After back-to-back embarrassing losses to Nigeria and Australia, Team USA lost again when Bradley Beal went into COVID protocols and announced he would not be playing at the Olympics. That opened up another spot, and there was an obvious name to fill it — the superstar of this year’s postseason, Trae Young. Yet, somewhat unsurprisingly, at this point, he is being passed up. Frankly, I never even heard his name mentioned as a possibility, while scrubs (in comparison to Trae Young) like Duncan Robinson look like they could be heading to Tokyo.
We don’t know who will take Beal’s spot on the roster yet, but from this tweet, we can infer it will not be Young.
If you remember that 30 for 30, Isaiah Thomas is talking about when he was left off of the Dream Team despite being one of the best players in the NBA at that time.
Originally, I thought Young might not have been selected because of the ankle injury he suffered in the Eastern Conference Finals, but this tweet suggests his name was in the hat; the coaches just ignorantly decided to look elsewhere.
At this point, it’s just laughable. Team USA is sending out cats like Kevin Love, Jerami Grant, and Draymond Green. I mean… even Jrue Holiday, who Young cooked for 50 and 10 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, is on this roster. It’s no wonder this team is having trouble competing against other countries.
Not selecting Young is an insult to him, and frankly, it’s an insult to USA basketball. I’m not sure whose decision it is — I imagine it’s the coaching staff’s — but they should be embarrassed. As long as Young is cleared medically, he should be on that roster — NO QUESTIONS ASKED. There is a silver lining, though; Young is a bonafide killer that searches for motivation in the disrespect. Choosing someone like Duncan Robinson over him will only add more fuel to the fire.
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