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Gordon named a finalist

Jul 28, 2010
by D.J. Foster




From Clippers.com:

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo announced today that Los Angeles Clippers guard Eric Gordon has been named a finalist for the 2010 USA World Championship Team, following four days of training and an intra-squad exhibition game that were held July 19-24 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Joining Gordon as finalists for the USA World Championship Team were Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets); Tyson Chandler (Dallas Mavericks); Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies); Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers); Jeff Green (Oklahoma City Thunder); Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers); Brook Lopez (New Jersey Nets); Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Rajon Rondo (Boston Celtics); Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls); and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder).

The 15-man roster will be narrowed down to 12 after a week of training in New York in August.

D.J. Foster

Latest posts by D.J. Foster (see all)

  • Slax

    Eric Gordon is coming of age. Love it. Great news for Clipper fans.

  • clipper george

    God for Eric. Just don’t get hurt

  • AfishLClipp

    Even if he doesn’t make the 12 man cut, this should be more than enough of a self-confidence booster for him! I like what I see…

  • Petey Pablo

    During the scrimmage game, one of the tv analyst was saying ” Eric Gordon has been a surprise” and the second analyst said ” not really – Coach K was praising him all week ” ,
    so atleast EG got national tv exposure and props.

  • Manny

    RIP Lorenzen Wright

  • mario1p

    wow lorenzen wright is gone cant believe it a former LA Clipper

    • TNT57

      I know, I thought former Clippers were immortal. Man was that some bad info.

  • SamMays

    Looking at that roster, Gordon is the only SG listed… A few others can play there if they have to, but Gordon is the only natural SG… And there are way too many PG’s who aren’t good shooters… I’d like to think he has a great chance to make it.

  • Josh

    Good for Eric. I love being able to root for a player like him, and that’s pretty much the highest compliment I can give him. Stay healthy, and enjoy the ride!

  • JaySee

    The only one close to being an SG on that roster is AI and he’s not a good shooter. Gordon is on the team.

    There are also only 2 real centers on that roster, Chandler and Lopez. The last 3 to get dropped will be of the 5 PGs or 5 SFs. Kevin Love and Odom are the only PFs.

  • Ryan

    Congrats to EJ, he has really been working hard this summer and I think it is all going to pay off for him and the Clippers. As many have said, I think he is a lock on this team, but he has to continue to play well in the coming weeks to make it to Turkey.

  • Ian

    Anybody else notice that EJ stopped playing defense about 1/2 way through last season? Especially on pick and rolls. Just wondering.

    • Josh

      I think his hamstring was bothering him. And the Loss of Camby made everyone stop playing D.

    • Dump Davis

      He suffered an injury to his foot (maybe ankle) last season. He was out a few games and came back, but when he came back he said he was told he’d have a lot of pain in it for the rest of the season and he’d just have to play through it. Not much was made of his injury in the media, but I noticed he never was the same after that. So I’m glad to see he’s now fit and playing well.

      Notice how team USA never asks Baron Davis to try out for it.

  • http://aol ClipperMarc

    I feel this is just what EG needs . To be able to play along with his peers.

  • clipafan4life

    I’m not sure of EJ making the team since Iggy, Durant, Westbrook, Granger, and Curry could all be 2/3s on the court but if you want a pure shooter that plays tough I would choose gordon over Iggy and Curry since Iggy doesn’t shoot the 3 well and Curry is too little. Westbrook is a better ball handler, granger a better shooter, and durant is more of a 3. I would dump curry, green, and iggy personally tho because curry isn’t better than billups, rose, rondo, or westbrook for point guard.

    • JaySee

      Curry is a 1 and undersized to play 2. Westbrook is a 1, undersized to play 2 and isn’t a shooter. I have no idea why you’re calling these guys 2/3s. Granger could play 2. Durant is a 2 in a 3’s body.

