Danny Granger seems to be flying under the radar with USA Basketball as Team USA tipped off training camp yesterday in Las Vegas.
The big story of the day was Amare Stoudemire being forced to pull out of camp and David Lee injuring his finger. Aside from that the focus of coverage seems to be on the young players trying to make their mark (Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Rudy Gay) or older vets trying to help out (Lamar Odom, Chauncey Billups).
After looking over the potential rosters and watching some of the practice coverage last night, I'll be surprised if Granger doesn't make the final 12-man roster. His length and versatility on the wing are well-suited for the International game and the shorter 3-point line is right in his wheelhouse. He should be quite valuable utilizing those skills in a supporting role where he doesn't have to carry the offense.
Plus, his game should be closer to what we saw two years ago as opposed to much of last season since I'm assuming he's 100 percent healthy this summer. Check that, he has to be 100 percent healthy otherwise he wouldn't be in Vegas in the first place. So with those factors in mind it will be disappointing if Granger doesn't show himself worthy of making the roster.
After the jump, plenty of links of interest with stories on Team USA camp, free agent updates and Butler's Willie Veasley working for an invite to Pacers' training camp.
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Real Training Camp: Kevin Durant - NBA Videos and Highlights
NBA.com has lots of videos from the first day of training camp for USA Basketball. -
Wide-open US training camp begins under Coach K
Mike Krzyzewski will let camp dictate which direction he takes in setting Team USA's roster for the World Championships. That's good news for Danny Granger since he hasn't been involved with USA Basketball in the past. -
Veasley still chasing NBA dream
Sounds like Butler's Willie Veasley may get an invite to Pacers' training camp. Since there's no room on the roster at this point, I can't see him lasting past camp. -
Joe Johnson, Amar'e Stoudemire among worst deals of summer
Britt Robson takes issue with several offseason move made by teams around the NBA this summer. -
Durant aims for golden moment at worlds
Marc J. Spears on Kevin Durant's quest for gold at the World Championshps. -
Team USA Notebook: Lamar Odom Says He's in 'Horrible Shape'
Chris Tomasson has some notes from Vegas including one on Lamar Odom trying to get back in shape. He must've been slothing around with Khloe Kardashian the past month. -
USA Basketball Will Have to Stand Tall at Worlds With Small Lineup
Chris Tomasson is covering Team USA in Vegas and sees a lot of small ball in the team's immediate future with Amare Stoudemire out of the mix. -
Brad Miller inks three-year, $15M deal with Rockets
Former Boilermaker, Brad Miller locks up another three years in the league, signing with the Rockets. He'll be filling the gap at center if Yao Ming isn't ready to go at the start of the season. -
Sources: Toronto Raptors face competition for Matt Barnes
Marc Stein updates the status of Matt Barnes. I realize he's an agitator willing to do some dirty work, but is Barnes really such a coveted free agent? -
Team USA: Rudy Gay Keeping Busy
Joel Brigham caught up with Rudy Gay out in Vegas.