2013 AL Silver Sluggers Review

Likely MVP Miguel Cabrera headlines the AL winners

The 2013 Silver Slugger award winners were announced tonight on MLB Network. Here's my rundown of the American League recipients, all but one of whom deserved the award:

C Joe Mauer
Though he played just 113 games, Mauer did more than enough to win his fifth Silver Slugger. He batted .324/.404/.476, posting his highest OPS since his MVP campaign in 2009. No other American League catcher (except maybe Carlos Santana) came close to matching those figures. What's more, Mauer led Junior Circuit backstops in offensive runs above average, wOBA and wRC+.

1B Chris Davis
Not only did Davis prove his long-overdue 2012 breakout was legit, but he also emerged as baseball's premier power hitter. His 53 home runs, 138 RBI and 370 total bases all led the bigs, as did his 96 total bases, 11.0 AB/HR and 7.8 Win Probability Added (translation: he was the sport's "clutchest" hitter this year). His 103 runs, .634 slugging percentage and 1.004 OPS all placed second.

2B Robinson Cano
Another year, another Silver Slugger for Cano, who was far and away the best hitting keystone in the American League (not taking anything away from Dustin Pedroia and Jason Kipnis, who had tremendous seasons in their own right). The free agent-to-be compiled impressive numbers across the board, batting .214/.383/.516 with 41 doubles, 27 dingers, 107 RBI and 312 total bases. No second baseman in either league approached those kinds of power numbers, and that's only going to help Cano's case at the bargaining table this winter. My prediction: Cano's going to get a pretty fat contract.

3B Miguel Cabrera
The Babe Ruth-ian power display put on by Chris Davis prevented Miggy from becoming the first repeat Triple Crown winner in history, but it shouldn't stop him from becoming the league's first repeat MVP since Frank Thomas circa 20 years ago. Cabrera won the sabermetric Triple Crown by leading the majors with his .348 average, .442 OBP and .636 SLG, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's a small book of advanced stats I could throw at you, but I don't need any of them to convince you of what you already know: Cabrera is the best hitter in baseball. His numbers would have been even more impressive had injuries not slowed him down the stretch. Josh Donaldson, Adrian Beltre and Evan Longoria all had great seasons too, but none of them compare to Cabrera.

SS J.J. Hardy
They got it wrong on this one. Hardy was an average hitter at best in 2013, so the award should've gone to Jed Lowrie. While it's true that Hardy led the position in home runs with 26 (tied with Troy Tulowitzki) and paced AL shortstops in RBI (76--one more than Lowrie), Lowrie clearly had the superior offensive season. His .290/.344/.446 batting line, .345 wOBA and 121 wRC+ were all tops among AL shortstops, as were his 45 doubles and 62 extra base hits. That's not saying much, what with Derek Jeter sidelined for most of the year and Jose Reyes missing a huge chunk of time, but for this award it matters.

OF Mike Trout
Trout was once again the best player in baseball. His superlative WAR total (using whatever method you prefer) bears that out. If WAR's not your bag, he excels by traditional metrics as well. His 109 runs and 110 walks led the league. He batted .323/.432/.557. He banged out 75 extra base hits, swiped 33 bags in 40 tries and reached base more times than anyone except Joey Votto. Now that's a ballplayer.

OF Adam Jones
Jones earned his first Silver Slugger by essentially replicating the numbers from his 2012 breakthrough. He notched the same number of hits, blasted one more homer, scored three fewer runs, stole two fewer bases and lost two points on his batting average. His 33 big flies and 108 RBI set new career highs as well as blowing away the power numbers produced by his fellow AL center fielders, the likes of whom were mainly speedsters such as Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner, and Michael Bourn.

OF Torii Hunter
In a relatively weak class of right fielders, the 38 year-old Hunter took home his second trophy despite his unimpressive power numbers (17 homers, .161 ISO) and anemic walk rate (4.0 percent). Among AL right fielders he had the highest batting average (.304--the second highest of his career and one point better than Daniel Nava) as well as the most runs (90), hits (184), doubles (37), RBI (84) and total bases (282). If Shane Victorino and/or Jose Bautista had stayed healthy they would have won the hardware, but as it stands Hunter's the guy.