    • Ryan

      Curry can play the 3!? I think Curry will make this team, but not b/c he can play the 3, haha. I think EJ and Curry will both make it as they are pure outside shooters that will bust the zones and stretch the defense. They will open the court for guys like Rose and Durant.

      My 12 man roster:

      Rose
      Rondo
      Curry
      Billups
      Gordon
      Durant
      Gay
      Iggy
      Love
      Odom
      Chandler
      Lopez

  • First2One00

    I’d probably drump Curry, Rondo, and Green. I’m not very impressed with Green’s game and I feel like either iggy or Granger would do a better job at filling in for what ever Green would bring to the table. Rajon Rondo is great at an open court offense but there’s a limited amount of running involved in the international game and a lot of international teams stick to the zone and would beg Rondo to shoot jumpers which we all know he is still lacking some confidence in that field. Stephen Curry looks too fragile to be honest.

    • JaySee

      I’d dump Rondo over Curry. Curry can light it up. Russell Westbrook can do everything Rondo does and shoot better.

      • Josh

        You are wrong about Rondo. I am not going to elaborate on that, but you are so wrong, it’s not even funny.

        • TNT57

          I’m guessing you weren’t captain of the debate team.

        • JaySee

          Compare Rondo’s first 2 years to Westbrook. Westbrook has better numbers in every category except FG% because Rondo doesn’t shoot. What’s Rondo’s positives? He gets rebounds and leads the break. Westbrook does that. He has length and gets steals. Westbrook does that. He creates opportunities and gets assists. Westbrook does that. Westbrook also does 2 things that Rondo can’t. Make free throws and 3s.

          • dawool

            yeah everybodys on rondos dick because the celtics had a good run to the finals

  • fluke

    Tyson Chandler is getting dumped, why is he even on the team? Hes a failure in the NBA so just because he is a giant, he gets to be on the team? The other countries don’t have any giants so we don’t need him. Hes dropped.

    Then I would say that Kevin Love should go as well, he just isn’t that great to begin with and isn’t very big.

    Then I hate to say it, but Eric Gordon should be gone. He is too small for a team that is already packed with guards. He is the odd one out when you look at people like Westbrook, Rondo, Curry, Etc. They are all better than him. And Curry is definitely a better shooter than EJ.

    If I was using my homer vision and keeping Gordon on the team, then I would get rid of either Lamar Odom or Jeff Green. Lamar is hit and miss and I don’t think he can be trusted. Jeff Green is basically the same player but younger. Except Jeff Green is more of a power forward.

    • JaySee

      Chandler’s only problem has been his injuries. He’s long, athletic, and plays hard defense. He’s what people want in a center for the NBA.

    • Ryan

      TC is a lock on this team, so are Odom, Rose, Durant, and Billups. I am not saying that will be the starting five, but they need Rose and KD for their scoring abilities and they need TC, Odom, and Billups for their veteran presence. The rest of the team will be shooters (Gordon, Gay, and Curry, hustle players (Love), and defensive minded guys (Rondo, Iggy, Lopez)

  • Justin

    Fluke you are nuts….sounds like you want a team of guards. Can’t get rid of three big men as there are not many options on this team.

  • Josh

    Also, it’s FIBA. You can hand check in FIBA. You can’t in the NBA. Rondo, Westbrook, and EJ took major advantage of that. I would dump Billups. This is going to be a small team, and Odom will probably play the 5. Lamar is also perfect for the international game.

    • Ryan

      Yeah, EJ is a very good on ball defender. He will do well in FIBA play on the defensive end. I believe he should make the team over Westbrook. Westbrook is not a good outside shooter and he plays out of control when he has to psuh the ball in transition. The team is just fine w/o Westbrook at the point gaurd position with Rose, Billups, Rondo, and Curry.

  • Dump Davis

    Clearly this shows Eric Gordon is physically well and is back to playing excellent ball. The fifteen players who made the cut are all very good, so if he’s now playing at that caliber, it’s a very good thing. Gordon, Griffin and Kaman are going to be a very strong core.

