Anthony Davis, James Harden Added to Team USA Training Camp Roster


Yesterday, reports surfaced that Kentucky big man and projected No. 1 NBA Draft Pick Anthony Davis would be joining the USA Basketball program this summer. Well, it’s official—and he has company. James Harden will join Davis as the duo were added to the Training Camp roster for Team USA, according to multiple sources. Per NBC Sports’ Pro Basketball Talk: “Anthony Davis could go straight from winning a national championship with Kentucky to winning an Olympic gold medal with Team USA. Davis, along with Oklahoma City guard James Harden, has been added to the pool of potential candidates that could be selected to represent the United States in London, USA Basketball President Jerry Colangelo announced. “After a lot of deliberations, after reviewing our roster, we think these two additions strengthen our National Team program immeasurably. James Harden probably is the sixth man of the year in the NBA, and Anthony Davis brings a dimension to our pool we don’t have. He’s young, but it’s exciting to think about the possibilities,” Colangelo said in a released statement. Team USA has been rocked by injuries. Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose, LaMarcus Aldridge and Chauncey Billups are all out with injuries. Also, Lamar Odom has been removed from consideration after his lost season. That dropped the pool of 20 down to 15, so this adds some depth to choose from. Harden’s high-IQ game and playmaking skills should fit well in international ball. Davis doesn’t have the polished offense of some other Team USA bigs (Kevin Love, Chris Bosh) but he is a good defender and athlete. Davis along with Tyson Chandler could form a defensive stopper back line for stretches. The other players in the pool of potential Team USA members are: Guards: Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Russell Westbrook, Kobe Bryant, Eric Gordon. Forwards: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, Andre Iguodala, Rudy Gay. Center: Tyson Chandler. Team USA will be selected at a training camp that starts in early July in Las Vegas.”