DH David Ortiz
Big Papi claimed his sixth Silver Slugger award by batting a robust .309/.395/.564 (ranking sixth, fourth and third in the AL, respectively), good for a 160 OPS+ (fourth). The 37 year-old also clubbed 38 doubles, 30 home runs and compiled 103 RBI--his most since 2007. Age does not appear to be slowing Ortiz down in the slightest as he continues to pad his Hall of Fame resume. (For what it's worth, Edwin Encarnacion had pretty similar numbers, though Papi's were a bit better.)

Slow Starts I'm Not Worried About (AL)

Victor Martinez (.215/.272/.306)
The Bad: V-Mart has looked very rusty after missing all of 2012 with a torn ACL. Martinez didn't hit his first home run of the season until May 4th. Despite batting fifth in Detroit's lineup behind Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, he has just 18 RBI on the season. He's striking out more than ever before and has worked only two walks since April 20th. At 34, he's reached an age where most players begin to suffer marked deterioration in their performance.

Why he'll turn it around: That .234 BABiP is bound to come up, as will his 3.5 HR/FB%. His stellar track record suggests he's going to figure things out sooner or later, and when he does he's going to knock in truckloads of runs batting behind Cabrera and Fielder.

Josh Willingham (.205/.378/.411)
The Bad: After a solid opening month, Willingham has seen his power stroke disappear in May. In his past 14 games he has no home runs and just seven hits. He's seeing fewer strikes than last year, so pitchers may be trying to avoid him more.

Why he'll turn it around: High strikeout, feast-or-famine hitters like Willingham tend to be streaky. Let's just chalk his recent slide up to a standard slump and assume the next power binge is right around the corner, especially as the weather starts warming up.

Yoenis Cespedes (.204/.270/.435)
The Bad: Cespedes already spent time on the DL with a thumb injury, which may still be affecting his swing. He has just one multi-hit game in May and hasn't drawn a walk since May 3rd. He fanned 30 times in a 22 game span from April 2nd through May 10th. He stole 16 bases last year, when he finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting behind Mike Trout, but has yet to swipe one this year.

Why he'll turn it around: His .203 BABiP is due for some serious correction, especially when his line drive percentage (8.6) starts to climb.

Albert Pujols (.248/.328/.418)
The Bad: Playing on a surgically repaired knee and through plantar fasciitis seems to be taking its toll on the 33 year-old first baseman. His strikeout rate is the highest it's been since his rookie season. He's leading the league in double plays grounded into and is once again a main culprit for LA's sluggish start (though Josh Hamilton is more to blame).

Why he'll turn it around: Pujols was even worse last spring, when he batted just .192/.228/.277 through May 11th. From that point forward he batted .310/.373/.581. He's one of the best hitters of all time, and he's worthy of your patience. His .246 BABiP will rise, as will his 12.0 HR/FB%.

Adam Dunn (.156/.255/.391)
The Bad: There's a lot of bad. Dunn went 34 straight plate appearances without a base hit from April 12th to April 20th. He had just two multi-hit games in April and three overall. His walk rate is way down. His numbers don't look much better than they did in 2011, when he had one of the worst seasons a hitter has ever had. The last place White Sox need more from him.

Why he'll turn it around: After slamming three home runs in his past two games, Dunn may already be emerging from the depths of his early season slump. Given that he's totaled at least 38 dingers in eight of the past nine years, the home runs are going to start coming in bunches. His .155 BABiP has nowhere to go but up.