    Now, if the Clippers would just dump Davis so he can’t poison them.

  • TNT57

    Congrats Eric. After practicing with these studs Eric’s going to come back and realize just how slow and untalented this particular team is. That’s not negative, just a fact. A negative fact?

    • Five O

      I think your comment is applicable to most other teams with exception to the newly formed heat or lakers. Way to stick your neck out on that comment.

      • TNT57

        You make your point by mentioning the HEAT and the LAKERS. I would argue, sir, that you are the one with the stunted neck. You like that ‘sir’ thing? I’ve been watchin’ too much TRUE BLOOD.

        • Five O

          Very funny, i too am a fan of that show sir! C’mon TNT clips have some speed on this years squad. Aminu, Griffin, Bledsoe, Gordon (of course) and Davis can get up and down with the best of them. Running game is a function of rebounding and this years squad should be much improved depsite Camby being gone. We will have better rebounding from gomes/aminu at SF, Griffin will pull them at PF but our backcourt needs to do a better job. Cant wait for training camp!

  • LALAW

    it’s amazing to read some of these comments, a lot of you showing a true lack of knowledge for the intricacies of basketball. The international game due to the zone places a very high premium on outside shooting, despite his small size, other than durant and a big, steph curry is one of the most important players for the team because as mentioned in the scrimmage he is considered the best shooter on the team and one of the best in the nba, quite frankly.

    When EG is feeling it, he will also fill the role of being an outside shooter, Because i am a stalwart clipper fan, not a wannabee, a dig in my wallet season ticket holder, suffering through year after year of agonizing hope and disappointment, i am so pulling for Gordon to make the team to give the clips some positive hype. After EG starting feeling it, the announcers had to search within themselves to find positives to say about the clips,”well, they have Kaman and new coach and blake griffin is a candidate for our next olympic team ” EG’s strong showing forced them to say somethign positive about the Clips. My closet is full of clipper gear, i wear it proud and deal with all the taunts in this laker country, i love the lakers too, but my favorite team is the clippers.

    Very, very, very disappointed with our off season, but quite frankly there is not much that olshey could do, gay and joe johnson got mega deals with their own ball clubs, those were our two best legitimate options, everything after that was cannon fodder….Still holding longshot hope that somethign can be done to give us a better starting small forward option than butler, he is a good spark plug off the bench, but not a starter for a western conference playoff team…

  • Hiretarktheshark.com

    This team needs some centers. We are gonna get rolled by a team with a post game like we did in the olympics before last.

  • LALAW

    this is not the olympic team, this is for world games, dwight howard will be there for olympics and if cousins develops as many thinks he will, he will be a high caliber nba center as well. lebron, kobe, wade, etc.. will be there for olympics, this is our JV team…

    • Five O

      I would not hold my breath on Cousins. He has tons of talent but when people compare him to Benoit Benjamin, that is not good. Talent is no arguement with Cousins but like most players coming in the word “potential” is all over him. Remember when we drafted Odom? Everyone thought he had Magic Johnson written all over him and he does from a talent perspective but what he lacks (heart/desire/motivation) yields the player that he is today. Our center Kaman may not be pretty but he is getting better.

  • Ryan

    I think EJ is a lock for the 12 man roster. Don’t let the media try to tell you who is on the team and who isn’t. They don’t know for sure. If this team is following the foot steps of the gold medal team of 2008, the team will have a lot of guards and forwards. This team only needs 3-4 bigs. With that said, here are my 12 to make the final cut. I should say this. If I am wrong, that is fine. I am just pleased to see EJ make the cut over Mayo and get to see him play in the games.

    PG Rose
    PG Rondo
    PG Billups
    SG Curry
    SG Gordon
    SF Durant
    SF Gay
    SF Iguodala
    PF Love
    PF Odom
    C Chandler
    C Lopez

  • BenFranklin

    Confirmed for getting hurt.


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