NBA: Utah Jazz Star Unfazed By Big Name Withdrawals From Team USA

USA Basketball will have to make do with the NBA stars they have on the list with some cagers withdrawing one after the other for various reasons. Heading into the 2019 FIBA World Cup, Team USA will not have the likes of Anthony Davis, James Harden and Zion Williamson and more have requested to have their names stricken off the list.

And with big names out, there are now some who have grown concerned of the chances of Team USA for the coming World Cup games since head coach Gregg Popovich will have to make do with other stars who are on the rise. One of those names is Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz who believes that the team remains competitive despite the exodus of big-name stars.

While speaking to TMZ Sports, Mitchell said he believes that Team USA still has what it takes to accomplish a three-peat. He added that it is all about competing and representing the country, nothing more and nothing less.

"At the end of the day, it doesn't matter who we have, we're going to compete for our country and I'm excited to play," he said.

As mentioned in a previous post, the number of NBA stars who have withdrawn has forced the hand of USA Basketball to look at other players for the Las Vegas training camp set for August 5 to 9. Among those who have withdrawn include Davis, Harden, Williamson, Bradley Beal, Eric Gordon, Tobias Harris and CJ McCollum. The latest is that DeMar Deroza and Damian Lillard have also pulled out, raising the number of player withdrawals to eight, ESPN reported.

And while most would be dismayed at the NBA player withdrawals, it is really something that comes to no surprise. It has happened in previous World Cup stints - including the one in 2014 where there were 11 new faces off the 2012 Olympic team.

Among the new players who are expected to be invited are Thaddeus Young, D'Angelo Russell, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and Julius Randle. At the rate that withdrawals are coming in, Team USA could end up with rising NBA stars than proven ones who have opted to focus on the coming NBA season with their respective teams instead.