2012 MLB All Bust Team (AL)

A look back at those who flopped in 2012, either due to injuries, bad performance, or a combination of both.  If you picked these guys on your fantasy teams, hopefully you cut bait before these anchors dragged your squad down into the depths of the rotisserie abyss. To see the 2011 version of the team, go here:

C Alex Avila
2011:  63 runs 19 home runs 82 RBI  3 steals  .295/.389/.506
2012:  42 runs  9 home runs  48 RBI  2 steals  .243/.352/.384

1B Eric Hosmer (also considered Carlos Pena and Casey Kotchman)
2011:  66 runs  19 home runs  78 RBI  11 steals  .293/.334/.465
2012:  65 runs  14 home runs  60 RBI  16 steals  .232/.304/.359

2B Jemile Weeks
2011:  50 runs  2 home runs  36 RBI  22 steals  .303/.340/.421
2012:  54 runs  2 home runs  20 RBI  16 steals  .221/.305/.304

3B Danny Valencia
2011:  63 runs  15 home runs  72 RBI  2 steals  .246/.294/.383
2012:  14 runs   3 home runs   21 RBI  0 steals  .188/.199/.299

SS Jhonny Peralta (almost went with Yunel Escobar)
2011:  68 runs  21 home runs  86 RBI  0 steals  .299/.345/.478
2012:  58 runs  13 home runs  63 RBI  1 steal  .239/.305/.384

OF Brennan Boesch
2011:  75 runs  16 home runs  54 RBI  5 steals  .283/.341/.458
2012:  52 runs  12 home runs  54 RBI  6 steals  .240/.286/.372

OF Jacoby Ellsbury
2011:  119 runs  32 home runs  105 RBI  39 steals  .321/.376/.552
2012:    43 runs    4 home runs    26 RBI  14 steals  .271/.313/.370

OF Jeff Francoeur
2011:  77 runs  20 home runs  87 RBI  22 steals  .285/.329/.476
2012:  58 runs  16 home runs  49 RBI   4 steals   .235/.287/.378

DH Michael Young
2011:  88 runs  11 home runs  106 RBI  6 steals  .338/.380/.474
2012:  79 runs    8 home runs   67 RBI   2 steals  .277/.312/.370

SP Jon Lester
2011:  15-9  3.47 ERA  1.26 WHIP  182 strikeouts
2012:  9-14  4.82 ERA  1.38 WHIP  166 strikeouts

SP Ricky Romero
2011:  15-11  2.92 ERA  1.14 WHIP  178 strikeouts
2012:   9-14   5.77 ERA  1.67 WHIP  124 strikeouts

SP Ervin Santana
2011:  11-12  3.38 ERA  1.22 WHIP  178 strikeouts
2012:    9-13  5.16 ERA  1.27 WHIP  133 strikeouts

SP Dan Haren
2011:  16-10  3.17 ERA  1.02 WHIP  192 strikeouts
2012:  12-13  4.33 ERA  1.29 WHIP  142 strikeouts

SP Josh Beckett
2011:  13-7  2.89 ERA  1.03 WHIP  175 strikeouts
2012:  7-14  4.65 ERA  1.33 WHIP  132 strikeouts

RP Mark Melancon
2011:  8-4  2.78 ERA  1.22 WHIP  66 strikeouts  20 saves
2012:  0-2  6.20 ERA  1.27 WHIP  41 strikeouts   1 save

CL Francisco Cordero
2011:  5-3  2.45 ERA  1.02 WHIP  42 strikeouts  37 saves
2012:  3-8  7.55 ERA  2.01 WHIP  31 strikeouts   2 saves

2012 All Breakout Team (AL)

C Jarrod Saltalamacchia
In his age 27 season, Salty finally started to make good on the promise that made him a highly regarded prospect with the Braves and Rangers. The switch-hitting backstop posted a .232 ISO and crushed 25 home runs, a number topped only by A.J. Pierzynski and Wilin Rosario among big league catchers. No longer splitting time with Jason Varitek, Saltalamacchia settled in as Boston's everyday catcher and set career highs across the board. Incredibly, 24 of his 25 dingers came at the expense of righthanded pitching, which leads me to wonder why he doesn't bat from the left side every time.

1B Edwin Encarnacion
The 29 year-old finally broke out--Jose Bautista style--after teasing the baseball world with his power stroke for years. E-5 posted the best AB/HR rate in the American League, finished third in slugging (.557) and RBI (110) while his 42 big flies placed him fourth. Amazingly, he provided all that power without striking out 100 times. On an injury-riddled Blue Jays squad, Encarnacion was one of the few bright spots. Surely he would have placed higher than eleventh in the MVP race had Toronto won more than 73 games. As it is, I just can't get over the fact that he didn't make the All-Star team in a year when he was more valuable than Josh Hamilton, Adam Jones and Derek Jeter according to bWAR.

