Track Anthony Davis in the Olympics

Good to see Anthony is making new friends.

From Bleacher Report:

As the United States men’s basketball team prepares for Argentina in the Olympic semifinals, the question has to be asked why Anthony Davis hasn't earned more playing time. When given playing time, Davis has looked impressive. His game may even be better suited for the Olympics than Tyson Chandler's.

As you know, Davis has yet to play a game in the NBA. He was a star at the University of Kentucky, and was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2012 NBA draft by the New Orleans Hornets.

After the knee injury to Blake Griffin prevented him from competing in the 2012 summer games, Davis was thrown into the lineup last second. In the Team USA's first game of the summer, Davis got playing time late against the Dominican Republic. He was impressive, even hitting an and-1 three.

In the Olympic tournament, Davis has played largely after the games have already become out of reach. He's played in five of six games, averaging 9.6 minutes per.

This year's men's squad has only three big men, by position, on its roster. With Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Bosh and Blake Griffin sidelined by injuries, Team USA was left with a small pool of low-post options.

The three selected were Chandler, Davis and Kevin Love.


Love has emerged as a crucial player for Team USA. He's scored in double-digits in all but one game, all while rebounding at his usual high rate. Love has earned his playing time, which is the reason his playing time has increased.

Chandler was a crucial member to the 2010 World Championship team. On this roster, he's the only true center.

Despite being a starter and the only true center on Team USA, Chandler has played less than expected. To take advantage of their ungodly speed, Coach Mike Krzyzewski has played both LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony at center.

The five foul rule has also kept Chandler on the bench at times. Getting two quick fouls in the first half is impairing. If Chandler fouls out, Team USA would be stuck with Davis and Love as their only true big men.

But would that be such a bad thing? Davis has shown when given playing time that he can produce. He's been scoring at a consistent rate, while rebounding and disrupting shots. Davis is not Christian Laettner. If counted on, Davis could make an impact.

But with the gold medal on the line, Team USA doesn't want to know what it's like to play without Chandler.

The competition has been getting tougher each game for Team USA. When games get close, Team USA will need Chandler. He's a leader and won't crack under pressure.

The "hipster" idea that Davis may be a better option for Team USA is simply not true. Not yet in time, at least.

Chandler is by far the better big man for Team USA. With Argentina approaching, and Spain looming in the background, Team USA's best low-post defender is Tyson Chandler. He's played in the most big games, and is Team USA's best chance of slowing down the three-headed trio of the Gasol brothers and Serge Ibaka.

Davis has shown flashes of brilliant potential, but that doesn't mean he's ready to guard someone of Pau Gasol's level in the gold medal game. He's too inexperienced for Pau, and may not be strong enough to guard Marc Gasol yet.

Two years from now, Davis will likely be the better big man for Team USA in the World Championships. Davis will be an experienced NBA player by then. Chandler will be older, and Howard could regain his USA spot if he so chooses.

Davis' time will come. But for now, Team USA will need Chandler if it wants to complete its sweep of the 2012 Olympics and earn a gold medal.

Team USA takes plays the rematch with Argentina Friday afternoon at 4:00 eastern.

From Cat Scratches UK blog:

For Anthony Davis and Team USA, it's all been building to this. A handful of exhibitions before the Olympics, five games of preliminaries and a knockout win over Australia were all played with the goal in mind of reaching this point: the medal round.

At 4 p.m. ET on the NBC Sports Network, the Americans will take on Argentina in the semifinals of the Olympic basketball tournament for a right to play for the gold medal. Argentina, the lone team to knock off Team USA more than once in Olympic play since NBA players have been allowed to play in 1992, is perceived as the biggest threat to the Americans' march to the gold.

Team USA defeated Argentina 126-97 in the final game of preliminary play, with Davis tallying two points and two rebounds in 7:32 of playing time. Don't let that lopsided score fool you though. The Argentinians will be ready to play. Five veterans from the 2004 gold medalists are on the 2012 roster, including San Antonio Spurs star Manu Ginobili.

All that's to say Team USA could be in for a test on Friday, meaning there's a pretty good chance Davis - the squad's 12th man - might not see too much playing time. Even so, it's been an incredible experience for the national player of the year, who is over three years younger than James Harden, the next youngest player on the roster.

Davis has played in five of the Americans' six games, averaging 5.2 points, 3.4 rebounds in 9:33. He's also shot 64.7percent from the field, not so different from the 62.3 percent he shot during his season at Kentucky.

Anyway, tune into NBC Sports Network or watch the live stream here on NBCOlympics.com.

Anthony Davis played the last 3:38 of the semifinal game against Argentina. He did not score but had 1 defensive rebound.

Gold medal game Sunday morning at 10:00.

Originally Posted by Flotsam

Gold medal game Sunday morning at 10:00.

What channel?

Originally Posted by Randy Parker

What channel?

NBC.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE:

They took the Chunnel to Paris to gawk at the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.

They paraded around Parliament Square and marveled at the majesty of Buckingham Palace. They shopped till they dropped on the West End along the magnificent mile that is Regent Street.

But of all the touristy sights Chicago couple Anthony Davis Sr. and his wife Eranier have seen during their hastily arranged vacation abroad, nothing topped seeing son Anthony in a Team USA jersey No. 14.

Just 19, no player younger than Davis has represented the U.S. men's basketball team in the Olympics. No dad ever has been prouder.

"Besides him being born, this is the greatest day a parent could have, to see him go from being an unknown in Chicago to winning a national title at Kentucky and maybe a gold medal in the same year," Anthony Sr. said Friday. "We feel blessed. It's a learning experience for Anthony and us.''

