Jerry Colangelo says Anthony Davis would be starting if the USAT played a game today
In all likelihood, New Orleans Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis will be holding one of Team USA's 12 roster spots in the FIBA World Cup this summer.
On the big man front, USAT director Jerry Colangelo said today that - if their first game was now - Anthony Davis would be a starter.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 31, 2014
The news isn't particularly surprising, as Davis did appear on the United States' men's national team in the 2012 Summer Olympics - a squad that captured gold. However, given the star-studded pool of talent in which Davis is competing against, it's quite an accomplishment to nab a roster spot, let alone a starting gig.
The 21-year-old Davis has a compelling case for the starting center role. Not only is he young, with a seemingly bright future with USAT ahead of him, he's also well-suited for the international game. Davis is a strong defender, being quick enough to defend to the three-point line, and is a fantastic weakside shot-blocker. He led the NBA with 2.8 blocks per game this past season.
Assuming Davis captures a starting role, this leaves players like Andre Drummond and DeMarcus Cousins battling it out to be his back-up.