Kawhi Leonard is withdrawing from Team USA for the Paris Olympics and will be replaced, sources tell me and @joevardon.

[Harry B]

He was.

They just didn't wanna trade up.

Ok, say the say that the rumors not confirmed by any real party were true, would Ant with his big head not demand a trade if he was benched? Perhaps disrupt team dynamics etc.

We’ve seen that team dynamics if the core has been everything for GSW, they have shipped away a lot better players than an uncontested rookie for that.

I mean, what I’m saying is that we can all just invent a bunch of sceneries and choose whatever to make a point.

 

[Hersh]

knew kawai wasnt gon play.

kirie should be there over hali...

and now jaylen should be there to replace kawai.. some dwight "cover the nike sign" shyt

 

[Unbothered]

I think Brown should replace him.

A few others such as Kyrie, Mitchell, Brunson, etc also come to mind.

White is a great player but he's become a bit overrated.

 

[Womb Raider]

Peg leg gonna peg leg

 

[FTBS]

I woulda told Bron, KD, Kawhi and Steph to kick rocks and enjoy your Summer. Quality guys gonna miss out or maybe go to one Olympics cause these guys wanna hang around for no reason

They shoulda handled they business then . They opened the door for Bron to act like he is Captain America here to save the day. This is Stephs first and likely only Olympics. And KD is a hoops crackhead. His ass prolly gonna be 50 on team USA. Kawhi had no reason to even put on the charade though

 

[franknitty711]

Who should've made it?

about half or more of the players Kerr has scrimmaging against them.

 

[Professor Emeritus]

I'm seeing a ton of complaining about Derrick White, and not a single post that's answering the actual question of why they're doing this.



Fact #1: Team USA has a long history of having scorers who can't shoot from distance getting exposed in the Olympics because the court packs in too easy and gets physical.

Fact #2: Team USA has a long history of having perimeter players who can't defend getting exposed in the Olympics.

Fact #3: Haliburton looked very weak in the scrimmages so far, and Brunson was a liability at times in the World Championships.

Fact #4: This is the current roster:

Pure PGs: Haliburton
SGs/Combo Guards/Swings: Steph, Tatum, Edwards, Booker, Jrue
Other Forwards: Bron, KD, AD


Where does Brown fit on a team that already has Tatum, Edwards, Booker, Bron, and KD? There isn't any one thing he provides that at least 2 of those guys aren't already doing better.

On the other hand, there's a huge weakness when it comes to point guard. If Haliburton is a liability due to defense, then what? Obviously, the answer is for Bron to play the point and then you can have any combination of Steph/Ant/Booker/Jrue in the guard spots.....but when Bron is sitting, then what? If Bron gets hurt, then what? Do you really want Steph and Jrue to be the only playable "ballhandlers" on the court?

The coaches looked at that roster, and basically said, "If Bron goes down, we want one more player who can play point guard AND defend both guard spots." And Derrick White fits that better than anyone else available. Elite defender who can guard any perimeter player, led the Celtics in assists, and shot 40% from 3pt and 90% from FT this year.


Does he "deserve" it more than the other players mentioned? Of course not. But Team USA had a stretch in 2000-2006 where they put the big names on the roster regardless of the fit trying to create those Dream Team vibes and it went disastrously.

Meanwhile, they bytching about Tayshun Prince on the 2008 team......but Prince averaged 11 minutes/game playing hard defense, hitting the offensive boards, making the few shots he took (59% from the field and 55% from 3pt)......and that team went UNDEFEATED. Yeah he only averaged 4-5 points a game, but with Bron/Kobe/Melo/Wade on the squad, that's all they needed from him. Let role players play a role.

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

He was.

They just didn't wanna trade up.

Weren’t the rumors at the time that Minny didn’t feel comfortable with the pick and wanted to move out, but couldn’t find any takers?

 

[tremonthustler1]

Weren’t the rumors at the time that Minny didn’t feel comfortable with the pick and wanted to move out, but couldn’t find any takers?

correct.

 

[UpAndComing]

2025 NBA Finals MVP confirmed

 

[beenz]

from what windhorst was reporting, the clippers are the ones who yanked his ass off team USA. and I CANNOT blame them.

 

[Braman]

Would Edwards develop like he did if he was on the bench for 3 years instead of starting? And then moving up to a starting position? Could he predict that Klay would have career threatening injuries that would impact his whole game?

Everyone is Einstein of everything after the fact and worse with a made up path of how things would’ve been.

And even worse than that is that was that Ant was not even available, who knows what he would’ve done if they actually got the #1.

‘Development’ of young A+ prospects is overrated. It’s a way for trainers and analytics types to take credit

Did the Cavs ‘develop’ lebron? Did the Lakers ‘develop’ Magic? You can’t make a star, you can only derail or suppress one. GS was actively derailing Kuminga. It was clear to me from day 1 he had all the tools and he needed to be out there (or they shoulda traded him for a vet)

And to be specific, the game was/is going one way—-offensive freedom, thinking less, young players empowered immediately—-but the warriors were going the other way. Trying the training wheel approach and instead of bolstering confidence they came real close to taking his. Good for him he said something

So anyway as far as Ant, yes he would been Ant regardless.

 

[Awesome Wells]

Something about bro makes me feel like his heart ain't really into the game anymore.

Health and injuries are definitely a part of the game, but Kawhi just seems like he's over all of this.

 

[Still Benefited]

No Demar and No Jaylen brown is a joke

Jaylen Brown aint on the team but Derrick White is?


Adam Silver needs to open up an investigation,this is pure collusion. Somebody explain how this is possible,give some sound logic to explain this move. Jrue Holiday ass is on the team too btw. I like Jrue on the team btw,but not in favor of Jaylen

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

‘Development’ of young A+ prospects is overrated. It’s a way for trainers and analytics types to take credit

Did the Cavs ‘develop’ lebron? Did the Lakers ‘develop’ Magic? You can’t make a star, you can only derail or suppress one. GS was actively derailing Kuminga. It was clear to me from day 1 he had all the tools and he needed to be out there (or they shoulda traded him for a vet)

And to be specific, the game was/is going one way—-offensive freedom, thinking less, young players empowered immediately—-but the warriors were going the other way. Trying the training wheel approach and instead of bolstering confidence they came real close to taking his. Good for him he said something

So anyway as far as Ant, yes he would been Ant regardless.

The problem with your comment is that neither Ant nor Kuminga were considered A+ prospects coming out of the draft.

Let's not have revisionist history about it.