The education continued at North Greenwich Arena as the U.S. annihilated Argentina 109-83 to advance to Sunday's gold-medal game against Spain. Davis kept his warm-ups on until 3:38 remained and Coach Mike Krzyzewski felt a 26-point lead provided enough cushion.

When Davis finally ran onto the floor, his father in the 12th row pulled out a camera to capture another big moment, the kind that have been more scarce than they were in college or Perspectives Charter School. In six Olympic games, Davis has averaged 8½ minutes, 4.3 points, three rebounds but gained an appreciation no statistic can measure.

"It's been tough coming from Kentucky where I was That Guy," Davis said Friday. "I represent Chicago every time I step on the court. So I'm just glad to be here and want to perform when I get in. I'm lucky these guys are teaching me how to become legendary, like they are."

No U.S. teammate has taken a bigger interest in Davis than the Lakers' Kobe Bryant. Every day, Davis says, Bryant reminds him, "to just have fun." LeBron James also has reached out regularly, but more playfully, such as when James ambushed Davis from behind to razz him for giving this interview.

"People don't realize what a good guy LeBron is and we appreciate how supportive he's been of Anthony," Anthony Sr. said.

As a teen among titans, Davis still sits in the back of team buses and fetches sports drinks on demand. But the superstars embrace Davis' presence much more than, say, the 1992 Dream Team welcomed 12th man Christian Laettner. The two men whose Olympic bench stints could not have been more different met for the first time recently.

"I don't know how it was for (Laettner), but they have accepted me like I was supposed to be here and no different than anybody," Davis said.

The trait everyone notices most about Davis receives the same attention from fans on this side of the Atlantic.

"They were yelling, 'Put "Unibrow" in,' " Anthony Sr. said.

Nobody will forget the time Krzyzewski tried putting Davis in early against Nigeria but couldn't. The center forgot his jersey and so he sat until the second half. Kevin Durant ribbed Davis, Kevin Love teased him on Twitter.

In a way, the funny episode made Davis' parents feel better about their plan to spend six months in New Orleans helping their teen-age son adapt to being the first overall pick by the Hornets in June's NBA draft. The easiest part should come in the paint, especially in an Eastern Conference suddenly without Dwight Howard. The harder adjustment will come away from the court, managing two resources that often challenge brand new millionaires: time and money.

"He's still young, so we just want to make sure he adjusts," Eranier said. "You know, make sure he doesn't forget anything."

She laughed a travel-weary laugh.

Life has been a wonderful whirlwind lately for the South Side family. Since April, Davis has won an NCAA title, been drafted and replaced the injured Blake Griffin on Team USA. That happened July 12 when Davis was attending the ESPYs in Los Angeles.

"He called saying, 'Mom, I'm playing in the Olympics!' " Eranier said. "We were thrilled. And then we were like, 'We've got to get passports for our two daughters."

It means everything to Davis that sisters Iesha and Antoinette, his twin, will be alongside his parents Sunday if he completes this dream year with a Dream Team gold medal.

"It would be more special with them here," Davis said.

They know better than anybody how far Davis has come from obscurity in Chicago to the world stage in London. The nice part is Davis still remembers too.

dhaugh@tribune.com

Anthony Davis was put in to the game with 37 seconds to go. The game was not completely out of reach when Coach K cleared the bench.

Spain brought it down to a 2 possession game. Davis sealed the outcome with a monster defensive rebound. He did not score and had the 1 rebound.

From Yahoo.com

It's hard to imagine a 19-year-old having a better year than New Orleans Hornets F Anthony Davis. First, he helped the Kentucky Wildcats win the NCAA National Championship. Then the Hornets selected Davis with the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Finally, he won a gold medal as part of the Team USA men's basketball team.

Take a look back at Anthony Davis's top five moments as a member of the 2012 Team USA men's basketball team.

5. Davis clinches USA gold with late rebound

When USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski began jumping up and down near the end of the gold medal game, nobody told Spain the game was over. I thought I was watching the biggest USA faux pas in Olympic history when Spain made it a two-possession game. However, Anthony Davis grabbed a huge defensive rebound to seal USA's victory.

4. Davis forgets jersey

When you win 156-73, you can laugh about things like this. For Krzyzewski to insert Anthony Davis in the first half of a game signifies the outcome was never in doubt. I still don't know how someone can forget to put his jersey on, but the kid is only 19 years old. After putting his jersey on, he scored nine points in the second half for Team USA.

3. Davis make three-point shot

This memorable moment occurred in an exhibition prior to the Olympics. Anthony Davis made a long three-point shot against the Dominican Republic. What made this special was the eye contact between Davis and his college coach John Calipari. His body language was saying, "You should have let me shoot three-pointers at Kentucky, coach!"

2. Davis scores 12 without missing a shot

Anthony Davis's best game in the Summer Olympics for Team USA took place against Tunisia. Not only did he score 12 points, but he didn't miss a shot. Of course, his shots weren't that difficult as the USA point guards had fun lobbing him passes that became easy dunks. He was 5-5 on field goal attempts and 2-2 from the free throw line.

1. Davis becomes youngest USA gold medal winner in men's basketball

When Anthony Davis received his gold medal around his neck at 11:29 a.m. CT, he became the youngest gold medal winner in the history of USA men's basketball. Being part of this incredible USA team is a great honor and hopefully his success in basketball is only just beginning. The 19-year-old phenom should have a great career ahead of him.