Anthony Davis showcased his defensive prowess today, as he helped Team USA secure the win over the Select Team, finishing the game with a score of 79-78. Davis was tasked with guarding Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski, who was one of the young players chosen to be on the Select Team.
Anthony Davis with the game-saving block as Team USA won against the Select Team 74-73 🔥
(via @BenGolliver)pic.twitter.com/AFSPJV9LP9
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 8, 2024
The Select Team definitely gave Team USA a run for their money, as the young players didn’t shy away from the moment. 2025 Draft prospect Cooper Flagg showed out, as the Duke recruit made a big three and a difficult putback lay-up to make the game really close late in the game,
Duke commit Cooper Flagg has taken over USA Basketball scrimmage: hits a three and then finishes a tough putback pic.twitter.com/SB3Y4fDpYt
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 8, 2024
Flagg even made a tough three-pointer over Anthony Davis, showing that he wasn’t flustered by seeing big-time NBA players against him.
Duke commit Cooper Flagg cashes a three over Lakers’ Anthony Davis during USA Basketball scrimmage pic.twitter.com/LVgLji6rQj
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 8, 2024
The full scrimmage game can be found below. Fans of the NBA would love to see how the next crop of talent in the league or ready to make the jump fare against the crafty veteran superstars of the league in an intense scrimmage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoEkzIkWa3U
For those who may not be in the know, the Select Team is a group of young players from the NBA, the G-League, and one specific college freshman who has had prior Team USA experience. These teams are put together to test the main squad of Team USA ahead of a big tournament, like the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Team USA Scrimmages Can Be Very Competitive
The most famous example of these types of scrimmages actually occurred in 1992, ahead of the Barcelona Olympics. Head coach Chuck Daly brought in top college players to play against what was then being called the ‘Dream Team’ – featuring Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and several other superstars in the NBA.
These college players would end up trouncing the Dream Team, led by future NBA stars Grant Hill and Chris Webber. While there is no verifiable information about the scrums, many believe that the team of college recruits won 62-54.
While the 2024 version of Team USA didn’t suffer any kind of humiliating defeat, they will be motivated by the fact that the game got so close between them and the Select Team. Perhaps the absence of Kevin Durant led to Team USA being a little behind the proverbial eight-ball.
Yesterday, Anthony Edwards said Kevin Durant was the ‘alpha’ of Team USA, especially when it comes to game-winning situations. Clearly, Anthony Davis showed with this block that he has a little bit of that alpha mentality in him too, as he was able to secure the game-winning block for his squad.
Team USA head coach Steve Kerr will be glad to see the main squad get the win despite the tough showing from the Select Team. But it also gives him a chance to analyze what is working and what isn’t and course-correct ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
Steve Kerr will not have any worries about the team’s work ethic. He recently praised LeBron James’ incredible workout at his advanced age after Team USA’s training camp began. Kerr will hope to see a similar work ethic from the rest of his squad, as they look to win their fifth consecutive gold medal.
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