2B Jason Kipnis
The second-year second baseman tailed off in the second half but still finished his first full season with 14 home runs, 31 stolen bases and 3.7 bWAR. Kipnis isplayed good patience by drawing 67 walks to help compensate for his .257 batting average. He established himself as one of the better defensive keystones in the league, too. At 25, he's just coming into his prime and should be one of the league's best players at the position for years to come.

3B Kyle Seager
Seattle's second-year third baseman slugged 20 home runs, belted 35 doubles and knocked in 86 runs, leading the Mariners in all three categories. He also chipped in 13 steals and held his own at the hot corner, more or less replicating the annual value Adrian Beltre provided during his underwhelming seasons with the M's.

SS Alcides Escobar
After back-to-back disappointing seasons as an everyday player, Escobar broke out in his second year with Kansas City. The slick-fielding shortstop batted a rock solid .293 and went 35-for-40 in stolen base attempts to make up for his lack of power (.390 SLG). The Royals need him to carry his weight on offense if they're going to have any shot at competing this year.

OF Austin Jackson
One of the most underrated players in the game last year, Jackson (5.2 bWAR) led the league in triples, batted a career best .300/.377/.479 and scored 103 runs while providing plenty of RBI opportunities for Prince Fielder and Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera. Miggy plated Jackson with 38 of his 139 ribbies (27.3 percent) while Cecil Fielder's son drove Detroit's leadoff man home 22 times (approximately one-fifth of Fielder's 108 RBI). Since Jackson knocked himself in 16 times via the long ball, the Tiger center fielder can attribute 69 percent of his team-dependent runs total to the dynamic duo. With RBI machine Victor Martinez returning to Motown's top-heavy lineup this year, Jackson should rank near the top of the league in runs scored once again.

OF Alejandro De Aza
Carried over his strong finish (.920 OPS) to the 2011 season and had a good year hitting leadoff in Chicago's lineup. Posted a .349 OBP, stole 26 bases and scored 81 runs while setting the table for Adam Dunn, Paul Konerko and Alex Rios.

OF Josh Reddick
Was blocked by J.D. Drew in Boston but took off in Oakland after Ben Cherington traded him for Ryan Sweeney and Andrew Bailey. Reddick teamed up with rookie Yoenis Cespedes to supply the firepower in the heart of Oakland's lineup. Helped lead the A's to the division title by slamming 32 home runs, stealing 11 bases and accumulating 4.5 bWAR. To top it off, he won his first Gold Glove on the strength of his terrific glovework and powerful throwing arm in right field.  Another score for Billy Beane, who nabbed the long-haired outfielder just in time for his prime years.

DH Chris Davis
Much like Alex Gordon, Crush endured his share of disappointment in the majors before finally busting out in his fifth big league season. Picked up the slack for slumping infielders Mark Reynolds and J.J. Hardy by cranking 33 home runs and batting a respectable .270 despite fanning 169 times. To read more about his breakthrough, go here.

SP Chris Sale
Sale (5.7 bWAR) was nothing short of phenomenal in his first season in Chicago's starting rotation. After spending two years in the White Sox bullpen, the 23 year-old made a smooth transition to starting and formed a dominant 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation with Jake Peavy.  Sale etched his name into the AL leaderboards, ranking among the league's best in nearly every category. Made his first All-Star team, finished sixth in the Cy Young voting and helped keep the Sox atop the AL Central for most of the summer before they collapsed during the season's final two weeks.

SP Brandon Morrow
A strained oblique sidelined him for most of the summer, but in his 21 starts the budding ace compiled a 2.96 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and trimmed his walk rate for the third year in a row. If he stays healthy next year, he could wind up in the Cy Young discussion, but it's going to be difficult for him to stand out in a retooled rotation headed by Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, and NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey.

