LAS VEGAS — There are precious days between now and the start of the Paris Olympics, and it appears the United States men’s basketball team couldn’t afford to wait for Kawhi Leonard to pick up the pace and arrive at full strength.
USMNT managing director Grant Hill suggested as much in a media session before the team’s exhibition game against Canada. It was clear that the national team and the Clippers made the decision to send Leonard home so he could prepare for the NBA season.
“I think we all tried and made a great effort and, you know, unfortunately, we have to move on,” Hill said. “Personally speaking, I know what it’s like to want to do something. And, you know, your body just isn’t right. And so, I applaud him for coming here and being willing to sacrifice, give up his summer and represent our country, and play for our program.”
Hill has battled foot and ankle issues after a stellar start to his six-year career, so he can relate on some level to all the injury issues Leonard has suffered. And since Leonard’s first obligation is to the Clippers, neither Hill nor USA Basketball could afford to suffer a potential costly injury in the regular season.
He didn’t say it, but it was on the air when Hill spoke.
“You sit and watch the playoffs and hope everyone is healthy,” Hill said. “And then you take inventory as we get closer to camp, and then you expect everyone to show up in shape, you know, and so there’s constant concern and concern.
“And you also have to think about the worst-case scenario, which is not an easy thing to do.”
Hill didn’t say the decision to bench Leonard took him by surprise, but given Leonard’s comments on Tuesday, it appears it did.
“Yeah, I think I’ll get dressed tomorrow,” Leonard said Tuesday. “Everything has been fine so far. It’s in a neutral state and I hope it stays that way.”
The breakneck speed at which the national team has to play, considering so many other countries are so far ahead in terms of continuity and chemistry, means that Leonard could not be slowed down or treated as a luxury until the medal round begins.
If he wanted to be there, he would have to go every day like the rest of the team and that didn’t seem feasible given where Leonard is at in his career. But it seems clear that he really wanted to try, contrary to the belief that he finds reasons not to play.
“Kawhi gave it his all when he was preparing and the last three days of camp,” Stephen Curry said after Team USA’s 86-72 exhibition game win against Canada. “I know he wanted to play. It was one of those things where he wished us luck and goes for the gold. We hope that in the long term he is in a good position, because the game needs him. He’s an all-time great, so we hope he’s ready for the season.”
Knee inflammation caused Leonard to miss most of the Clippers’ first-round series against Dallas. He played just two games in last year’s first-round series against the Suns before his knee began to hurt.
He missed the entire 2022 playoffs because of an ACL injury he suffered in the second round of the 2021 playoffs against the Utah Jazz. In short, it’s been a litany of injuries, procedures and health issues, and the team couldn’t afford to risk anything happening when Leonard had just signed a three-year contract with the Clippers.
On the other hand, Hill put Celtics guard Derrick White in Leonard’s place. White is a versatile defender who can play in a few spots and a small role considering all the star power. NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown seemed a little distraught at the X in the aftermath, as he wasn’t selected.
He pointed the finger at USA Basketball sponsor Nike as the reason he didn’t get the call. Hill was asked about the Nike and Brown connection.
“Well, for most of my career, I used Fila… that was supposed to be a joke,” Hill joked. “It’s about putting together a team. I think overall you have incredible interest from an abundance of talent here in the United States.
“You only have 12 vacancies. You have to build a team. One of the hardest things is leaving people out of a squad that I’m a fan of, that I’m looking forward to watching during the playoffs. Guys who were Finals MVPs, who were part of the program, guys who won gold medals. Guys that I respect, admire and enjoy watching, but the responsibility I have is to put together a team, and a team that complements each other, a team that fits in, a team that will give us the best opportunity for success.”
Either way, that represents three Boston Celtics on the roster and could create a complicated dynamic when Brown and White are back on the same team for training camp. Brown was also the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and established himself as a true star this postseason.
White’s name was mentioned weeks ago as someone USA Basketball would take a good look at, even as the roster was set. With Leonard being selected to the team in early March, it was before knee inflammation seemingly ended his strong season and contingency plans were made.
Bringing in White instead of a higher-usage player like Brown seems to indicate that Hill and USA Basketball coach Steve Kerr are happy with the star power and the players who will demand the ball and a lot of attention with it.
Jrue Holiday is the only stopper on the roster, and White can complement that without needing to play with the ball.
So Hill has to be the bad guy in this, but it seems like a prudent decision and one he was prepared to make.
