When the USA Basketball men’s team takes the floor Thursday in Barcelona, the significance of the date – 9/11 – will not be lost on American players or coaches. On the 13th anniversary of one of the most tragic days in the nation’s history, Team USA will play against Lithuania (2 p.m. Central, ESPN), in a FIBA World Cup semifinal that will represent more than merely a basketball game.
“We have a big game tomorrow, on 9/11,” New Orleans forward Anthony Davis said of the Patriot Day game vs. Lithuania. “That’s going to make that game even more special, make us play with even more energy and effort.”
“Like AD said, we’re playing for a lot tomorrow,” Pelicans four-year coach Monty Williams said. “We want to win the game, but we also want to represent our country on such an emotional day, and let our fans and citizens of America know that we’re not just representing them by making buckets; we also understand that this is going to be a tough day for a lot of people. We want to bring them some joy and some happiness on that particular day.”
Team USA is now just two wins away from accomplishing its 2014 goal of capturing a gold medal in Spain, an eventful journey that began in July. Over a six-week period, the team has faced numerous unforeseen obstacles, including several marquee player departures and the Aug. 1 Paul George injury that was so jarring it caused an intrasquad game to be halted in the fourth quarter. Although things haven’t gone according to plan since Day 1 this summer, USA Basketball still has not been seriously challenged by any of its opponents. The Americans have won their seven games in Spain by an average of 33.1 points. Davis (team-leading 13.7 points and 2.3 blocks per game, 7.0 rebounds) and Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (13.0 points, team-high 8.1 rebounds) have been the team’s two most valuable players, overwhelming opposing frontcourts with their energy and athleticism around the basket at both ends of the floor.
“We’ve been together for a while and we’ve been through a lot,” Williams said. “From different guys not playing, to the Paul George injury, those are the things that stand out… As far as AD and our bigs, they’ve carried us the whole trip, and nobody expected that, because we were so guard-heavy, as everyone (in the media) put it. But AD, Kenneth and now DeMarcus (Cousins) and Rudy (Gay) have done a good job of giving us a boost from our big positions. So we’re not surprised because we know AD is a really, really, really good player, but I think everybody else is, just based on our guard play and the guards we have.”
With a vast array of scoring ability on the USA roster, Davis said he’s focused on being efficient offensively and trying to contribute as much as possible on the defensive end.
“I know that we have a lot of guys on the team that can score and make plays for other players,” the 21-year-old said. “I’m just trying to play hard, bring energy, play great on defense, whether it’s rebounding or blocking shots, altering shots or whatever it is. I’ve just got to bring that energy each and every game, especially me and Kenneth. We know a lot of (USA teammates) look toward us to bring energy and get the team going. When I get an opportunity to score, I try to take advantage of it. We’ve got a lot of scorers on this team who are probably the best players on their (NBA) team, so you just have to take advantage of it when you get the ball. But it’s been fun. I’m just trying to be efficient and take shots that I know I can make, and work on my game as well.”
Davis believes the experience has greatly benefited him this offseason, something he will carry over into the imminent 2014-15 campaign with the Pelicans.
“I’ve learned a lot,” he said. “Playing with these elite guys, they’ll tell you what you need to work on. Going against great competition every day in practice shows you what you need to get better at, or what you’re good at. I love being around the elite guys who are going to make you better.”