Team USA made its final cuts just ahead of the FIBA World Championships and the last of those who missed the cut were Gordon Hayward, Chandler Parsons, Kyle Korver and Damian Lillard.
As a Portland Trail Blazers fan, my first instinct is to be upset about Lillard getting cut. I understand why he was since it was essentially between him and Kyrie for the final point guard spot. There was no chance that either Derrick Rose or Steph Curry got the axe. So between Irving and Lillard, one had to go. I think that you can make a strong argument for either point guard deserving the nod, but Irving certainly benefitted from Mike Kryzewski and his Duke connection. Regardless, team USA enters the tournament with a host of offensive options with Rose, Curry and Irving as the ball handlers.
Now, I am sure that many Blazer fans are upset about team USA's decision. But when I stop and think about it, I'm strangely okay with it. First, the World Championships are not the Olympics. While they certainly have a degree of prestige, at the end of the day, I care significantly more about team USA bringing home the gold at the Olympics than I do at the World Championships. Most countries do not field their A teams at the World Championships (case in point, team USA), so while winning is exciting, it certainly isn't an indication of the best basketball country in the world. Sure, it would be great to have seen Lillard don a USA jersey, but I have much less invested as a USA fan in the World Championships.
The other main reason that I'm okay with Lillard missing the team is tied to the above: I would rather see Lillard get the additional rest in the months of August and September before heading into the NBA season in October. The Blazers will have to battle through the Western Conference, which is deeper now than it has ever been, for 82 games before hitting the playoffs. Lillard is only entering his third year and last year was his first in the playoffs. It is tough to stay sharp for 90+ games of an NBA season, especially after playing competitively through the summer months, and I'd bet that he can attest to that after the Spurs series in May.
My interest level for team USA at the World Championships is definitely lower than that of my interest in seeing the Blazers make an extended run in the playoffs in 2015. Lillard already got some of the benefits of practicing and playing with team USA and I hope that he absorbed what it really looks like on the most elite level. He's made incredible strides as a player, but he can still achieve a great deal more, especially on the defensive end.
I'd like to see Lillard take his experience in this winning culture and bring it back to the Blazers. Aldridge is the unquestioned leader of this team, but there's no doubt that Lillard made his mark on this franchise. Use the cut as motivation because now the Blazers' expectations are higher. The competition is more fierce. And I want my point guard fully ready to go on day one, even if it means missing out on team USA.
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