Klay Thompson Team USA Roster Implications After Kevin Durant Drops Out (Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account)
If Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson wasn’t already lock to make the 2014 USA Basketball Men’s National Team (#USABMNT), things seem to be set in stone now after the loss of another key player.
Team USA President Jerry Colangelo announced today that Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant won’t be participating for the remainder of the summer due to personal reasons.
After the loss of Paul George to a leg injury and narrowing the roster to 16 players Tuesday, Durant said he needed to take some time away from basketball in preparation of the 2014-15 NBA season, citing mental and physical fatigue.
Durant’s departure means there will be just three more cuts for Team USA to make before they announce their final 12-man roster for the #Spain2014 FIBA World Cup.
Now without both expected starters at forward out, the USABMNT must look elsewhere for production, with Thompson likely the first player tasked with replacing two All-Star forwards.
Though Thompson plays guard for the Warriors, head coach Mike Krzyzewski had already planned to use Thompson as a forward, starting him opposite George at small forward in the Blue/White Showcase scrimmage last Friday in Las Vegas.
Durant had been Team USA’s leading scorer at both the 2010 World Championships and 2012 Olympics, so replacing his production could prove difficult.
The remaining wings who will be looked upon to fill in include Atlanta Hawks shooter Kyle Korver, Toronto Raptors All-Star DeMar DeRozan, new Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons, and the Utah Jazz‘s recently re-signed Gordon Hayward.
The USA had been thought favorites coming into the summer, but with Spain hosting and the USA with just two returners from the London Olympics, things are a lot less certain.
What is certain is that Thompson and Stephen Curry will likely see plenty of opportunities to prove themselves on the World stage.
Curry now becomes one of the leading candidates to lead the team in scoring, and Thompson’s role has risen from bench contributor to likely starter in just a matter of days.
The stage is set for the #SplashBrothers to make their mark.
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