Team USA 2023 FIBA World Cup (Trae Watch)

[Spud2nique]

22 minutes ago, kg01 said:

Personally?  No.  I'm just gonna bash you.

Can I watch? 

[AHF]

16 hours ago, benhillboy said:

Quin is pretty well-connected to Team USA administrators through Pop: probably had a three-way call with Kerr.  We gonna bash and trash him if Trae is bypassed without a public vote of support?

It this intended as a comparison to LP who trashed Trae in past discussions?  I don’t think many of us (if any) were really on his case about not publicly stumping for Trae but when that report came out saying he asked that Trae not be considered…yeah.  He was totally fair game at that point.  

[benhillboy]

2 hours ago, AHF said:

It this intended as a comparison to LP who trashed Trae in past discussions?  I don’t think many of us (if any) were really on his case about not publicly stumping for Trae but when that report came out saying he asked that Trae not be considered…yeah.  He was totally fair game at that point.  

Yeah they’re different situations, but Quin is far more experienced/ well-regarded around international, collegiate, and pro coaching circles than Lloyd and Trae is a few years older.  
 

Quin will undoubtedly be asked about a Trae omission.  Not sure how probing the questioning will be or when based on the soft Atlanta media but it will happen.  
 

Trae is on record as saying “There's been a couple of times when I could have been on that team, and it kind of hurt my heart."  It’ll just seem disingenuous if Quin says he deserved a spot with no prior public declaration knowing his ties to USA BB principles like Pop and Grant.  I certainly don’t expect him to say “he didn’t deserve a spot” like LP, he’s far too diplomatic (worse case he knows a trade demand could likely result, least case Trae will just freeze the Hawks out his social media)  Or at least it certainly won’t become public knowledge he said so, obviously LP didn’t give af.  I expect his comments to toe the line of “Trae is totally committed to the Hawks this summer” and “all the guards considered were deserving,” both far short of a concrete vote of support for “his guy.”

Edited June 16, 2023 by benhillboy

[AHF]

31 minutes ago, benhillboy said:

Yeah they’re different situations, but Quin is far more experienced/ well-regarded around international, collegiate, and pro coaching circles than Lloyd and Trae is a few years older.  
 

Quin will undoubtedly be asked about a Trae omission.  Not sure how probing the questioning will be or when based on the soft Atlanta media but it will happen.  
 

Trae is on record as saying “There's been a couple of times when I could have been on that team, and it kind of hurt my heart."  It’ll just seem disingenuous if Quin says he deserved a spot with no prior public declaration knowing his ties to USA BB principles like Pop and Grant.  I certainly don’t expect him to say “he didn’t deserve a spot” like LP, he’s far too diplomatic (worse case he knows a trade demand could likely result, least case Trae will just freeze the Hawks out his social media)  Or at least it certainly won’t become public knowledge he said so, obviously LP didn’t give af.  I expect his comments to toe the line of “Trae is totally committed to the Hawks this summer” and “all the guards considered were deserving,” both far short of a concrete vote of support for “his guy.”

I would predict that he will say some version of the idea that Trae was a deserving candidate if he comments on it at all.  I guess we'll see what happens.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[benhillboy]

I’m guessing Jarrett Allen will complete the roster.  Can’t envision Bam, Claxton, Brook, Mitchell Robinson, or Myles Turner for various reasons (limited offense, old, tired, inconsistent, etc)

[RedDawg#8]

2 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

Man….. oh well.

[Watchman]

On 6/15/2023 at 3:48 PM, benhillboy said:

Quin is pretty well-connected to Team USA administrators through Pop: probably had a three-way call with Kerr.  We gonna bash and trash him if Trae is bypassed without a public vote of support?

Maybe Quin doesn't want to risk Tree getting injured in essentially meaningless games.

[MarylandHawk]

11 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

This is getting outrageous. It is one thing to make Trae a pretend villain for entertainment purposes but it is a whole other thing when people are trying to blacklist him from things he has earned. 

[kg01]

Just now, MarylandHawk said:

This is getting outrageous. It is one thing to make Trae a pretend villain for entertainment purposes but it is a whole other thing when people are trying to blacklist him from things he has earned. 

You're not wrong.

W.r.t. the team USA stuff, iirc, he turned down their invitation to be a last-a** minute injury replacement last time ... as did many others.

And there seemed to be a thinly-veiled threat to skip over the players that denied them going forward.

Several players publicly pulled out, I remember Fox (SAC) in particular, doing so and making waves because it was last minute.  It was after these public pull-outs that the reports say they privately reached out to Trae.  Then he privately, allegedly, denied their invitation.  Somebody correct me if I'm wrong here.

Long story long, (a) this slight may not be Trae-specific but (b) it's only the world cup, which isn't a premier event (from the US perspective), so the top players usually don't seem to care about this one.  I imagine Trae's not losing sleep over this. 

[MarylandHawk]

1 hour ago, kg01 said:

You're not wrong.

W.r.t. the team USA stuff, iirc, he turned down their invitation to be a last-a** minute injury replacement last time ... as did many others.

And there seemed to be a thinly-veiled threat to skip over the players that denied them going forward.

