De’Aaron promoted to Team USA Main Roster.
- Thread starter SLAB
- Start date
Sactown ExPat
Starter
I doubt Pop had anything worthwhile for Fox. Certainly not anything he couldn’t also get from Luke. We can stop fetishizing Pop—he’s a guy who took White and Smart over Fox.
But, I agree in passing on condolences in advance to White for his games against the Kings...he might want to watch that Sweet 16 game against UCLA to get emotionally prepared for what’s coming.
Fox played against the best players in the world last season.
Learning more from team USA is good and playing for your country is great and it would be very hard to imagine for either of our players at this time in their career to pass up that opportunity. unless they pretty much new things were not going to turn out the way they wanted.
If all your efforts are to give the favorite players of the coaches involved someone to practice against. our players can do that with their teammates they are going to battle with come the kings training camp.
Learning more from team USA is good and playing for your country is great and it would be very hard to imagine for either of our players at this time in their career to pass up that opportunity. unless they pretty much new things were not going to turn out the way they wanted.
If all your efforts are to give the favorite players of the coaches involved someone to practice against. our players can do that with their teammates they are going to battle with come the kings training camp.
Kings_of_California
Starter
If he wasn't going to make the team, fine. But I'll be honest, I don't like this. When Bagley left team USA I was like whatever, but both of our guys going? Just not a good look.
And yes I get the whole avoid injury/spend the next couple months prepping for the coming season. It makes sense, but I still don't like it much.
And yes I get the whole avoid injury/spend the next couple months prepping for the coming season. It makes sense, but I still don't like it much.
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
De'Aaron turned his ankle in the first half of that Spain game and probably had an epiphany at half time that getting injured during the World Cup would completely overturn his season.
KingsFanSince85
All-Star
Exactly. This delusion that Swipa somehow wasn’t gonna make the team is laughable. He’s been one of the teams best players for weeks. All accounts and quotes from players and coaches support that. That’s why he was promoted from select to the actual team.
Fortunately for KINGS fans he’s far more focused on the success of his real team. For the fans naysaying his decision, I simply SMH. Those same fans would be complaining if he got injured or worn down due to the extra wear and tear. Some of those same fans were already complaining about Bogie’s participation.
LA King Fan II
Bench
At most...there will be two games that matter. Others will be easy wins. Four 20 minute halfs of basketball with 10-15 mins maximum court time for Fox in both. A lot of time to commit for a tournament that pales in comparison to NBA competition. I'm glad he skipped out.
Kingster
Hall of Famer
Pop was integral to the development of Tony Parker, who acquired six All Star berths and four NBA championships with the Spurs. He wasn't a great outside shooter, like Fox, but was very quick, like Fox. Pop's influence shouldn't be dismissed when it comes to developing point guards.
I think that very well could have been the biggest factor. Sure, guys can get hurt at any time (see Garcia, Francisco) and Fox might be at more risk of being the 2nd NBA player with a diagnosed case of Nintendonits (shoutout to the L-Train!) than a freak Paul George injury, but I really believe Fox is laser-focused on having a great season with the Kings.
One other thing I hadn't really considered is that guys might be seeing the real possibility of Team USA losing this time around. I mean, after being beaten by the JVG-coached team of G-League guys maybe Fox thought that being the backup PG on the first USA team to go down in flames would be a bad look for him as he tries to establish himself as a young star. I have no idea, but it's something that crossed my mind.
Sactown ExPat
Starter
Great, Popo’s not developing Fox. He is developing White though. Is that what you are referencing? As soon as one realizes Timmy is the second best player and best team captain of the past thirty years, and that Popo engineered the second most egregious tank job in history (Rockets/Olajuwon) to get Timmy, one’s perspective changes.
Any replacement level coach could have won 4 rings with prime Timmy. 2014 was a great coaching job, I’ll admit. But, the greatest trick Timmy ever played on the NBA was letting the casual fan think the coaching staff had much of anything to do with his success. Timmy is criminally underrated by fans.
Kingster
Hall of Famer
I'm glad Fox had some coaching by the Hall of Fame coach Pop. That's what I'm referencing. It would be interesting to know what feedback he gave Fox on improving his game.
Sactown ExPat
Starter
Pop lost to a Simmons-less Australia. JIngles and Patty are fun and all, but Pop’s roster management is looking like trash right now. Marcus Smart is starting for Team USA. Fox made a great business decision to separate himself from this iteration of Team USA.
Sactown ExPat
Starter
We already know what he said...Fox doesn’t know the Spurs offense well enough. He wasn’t taking all the “right” shots. Brilliant feedback.
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
Considering how the Spurs offense has been increasingly out of place in the modern pace ball era, is that really a bad thing?
NewArena
All-Star
I highly doubt Fox was cut guys
Sactown ExPat
Starter
It’s pretty clear what happened. Fox was told Smart would be staying with the team and starting once healthy, neither of which seemed likely in Las Vegas. Which is brilliant roster management because the international game screams for non-creator/non-shooters starting in the backcourt. Fox, rightly, decided that was a whole lot of travel for no tangible reason and moved on.
Kangztillidie
Bench
Which is dumb because Fox is a walking (edit: speedy and flying) matchup nightmare. And Team USA got destroyed in the exact spot where Bagley would have helped/changed the tide.
I think the overly DWhite love ended up being an issue for the Kings youth. And Donovan Mitchell is also an issue. De'Aaron rightfully thinks he is better and I see Mitchell getting a much longer leash. If I was Fox and Bagley I would probably step aside also to focus on something more important than saving Team USA in the middle of their garbage and being complicit when they inevitably lose
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