By LARRY VAUGHT
Anthony Davis got to watch the United States beat Brazil 80-69 in an exhibition game Monday night in Washington, D.C. But he did not get to play. Instead, USA coach Mike Krzyzewski of Duke chose to keep Davis on the bench the entire game, a sign he likely won’t factor into any serious playing time during the Olympics in London and a point the Duke coach made very obvious with his postgame comments.
After the game, the Duke coach explained his thinking on Davis — the most outstanding player in college basketball last year and the top pick in the recent NBA draft:
“Anthony’s a young guy. In a game like this, he’s 10 years younger than any of those big guys he’s playing against. He’s going to be a terrific player. I think the experience of being with this team as we move along as he gets accustomed, we have three more exhibition games, and five games of pool play.
“By medal round, I don’t know what type of experience playing time-wise he’ll get, but he’ll get a lot of experience just being with this team. Remember, he’s just been with us a couple of days. He doesn’t even know all the sets and that.
“But our emphasis is not on him. It’s on the guys who are going to play the majority of minutes.”
31 Responses to Krzyzewski fails to play Davis, says emphasis not on him but players who will play majority of minutes
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In other words, Davis hasn’t mastered the art of flopping or slapping the floor like a Dukie.
OUch Mac, but does make one wonder
I didn’t see many of our front court players getting their hands above the rim to block shots last night…any experience Coach K can give Ant before the real games start might save him some embarrassment.
About what I expect from the Dukie coach
The USA team needed a spark from somewhere last night…Anthony might have been able to provide that…he couldn’t have done much worse than the lackluster effort we saw for a portion of the game from the other guys, IMO.
agree Shelley on maybe providing a spark. Also agree that these games are to see how a player can play help. Disappointed that Coach K did that to Anthony as well
This sounds like David Robinson all over again. That idiot John Thompson told Robinson he wouldn’t be the star for his team. He picked about 12 guards, 10 forwards and ONE center and thought he could win by playing defense. Dang he must have been Tubby’s mentor is all I can say. The guy (Thompson) totally embarrassed the USA with his inept coaching and it was the last time the college players got to play the tournament for the country. He actually told Robinson that he was way overrated or something to that effect. People gasped when they heard him. Robinson became one of the all time greats of basketball while Thompson’s heroes mostly became zeroes. Dan Majerle was a pretty good player but Robinson is a HOF player who once scored 71 points in a game, is one of 4 people to ever record a quadruple double in the NBA, scored way over 20,000 points, won numerous NBA championships, won two more gold medals at the Olympics, was elected the Olympics HOF, etc. etc. etc.. He was a phenomenal player and was an even better shot blocker than Davis. But Thompson thought he was second rate compared to the great(ly overrated) Patrick Ewing. Thompson actually thought Danny Manning would be the rebounder and inside defender along with Pitt’s Charles D. Smith. It was a joke of a strategy and Robinson had to carry the team against much bigger opposition including the Soviets. They were huge and they easily defeated the US team. Thank Thompson that college players no longer have the Olympics.
And now K is apparently going to try to play with one center. It will never work. The US will lose if he makes the monumental mistake of not going with more size. Like it or not Davis is it and if he doesn’t use him K will be disgraced just like Thompson was. BTW Thompson resigned right after that Olympics citing “marital problems”. His wife probably knew how bad he screwed up the national team IMO. Everyone else did.
Sounds to me like Coach K got a bit defensive. It goes without saying that the emphasis is on winning. No? Then surely it is on the “Team?” No? Is it really on the players who will play the majority of minutes? Why would he single out any player in such a comment? Maybe to show the emphasis should be on Coach K. He needs to play the kid to see if he can help us win.
Good Post! I agree 100%
That last statement sounds small and petty and I did not expect that from coach K. Why pick a player to only sit the bench and get experience? Is it me or what, because I thought you pick a guy who can help your team win. Don’t get me wrong the international travel, practicing with great players(that is a proven formula when you look in the NBA finals and see that the two most dynamic players on the floor were at UK this past summer and we celebrated the results), talking to them and seeing how they go about the Business of Basketball(and it is a business) will be a GREAT experience.
BUT IF YOU CHOOSE ME USE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Was Blake Griffin(who he replaced) was just along for the “EXPERIENCE”? Really! Really! WOW!
Disappointing words from a guy who should know and say better! ! !
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GO BLUE OR STAY HOME
I watched the entire game and was shocked how many alley-oops wee missed by this bunch. Chandler was so flat footed and slow. I’m not sure how he was voted best defensive player in the NBA. Then again, they don’t play much defense in the NBA.
Give Davis a chance to play! Remember the Brow is above the Nose!
Sets and that? I don’t believe I saw any sets other that the out of bounds play to end the 1st half (and that was a complete fail). The teamed was mostly 1on1 with very little team work…
I thought the same thing when I saw the comment
“He doesn’t even know all of the sets” -And
Bill is right Coach Krazykuski wants it to be about Coach K.
I would bet that AD knows as much or more about the “sets’ after 2 days as most of the rest.
Now is the time to play Davis, to better prepare him for the Medal rounds….
Not that I’m defending Coach K, but the team hasn’t had much of a chance to practice. Maybe I’m reading more into it than was intended, but I think what he is trying to do is get the main guys used to playing with each other. I do agree with Mark S. that it was shocking how many alley-oops (and layups) were missed, but maybe that is because the guy throwing the pass (the alley) did not know exactly where to put the ball for the jumping player (the ooper). Okay, yes, I just made up those terms.