Several players publicly pulled out, I remember Fox (SAC) in particular, doing so and making waves because it was last minute.  It was after these public pull-outs that the reports say they privately reached out to Trae.  Then he privately, allegedly, denied their invitation.  Somebody correct me if I'm wrong here.

Long story long, (a) this slight may not be Trae-specific but (b) it's only the world cup, which isn't a premier event (from the US perspective), so the top players usually don't seem to care about this one.  I imagine Trae's not losing sleep over this. 

Good insight. As long as they pony up when it is time to. 

[JayBirdHawk]

1 hour ago, kg01 said:

You're not wrong.

W.r.t. the team USA stuff, iirc, he turned down their invitation to be a last-a** minute injury replacement last time ... as did many others.

And there seemed to be a thinly-veiled threat to skip over the players that denied them going forward.

Several players publicly pulled out, I remember Fox (SAC) in particular, doing so and making waves because it was last minute.  It was after these public pull-outs that the reports say they privately reached out to Trae.  Then he privately, allegedly, denied their invitation.  Somebody correct me if I'm wrong here.

Long story long, (a) this slight may not be Trae-specific but (b) it's only the world cup, which isn't a premier event (from the US perspective), so the top players usually don't seem to care about this one.  I imagine Trae's not losing sleep over this. 

I'll have to dig into it more. Could it have been an All-Star injury replacement he declined? 

The Olympic thing went thusly:

Quote

"I didn't think Kevin Love was going to play. I wasn't even sure he had much left to play," Colangelo said via ESPN. "He reached out to us and said he was in shape and said he felt he owed us. And on the basis of that, we're looking at someone with international experience who at one time was a heck of a rebounder and could still shoot the ball. You know, being like a 12th man on a roster."

Colangelo then continued.

"Well, it didn't work out. He wasn't in shape. And he was way behind as it turned out. So you move on. Call it a mistake. Call it giving someone an opportunity. Someone who had equity with us.

"That wasn't the only thing Colangelo elaborated on. He also addressed the controversial decision to not choose Atlanta Hawks star guard Trae Young as a replacement for Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal after he had to bow out of the competition. Team USA ultimately decided to bring up San Antonio Spurs young forward Keldon Johnson from the Select Team, and add big man JaVale McGee. 

 

"I'm happy that he wants to play for USA Basketball," Colangelo said. "He's done really well in the NBA. But predicated on what we felt we needed, he didn't fit the bill this time around. He's a young player, he has a future with USA Basketball, but it was the opinion of our staff that it wasn't now. It's for others to make the declaration you made a mistake."

 

IIRC - Colangelo wanted players to make 'specific number of years commitment." That has gone away with Grant Hill taking over.

[kg01]

32 minutes ago, MarylandHawk said:

Good insight. As long as they pony up when it is time to. 

I wouldn't hold my breath on it... 

22 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

I'll have to dig into it more. Could it have been an All-Star injury replacement he declined? 

The Olympic thing went thusly:

 

IIRC - Colangelo wanted players to make 'specific number of years commitment." That has gone away with Grant Hill taking over.

I'm about 87% sure I'm remembering the Fox thing right.  And about 72% sure I'm remembering the Trae consolation invitation right.

We can't be the only two that recall the situation.  Where's everybody?  Any other time, 37 squawkers will chime in for the chance to point out something wrong.  Where dey at? 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[NBASupes]

2 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

No surprises to me 

[AHF]

It is interesting how USA basketball has fully embraced having role players on the roster over more talented players who are used to operating as their team’s focus.  I can see how it makes it easier to have a Josh Hart to avoid a team where everyone is used to running the show but there is a real hit to talent with these Bobby Portis types on the roster.  Interesting shift in recent teams away from the highly successful former rosters that were closer to a “best of the best” philosophy.

[NBASupes]

2 minutes ago, AHF said:

It is interesting how USA basketball has fully embraced having role players on the roster over more talented players who are used to operating as their team’s focus.  I can see how it makes it easier to have a Josh Hart to avoid a team where everyone is used to running the show but there is a real hit to talent with these Bobby Portis types on the roster.  Interesting shift in recent teams away from the highly successful former rosters that were closer to a “best of the best” philosophy.

These are most of the future stars of this era

[AHF]

9 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

These are most of the future stars of this era

Bobby Portis, Austin Reaves, Cam Johnson, and Josh Hart are not future stars.  That is a full 1/3 of the roster so it is clearly deliberate.  And most of them aren’t that young (27-28). Not one of them will ever be on a max contract.

I see this as a conscious decision to go with more limited role players who can mesh with true blossoming stars like Anthony Edwards knowing there is only one ball to go around.

[NBASupes]

1 hour ago, AHF said:

Bobby Portis, Austin Reaves, Cam Johnson, and Josh Hart are not future stars.  That is a full 1/3 of the roster so it is clearly deliberate.  And most of them aren’t that young (27-28). Not one of them will ever be on a max contract.

I see this as a conscious decision to go with more limited role players who can mesh with true blossoming stars like Anthony Edwards knowing there is only one ball to go around.

Those are clear role players but the others are the stars of the future. 

[benhillboy]

I’m a Josh Hart guy but his game certainly doesn’t scream “international play” to me.  Last we seen him in the playoffs he stunk it up good fashion.