Team USA played it’s final exhibition game against Puerto Rico last night at Madison Square Garden. Shortly after, coach Mike Krzyzewski announced the final 12-man roster that will head to Spain for the World Cup.
The team:
Guards: Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Rose, Klay Thompson.
Forwards/centers: DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, Kenneth Faried, Rudy Gay, Mason Plumlee.
Players cut:
Gordon Hayward, Chandler Parsons, Kyle Korver and Damian Lillard. (Bradley Beal and John Wall had been cut previously.)
Many thought Coach K would have to choose between Cousins and Plumlee but instead he went with all four centers making the team — Davis Cousins, Plumlee and Drummond — a sign that the team is still looking ahead to a potential match-up with Spain in the gold medal game. Spain has been notoriously difficult for the USA and have Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka.
Damian Lillard being cut caused a bit of drama as many thought Kyrie Irving and Mason Plumlee were both kept because they went to Duke and one should have been dropped in favor of Lillard. Coach K maintains that he formed the best team.
