Eyebrows raised when Landry Shamet became the latest player to decline an invitation from USA Basketball to participate in preparations for the upcoming FIBA World Cup. Just what did it say about the state of the national program if a player of his limited experience and notoriety thought it better to avoid suiting up for his country? Had all the progress it made since the early-2000s debacle already been erased?
The latter question might be one still worth asking, but Shamet answered the first by replying to The Ringer's Bill Simmons, who echoed its very concerns on Twitter. He didn't withdraw from Team USA training camp out of preference, the 22-year-old clarified pithily, but to rest and rehab a nagging injury.
You didn’t even know how to pronounce my name or who I was 6 months ago so it’s nice to see you know the name now 😅. Chill out. I want nothing more than to be there this week. Health comes first and that’s that. Can’t push thru an injury in August. https://t.co/TAnTMCh7fc
— Landry Shamet (@landryshamet) August 3, 2019
If Shamet had been healthy enough to compete in Las Vegas, though, there's apparently a “legitimate shot” he would have been among the 12 players heading to China later this month to defend two gold medals. As reported by The Athletic's Jovan Buha, there's a realistic possibility the LA Clippers' marksman would have been poached from the Select Team, the group of young players that scrimmage against those in consideration for Team USA, to play for the senior squad.
Shamet was excited for Team USA minicamp and had a legitimate shot at making the 12-man team, league sources told @TheAthleticLA @TheAthleticNBA.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) August 3, 2019
Shamet was a revelation as a rookie, learning the finer points of how to move without the ball from J.J. Redick during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers before proving his bonafides as an impact player with the Clippers. A late first-round pick in last year's draft who was acquired by LA in the Tobias Harris trade, Shamet averaged 10.9 points per game for the Clippers while holding his own defensively and shooting a scorching 45.0 percent from beyond the arc on a difficult array of attempts.
Follow Us
Subscribe