Adebayo finalist for USA team that has power void
MIAMI — The path to a roster spot on the U.S. national team at next month’s World Cup moved two spots closer to reality Thursday for Heat center Bam Adebayo.
Adebayo was formally invited to USA Basketball training camp Thursday, the same day the national organizing body announced that Pistons center Andre Drummond and Clippers big man Montrezl Harrell had removed themselves from consideration, opting to bypass next week’s training camp in Las Vegas.
That leaves Adebayo as one of the 16 finalists for the 12 roster spots available for the September competition in China.
The 16-member USA National Team camp roster and the 14-member USA Select Team will open training camp Monday at UNLV’s Mendenhall Center. Daily practices will be held through next Thursday, capped by a USA Blue-USA White exhibition game Aug. 9 in Las Vegas.
Adebayo’s competition in the power rotation on the national team will come among big men Brook Lopez of the Bucks, Mason Plumlee of the Nuggets, Julius Randle the Knicks and Myles Turner of the Pacers.
Also vying for spots on the national team are Kings forward Harrison Barnes, Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma, Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, Bucks forward Khris Middleton, Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, Celtics guard Marcus Smart, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Rockets forward P.J. Tucker, Celtics guard Kemba Walker and Bulls forward Thaddeus Young.
Scheduled to work out against those vying for spots on the national team is the USA Basketball select team that includes Jarrett Allen (Nets), Marvin Bagley III (Kings), Mikal Bridges (Suns), Jalen Brunson (Mavericks), John Collins (Hawks), Pat Connaughton (Bucks), De’Aaron Fox (Kings), Joe Harris (Nets), Jonathan Isaac (Magic), of Mitchell Robinson (Knicks), Landry Shamet (Clippers/Wichita State), Derrick White (Spurs) and Trae Young (Hawks).
The National Team coaching staff is led by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr, Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce and Villanova University coach Jay Wright serving as assistants.
In addition to several elite players who withdrew their names from consideration prior to the selection process, such as LeBron James, among recent players beyond Drummond and Harrell to withdraw from USA Basketball consideration have been Paul Millsap, Kevin Love, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Damian Lillard, DeMar DeRozan, Bradley Beal, Eric Gordon, Tobias Harris, CJ McCollum and JJ Redick.
After training camp in Las Vegas, Team USA will spend a week in Australia prior to the World Cup, playing exhibition games there before traveling to Asia. The United States opens the World Cup against the Czech Republic in Shanghai on Sept. 1. Harold Ramirez hit a walk-off homer in the 12th inning against the Twins on Thursday.