Jerry Colangelo: Anthony Davis a ‘Long Shot’ to Make the Olympic Team

Anthony Davis may very well be the shiny new thing in the NBA that everyone’s pumped up about, but that doesn’t mean it will translate into him taking part in the Olympic Games this summer. According to USA Basketball honcho Jerry Colangelo, that is. Reports the Lexington Herald Leader: “Jerry Colangelo, the man who leads this country’s effort in international basketball, says Anthony Davis is a ‘long shot’ to make the United States’ Olympic team this summer. ‘Because of inexperience and etc., etc,’ he said. Yet, Davis, who turned 19 in March, might be a long shot that pays off, the USA Basketball chairman added. ‘He’s not a guard competing for a guard position where we’re reasonably deep,’ Colangelo said in appraising Davis’ chances to making the U.S. team. Colangelo, who used the word ‘intriguing’ to describe Davis’ combination of height, length and perimeter skills, said Kentucky’s Player of the Year last season as a freshman has another quality that improves the odds of making the Olympic team. This attribute appeared — and not for the first time — in the national championship game when Davis led UK to victory despite making only one basket. ‘We don’t have any shortage of scorers,’ Colangelo said. ‘Anthony has a chance to make his mark sooner rather than later just by rebounding, defending, getting up and down the court, being a team player. He doesn’t have to score.’ Chances are Davis will not make the U.S. team. He’ll be a young man competing against grown men. But it’s a no-lose situation for a player that Colangelo likened to Kevin Durant circa 2007. Durant, like Davis this year, was coming off a stellar college freshman season. Before Durant decided to leave Texas for the NBA, Colangelo spoke to him about trying out for a U.S. team. ‘Just to invite him to our camp,’ Colangelo said. ‘To expose him to USA Basketball. To get him around some of our players, which I thought would be a good experience for him as a player.’”