SP Scott Diamond
Diamond was dismal when Minnesota brought him up for a cup of coffee in 2011 but emerged as the rotation's only bright spot last season. He began the season in Triple-A and didn't make his first start until May 8th, which he won by outdueling Dan Haren and shutting out an Angels lineup featuring Albert Pujols, Torii Hunter, Mark Trumbo and Mike Trout. He blanked the Blue Jays in his next turn and was off and running. He wore down a bit during the dog days of summer but still led the Twins staff in wins, ERA, starts, and innings pitched in hist first full season.  Diamond succeeded in spite of his paltry 4.7 K/9 rate by posting the lowest walk rate in the league and keeping the ball in the park, which isn't too difficult when you make half your starts at Target Field.

SP Chris Tillman
Came into 2012 with 36 starts under his belt, a 5.58 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and more than twice as many losses as wins in his first three seasons. To his credit, he did show signs of improvement in 2011 by cutting his home run rate in half, trimming his walk rate from and striking out more hitters. Even so, he began the year in the minors and spent the first half of the season there, but pitched well enough to get another shot with the big club. Tillman proved to be Baltimore's best starter down the stretch, going 9-3 with a 2.93 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in his 15 starts. His Kris Medlen-esque impact helped the Orioles survive the loss of Jason Hammel (who was well on his way to a breakout year of his own) and get back to the postseason for the first time since 1997.

SP Max Scherzer
Has been up and down during his career, but there's no denying his ability to dominate hitters on any given day. Last year he strung enough of those performances together to develop into a reliable number two starter behind Justin Verlander. Scherzer's 231 strikeouts placed second to Verlander's league leading total of 239 but his 11.1 K/9 rate ranked first in the majors. He's always going to strike out batters in bunches, but his inconsistency and inability to pitch deep into games (he's never gone the distance in any of his 133 career starts) stand in the way of acehood..  Nevertheless, with Anibal Sanchez back on board for 2013 the reigning American League champs have a formidable trio at the top of their rotation.

RP Jake McGee
Rebounded from a poor 2011 to become an elite reliever, limiting opponents to a .168/.213/.239 batting line. The Tampa Bay Ray maintained a sparkling 1.95 ERA and 0.80 WHIP over his 69 appearances. More impressively, he racked up 73 strikeouts while walking only 11, good for a ridiculous 6.64 K/BB ratio. Unfortunately Fernando Rodney's historic season overshadowed McGee's outstanding relief work.

CL Jim Johnson
In his seventh season working out of Baltimore's bullpen, Johnson emerged as one of the best finishers in the Junior Circuit despite his anemic 5.4 K/9 rate. He entered the season with just 21 saves to his name but Buck Showalter handed him the closing gig in the wake of Kevin Gregg's disastrous 2011 season (1.64 WHIP). Johnson shocked the baseball world by leading the majors with 51 saves, becoming just the tenth player in MLB history to record at least 50 saves. He bookended his marvelous season with an awesome start and even better finish, allowing just two earned runs in his first 23 innings and only one earned run in his final 25 innings. For his efforts he was selected to his first All-Star team, received the AL Rolaids Relief Man award, placed seventh in the Cy Young voting (ahead of Yu Darvish and Matt Harrison) and earned more MVP shares than Pujols, Joe Mauer and Ben Zobrist combined.

To see the American League 2011 breakout team, go here.

USA Basketball Roster Finalized



Team USA is primed for another round of world domination in 2012

Yesterday the much anticipated 12-man USA Basketball Roster for the 2012 London Olympics was finally unveiled following days of speculation and debate over who would wind up with the final three spots, which went to Blake Griffin, James Harden and Andre Iguodala. The roster was supposed to have been finalized on June 18th, but injuries complicated matters by opening up several slots and necessitating some last minute juggling and re-shuffling. Five players--Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Deron Williams--will return from the "Redeem Team" that avenged the disappointing '04 bronze medalists by taking home the gold in Beijing four summers ago.  Their triumphant return to glory was overshadowed by swimming legend Michael Phelps, who captivated the nation by setting a new Olympic record with eight gold medals in the pool. 

