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Landry Shamet decided to remove himself from the USA Basketball Select Team camp, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Clippers G Landry Shamet has withdrawn from USA Basketball Select Team camp, agent @GeorgeLangberg tells ESPN. “He was appreciative of the opportunity and hopes to be part of USAB again in future,” Langberg tells ESPN. Shamet's preparing for what could be deep LAC playoff run.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 2, 2019
Shamet was part of the Select Team, a group of younger players that scrimmages against the senior national team. Other members of this year’s select team include Jarrett Allen, Marvin Bagley, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, John Collins, Pat Connaughton, De’Aaron Fox, Joe Harris, Jonathan Isaac, Mitchell Robinson, Derrick White, Trae Young, and Jaren Jackson Jr.
On the surface, it’s hard to tell why Shamet removed himself from the select team. If he hopes to be a part of USA Basketball in the future, which is what his agent George Langberg told Woj, then it would behoove Shamet to remain a part of the pool of players on the national team radar. Also, Woj reports that Shamet is preparing for a long Clippers season, but as a member of the select team, he is only really committing to one week of minicamp in Las Vegas.
The opportunity to train with some of the best players in the league underneath the tutelage of Gregg Popovich, not to mention Steve Kerr and Lloyd Pierce, would seem to be an invaluable experience for a second-year guard hoping to play meaningful minutes this season. So many young stars have made the USA bump after spending the summer playing for the national team, and it is hard to see why Shamet would willingly turn this down.
Perhaps Shamet wanted to actually make the national team that will be playing at the FIBA World Cup in China and determined that his chances of making the roster were slim. In that sense, however, it doesn’t really make sense to cite his NBA schedule as a reason to drop out of USA Basketball this summer.
It was an honor for Shamet to be chosen for the Select Team, and it reflects how well-regarded he is among young players in NBA circles. It’s too bad that, like Montrezl Harrell, he won’t be a part of the national team for this tournament. Hopefully, he puts that extra time to good use as he prepares for the upcoming Clippers season.