Apparently, I have the ability to speak things into existence. Yesterday I suggested that Team USA completely tear down their current starting rotations in favor of a more balanced and team-oriented approach that featured two Detroit Pistons, Saddiq Bey and Jerami Grant..
I specifically said that Saddiq Bey should replace Bradley Beal.
It turns out Beal may not even be traveling to Tokyo with Team USA, as he has entered COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
Of course, I hope that Beal has a speedy recovery and faces no symptoms at all, but in upcoming exhibition games it has become clear someone needs to step up, This is where Saddiq Bey comes in. Bey has already been temporarily promoted to Team USA from the Select Team, so he has made the adjustment needed to play with the big guys. I also think it’s a good thing for an unproven player to join the lineup and have a real role. There are MVPs, champions, and All-Stars on this team. Several players are locks for the Hall of Fame.
Detroit Pistons: Saddiq Bey will do the dirty work for Team USA
There is no one to do the dirty work. Defense is fairly unreliable, aside from a stellar performance by Jerami Grant. Bey offers defense, unflashy catch-and-shoot offense, and has a team-first mentality. Popovich values this, and more importantly, it leads to wins.
Wins have been in short supply, and part of that reason is there are simply too many egos to juggle. Promoting Zach LaVine to the starting rotation won’t fix that, he expects to get the last shot. Bey and Grant don’t and won’t, and can play gritty basketball on a roster full of prima donnas.
Bey is is coming off an excellent rookie season and certainly wants to prove it wasn’t a fluke. Against surprisingly difficult competition in international play, Bey can prove to everyone outside of Detroit that he’s the real deal and the NBA should watch out.
There’s some internal bias here–playing for Popovich could do wonders for Bey’s game. I hope Beal isn’t sick at all, but if he can’t travel then his replacement should be a complementary player, not another me-first guy. Team USA has enough of that. Bey is hungry, talented, unproven, raw, and ready to play basketball in whatever way he is needed. Frankly, so is Jerami Grant, and the two could be a dangerous pair on a real team, not a compilation of big names playing selfish basketball.