Not only has Mason Plumlee survived the first round of Team USA cuts, but he looks like he has a strong chance of making the final World Cup roster.
USA Basketball announced Tuesday morning that Wizards guards John Wall and Bradley Beal, along with Hawks forward Paul Millsap, had been dropped from the potential pool of players to go to the FIBA World Cup in Spain later this month.
Their removal, along with that of Pacers star Paul George following his horrific leg injury suffered in Friday’s Blue-White Scrimmage, leaves 16 players – including Plumlee – vying for the 12 spots on the final roster. And, judging by Mike Krzyzewski’s comments Tuesday, Plumlee has a good chance of landing one of them.
“[Plumlee] was a surprise in that he wasn’t in the original team, but he did such a good job with the select group and we needed another player to make it 20 so it was easier to practice that way,” said Krzyzewski, the coach of the national team and Plumlee’s college coach at Duke, on a conference call with reporters Tuesday afternoon.
“Mason made a mark during the week, and in the second half of the scrimmage he did very well, so he’s in consideration, no question.”
Plumlee became the biggest surprise of the team’s Las Vegas training camp last week, when after being initially brought to Sin City to be on the US Select Team along with Knicks guard Tim Hardaway, Jr., he was elevated to the Senior Team after one day of practice following the decisions of LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin and Kevin Love to pull out of participating this summer.
The Duke product then was, by all accounts, very impressive in practice all week, fitting seamlessly back into a system similar to the one he ran under Krzyzewski in college.
“He’s basically doing what he did his senior year at Duke, when he was rated the top big guy in the country,” Krzyzewski said. “He talks, he’s enthusiastic, rim runs, really runs the court well and plays good defense.
“Being with the Nets and around veterans I think only helped him more, especially being around Kevin Garnett, and he’s an easy guy to play with these guys. He doesn’t need the ball long and does the dirty work. He’s a big athlete, and hopefully he’ll be a good defender.”
Judging by the way Krzyzewski talked about the process, it appears that both Plumlee and DeMarcus Cousins are ahead of Andre Drummond in the battle to fill in behind Anthony Davis. While Krzyzewski was effusive in his praise of both Plumlee and Cousins whenever he spoke about them on the call, he was more even-keeled about Drummond, repeatedly bringing up his age – Drummond is 20 – and speaking about him more as a future piece than a present one.
“Andre is a willing worker,” Krzyzewski said. “He’s a big guy who is still learning about the game. I think he doesn’t become 21 until next month, so he’s a young guy who’s been in our program the last couple years, and I see him continuing to grow.
“This type of competition for him … going forward, [it] only helps him. He’s a really good guy, and we want him. Whether he’s on the team or not will be determined, but we want him in USA Basketball going forward because he’s an up-and-coming outstanding player.”
ESPN reported last week that Plumlee was “likely” to make the team ahead of Cousins, but Krzyzewski went out of his way to praise the Kings star repeatedly during Tuesday’s call.
“All the coaches were really pleased with DeMarcus and how he played,” Krzyzewski said. “His attitude is tremendous because he wouldn’t keep coming back and trying to be a part of this if it didn’t mean something to him.
“We recognized that even before we started practice, that he was there, committed and good to go. He was our leading rebounder and a low-post presence that gives our team a little bit of a different look, and can pass out of the post. He made a huge impact on all of us during the week, but especially at the scrimmage.”
Krzyzewski wouldn’t commit to how many centers he’ll be bringing to Spain, but it’s likely the current roster of 16 players will remain in place through the team’s exhibition games against Spain in Chicago on Aug. 16 and against Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 20 and 22.
One way the roster could potentially change between now and when it has to be finalized on Aug. 29 – the day before the World Cup begins – is the addition of Love. Although the Timberwolves star did remove himself from the roster just before camp began, there’s a possibility his expected trade to Cleveland could be consummated as soon as Aug. 23, when first overall pick Andrew Wiggins is eligible to be traded.
That would give Team USA a few days to make their final decision on their roster, and whether or not to include Love on it. But while national team director Jerry Colangelo named several reasons why Love’s addition to the roster would be complicated and unlikely, he notably did not rule out the possibility..
“He hasn’t disqualified himself, but we have to be realistic about the circumstances,” Colangelo said. “If he chose not to go forward with us this year because of the contractual situation, there’s reason to assume it will be difficult for him to go forward after he signs the contract because of those same circumstances.
“Number two, for him to join up with us at that point in time would be a challenge, not only for him but it would be a challenge for our team. And, also, you have to look at the fairness factor as it relates to the players who are putting in the time and sweat equity this year to try to make this team. So, chances are that won’t happen.”
The complete pool of players remaining with the team is: guards Derrick Rose, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, James Harden, Klay Thompson and DeMar DeRozan; forwards Kevin Durant, Chandler Parsons, Gordon Hayward, Kyle Korver and Kenneth Faried; and centers Davis, Cousins, Plumlee and Drummond.