I was sure, however, that AD would have caught many of passes thrown at the rim. We witnessed AD’s great ability to catch any pass that was any where near him this past season when a pass didn’t have to be right on the money, but just close for AD to slam it down. And to be honest, it didn’t even have to be that close.
I agree that Coach K is missing the boat in not getting AD a little more playing time in these warm-up games.
Maybe this should be a clue for great high school players considering Duke. Following Coach K’s logic; Go to Duke and sit on the bench so you can “soak up the atmosphere and gain some experience by watching the older players”. Come to UK where you can play and win a National Championship. Tough choice.
Based on the defense (or lack of) played by Team USA last night I think AD could bring a lot to this team if they put him in and asked him to play defense and rebound. Team USA’s rebounding and interior defense is atrocious.
I’ll say it again, Coach K is an IDIOT!!! How the hell can he bench a player that scored 9 points in less than 10 minutes? Who cares if Anthony doesn’t know the plays? It’s just all the same pansy plays he uses at Puke U. Coach K needs to STFU and let Anthony show those international players how it’s done!
it’s quite illogical to think a guy who just got drafted into the NBA and very recently joined Team USA well behind all the older guys is going to get to play much.
Andy, name a better defensive big man in the NBA…one, maybe two and are they on the Olympic Team…No ! Davis should have played…
Larry,
You are missing the point, in that there is experience and talent ahead of Davis so its natural Coach K would play those that have been there before. I think most coaches would do the same in that position.
I’ll take Davis defensive Talent and Skill over your EXPERIENCE…did you not watch the game with Brazil ???
+1 on that. You have to put someone on the floor and the US team has one big man besides AD. So what happens if that other big man gets in foul trouble or gets hurt? Not playing AD at all now is strictly about K hating UK. He’s proven what a jerk he is for years. His team plays extremely dirty and they follow the cue of the fans and get downright abusive. Am I the only one that remembers that fake injury against Wojo (I know others remember)? Their entire defensive strategy is to flop. That’s an illegal play and the NBA is about to do something about it. But K has made a career from it. His team plays dirty which means they are taught do do it (since the all do it). K is a dirty scumbucket who has no business coaching the national team IMO. It’s a disgrace.
1984 and 1992 were a long time ago. let it go people.
What happened in 1984 that has anything at all to do with this discussion?
You can bet your last dollar,one of Shitshevskis guys…lets say, like Austin Rivers, would have played…oh I forgot,Austin regressed,in everything but selfish attitude while at Duke !
I have a friend who is a doctor who is a grad from Duke and he can’t stand Coach K. He says he is a me first person and there is a lot of things that isn’t being told that one day will come out just like it did with John Wooden and UCLA. I don’t know but this is his story.
Bingo! I knew from the time he made excuses for the stomp that he didn’t give a hoot about sportsmanship or being fair.
It is a wonder Davis is on the team what with K being the coach and everyone knows how he feels about UK and Coach C. Davis should have passed and chosen to play this summer where he could get time and experience. K will miss the boat if he doesnt use him now that he has him, but then what’s new?
I might be mistaking, but I’m pretty sure even the crowd was yelling, “We want Davis!”
Of course they were…They saw what I saw, lazy defense on Team USA…Youthful enthusiasm and Talent is a great Team Asset. USE IT ! Coach K, did you not see all these NBA multi-millionaires just to their feet and Run To Davis, like a bunch of little boys in the playground, when Davis hit the 3 and was fouled. ” That Was Priceless “. How do you Not Tap into That … ” Come On Man “. Gallery721.com,
How soon people forget. That “I’m great so I should just get the medal without even trying” attitude got the US beat in basketball in 2004. The “guys who had been there” got their rears kicked but good. And that team included Lebron, Duncan, Amar’e Stoudemire, Dwayne Wade, Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and a whole string of “guys who had been there”. Well they got beat TWICE including once by Puerto Rico and once by Lithuania. They lost by NINETEEN POINTS to Puerto Rico. Those guys felt entitled just like K is making this team feel entitled. When you tell a team player (especially one with the talent of AD) he doesn’t belong the rest of the team gets the idea they should win by default. That is a really bad thing to tell a team IMO. You just mention “these guys have already done it” and the team thinks they have “already done it”. What a surprise. That’s about the dumbest coaching move I’ve seen in decades. I wonder if K would rather lose than let AD get to be a star from the games. He is a disciple of Boob Knight let’s not forget. That guy won’t even say the word Kentucky and he wouldn’t say “Anthony Davis” during the basketball season. Does anyone really think K is different? I don’t. He’s just like Knight IMO.
Davis is a phenomenal basketball player. I saw a lot of great pros take him in as one of their own when he made that 3. Certain players didn’t but certain NBA players think they’re the best ever and no one else is even close and they’re jealous that people don’t say he’s better than Jordan (a’hem Kobe).
Davis belongs on that team. If they wanted someone else they should have gotten someone else. But having him and not using him is a mistake of monumental proportions and could cost the US the gold medal. I saw arrogance do that back in 1988. I hate to see it again. And it is starting to look that way. K is treating AD just like Thompson treated David Robinson and that stinks.