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USA Basketball is always expected to win in international competition, but it has become increasingly difficult to accomplish with more countries with solid rosters with plenty of NBA talent. Director Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski have done a great job of cultivating the USA Basketball program and have successfully led Team USA to a gold medal in the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. Selecting the right players is crucial, which is why 19 players are invited to training camp in Las Vegas to see how well they play with one another.
Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have been impressive at the training camp and both could realistically make the final 12-man roster. Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes are on the Select Team, but have been able to measure themselves against some of the NBA’s best players. Training camp is coming to an end soon, but today they will be having the USA Basketball Showcase. The 19 players are split up into two teams: blue and white. The scrimmage feels more like an All-Star game with all the stars on the floor, but this game is important for Colangelo and coach K to make their final decision on the roster.
The 19 players have had their opportunity to make an impression on the coaching staff this past week, but unfortunately seven players will not get to represent their country. They are all competitors and wouldn’t be in Las Vegas if they didn’t want to make the team, but the experience of being at a training camp with this amount of talent doesn’t happen too often.
In case you haven’t been able to keep up with Team USA recently, Cassy Athena from cassyathena.com, was on hand at the Mendenhall Center and was able to capture some exclusive shots of the Warriors in action at the Team USA training camp. Check out all the pictures above and make sure you follow her on Twitter: @CassyAthena