Report: Andre Drummond To Be Cut From Team USA
Perry Farrell from Detroit Free Press Sports has reported that Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond will be cut from Team USA. Drummond has been competing to make the final 12-man roster for the World Championships starting Aug. 30th in Spain. He didn’t see any time on the floor in Team USA’s 95-78 victory against Brazil on Saturday night.
Apparently Brooklyn Nets’ Mason Plumlee has the edge over Drummond for that front court spot. Brian Windhorst initially reported it was “likely” that Plumlee would make the roster over Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, who is day-to-day for Team USA after suffering a minor knee injury in practice last week. Plumee played 15 minutes and shot 3-for-3 from the field against Brazil on Saturday.
We’ve talked at length on our Coast To Coast podcast about Team USA’s approach after losing Paul George and Kevin Durant, and I contended that holding onto more bigs like Drummond might be our new strategy – to load up inside in anticipation for profound resistance from the interior of Spain and others. Contrary to my prior thinking, Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried emerged in the Brazil game and seems to be playing himself into a roster spot. Farrell reports that Chandler Parsons and Kyle Korver are likely to fill the final two spots for outside shooting purposes. Perhaps holding onto Boogie Cousins, and keeping Faried, Plumlee is enough for Mike Krzyzewski’s front court, which revolves around the reliability Anthony Davis.
ESPN’s Marc Stein reports that final cuts for USA Basketball will happen as soon as Thursday, assumedly after Team USA’s next exhibition against the Dominican Republic on Wednesday night.
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