the 2019 FIBA World Cup set to take place in China at the end of this month.
While the official roster has yet to be determined, plenty of talented athletes will be competing for the right to play for their country in pursuit of a gold medal.
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More notable than the players seeking to take advantage of this opportunity are those who took their names out of the running. Thirteen have withdrawn from USA Basketball over the last month in a list that includes some very prominent names.
Anthony Davis and James Harden will not participate despite being members of the gold-medal-winning 2014 squad. The dynamic backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum have also decided to spend the remaining days of their summer elsewhere.
Overall, the list of dropouts contains four reigning All-Stars along with three previous ones.
USA Basketball is still expected to emerge victorious due to its overwhelming advantage in top-to-bottom talent, but a fluctuating list of available players raises concerns about the possibility of an emerging trend.
It’s important to note a few factors that have played a part in the predicament USA Basketball finds itself in. For starters, the end of the tournament cuts far too close to the start of NBA training camp, which begins for most teams on Sept. 28 — at the latest.
Players selected for the team would be giving — assuming a likely title run — over a month of their time that would finish on Sept. 15. Thirteen days simply isn’t a lot of time for guys to recharge their batteries enough to hit the ground running once the 2019-20 season commences.
Fans of the NBA these days are less than pleased with the amount of rest star players are taking throughout the regular season.
They’re not even subtle about it anymore, decisively strategizing ideal games to remain in street clothes that will better maximize their otherworldly talents in the postseason, even going so far as to coin the term “load management.”
It’s a tactic that won’t be disappearing anytime soon but could be utilized to an even greater extent for those heading off to China.
If such is the case, it’s probably for the best guys like AD and Harden, two guys already set for their fair share of DNPs, to be as fresh as possible for what is shaping up to be the most unpredictable NBA season in years.
The casual — and even more advanced — NBA fan has developed a title-or-bust mentality when it comes to judging superstars.
Extenuating circumstances such one’s opposition or supporting cast are considered, but by and large, even the best players are considered failures unless they can bring home a championship.
Not all who have withdrawn find themselves in position to compete for a title in the coming season, but quite a number do. The four aforementioned are all part of some of the best teams around the NBA. Others include Tobias Harris, Eric Gordon and even Paul Millsap.
Those three won’t face a fraction of the criticism that would befall the likes of AD and Harden after years of coming up short.
For these two, in particular, the coming season is title or bust, making it imperative they take every precaution necessary to better their chances at the ultimate goal, including passing on the chance to represent their country if it means a little less wear and tear.
FIBA presents the opportunity to compete for a gold medal, but there’s no denying its lowered standing compared to the Olympics, an event taken in around the globe that’s been a staple of the sports world for thousands of years.
Past years have seen some superstar players come out for the FIBA World Cup, but there’s a reason the Olympics usually winds up bringing most of the best the NBA has to offer. It’s an honor unlike any other with competition played at the highest level internationally.
The lack of top talent isn’t just a U.S. issue. Neither Pau Gasol nor Serge Ibaka will suit up for the Spanish team. Canada will be without the services of Jamal Murray and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, among others.
It’s a shame for these respective countries given how shallow their talent pool is — relatively speaking — to begin with. To take any issue with it, however, is to directly contradict the complaints emanating from plenty of NBA fans.
Fans are constantly ridiculing the amount of rest players take throughout a season while criticizing their lack of success come playoff time.
This accusation isn’t mean to point a finger at any single person, but we expect these guys to be ridiculously committed to the NBA season and should commend them when their actions speak louder than words.
Will these sacrifices hurt the international game? Probably, but the players aren’t paid to represent their country. They are compensated to play basketball in the best league in the world with legacies that are heavily judged by such.
Perhaps these dropouts are unique only to the coming season where the title is legitimately up for grabs for the first time in years and several guys showing faith in their squads.
Whatever the reasons, both legitimate and head-scratching, it’s important to give credit to those who seem to be keeping the main thing as the main thing.