Despite losing Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade from that '08 team, on paper this year's assembly of All-Stars could be even better.  It's prepared for every possible scenario because it's so balanced.  It has everything you could ask for; potent scorers, tough defenders, depth, versatility, and a careful blend of youth and experience.  I'm not sure if any team will ever surpass the perfect storm of talent that was the original 1992 "Dream Team" of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and all the rest, but this team stacks up well.  They might not win every game by 40 points, but they are men playing amongst boys.  Barring some sort of catastrophic collapse they should coast through the tournament and repeat as Gold medalists.  Spain, with a formidable lineup that includes Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, Jose Calderon, and Rudy Fernandez,  will once again be America's biggest obstacle. I'm confident that Coach Mike Krzyzewski's team has enough firepower at their disposal to beat the Spaniards again, though.

C-Tyson Chandler
This spot would haved belonged to Dwight Howard, who's far and away the best center in the game but will spend his summer recuperating from surgery needed to repair a herniated disk in his back/attempting to force a trade to the Brooklyn Nets so he can team up with Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace.  Chandler, the 2012 Defensive Player of the Year and NBA leader in field goal percentage, is a fine replacement.  He protects the rim with as much intensity as a mother bear defending her cubs.

PF-Blake Griffin
Says the knee injury that hindered him during the playoffs has healed.  Because of his size, Coach K is going to use him primarily as a center.

PF-Kevin Love
Hard to believe he's the same age as Durant.  He's an elite rebounder who uses footwork and high basketball IQ to get great positioning under the hoop.  Also the rare big man who can spread the floor with a lethal three point shot.  We've never seen a player quite him.

SF-LeBron James
The best player in basketball has won three of the past four MVP awards and is flying high after finally capturing that elusive first championship ring.  He's a beast on both ends of the court and is sure to give international players fits with his off-the-charts speed, athleticism and strength.  Check that; he's going to eat the European players for breakfast and spit them back out around noon.  This is his third Olympics, too, so he's well accustomed to the international game.

SF-Kevin Durant
James is the best player in the NBA, but the 23 year-old Durant isn't too far behind.  This kid can score at will, but you knew that already.  Hopefully he hasn't spiraled into full-blown depression after his Thunder lost to the evil Miami Heat in the Finals last month.

SF-Carmelo Anthony
Endured a rough season in New York, but since the Knicks missed out on the playoffs he should be healthy.  On offense Anthony is essentially a younger version of Kobe Bryant; someone with a great midrange game who gets to the line and thrives on isolation plays, but doesn't pass particularly well and slows the offense down as a result.  Like LeBron, 2012 will mark his third Olympics appearance.

SG/SF-Andre Iguodala
A perfect complementary piece and great team player who understands his role/doesn't need the ball in his hands to be successful.  Is somewhat limited offensively, but has become a great facilitator over the past two seasons as the point-forward in Doug Collins' system.  The swingman's athleticism and lockdown defense will come in handy, too.

SG-Kobe Bryant
Bryant, who will turn 34 in August, is the oldest player on the team by a good five years over Chandler.  He probably should be taking the summer off to rest his knees and prepare for life with Steve Nash, but if Kobe wants to play from a wheelchair then nobody is going to tell him otherwise.  The five time NBA champion still one of the best offensive players in the game, and if you need somebody to chuck up a contest jumper with the clock ticking away he's your man.

SG-James Harden
Fear the beard.

PG-Chris Paul
A balky left knee has hindered his effectiveness at times during the past two seasons, but he's still the most complete point guard around.  His basketball intelligence and court vision are unmatched, and when CP3's running your offense you know you're in good hands. 

PG-Russell Westbrook
Before Game 5 of the Finals, on the heels of his dominant, 43 point stat-stuffing performance, I wrote that "Yes, he can be reckless. He makes mistakes, takes dumb shots. and seems to forget that Kevin Durant plays on the same team as him. But everybody has their flaws, and much of the criticism he has to endure is undeserved. Because when he's on top of his game he's one of the best, most explosive players in the NBA."  When he gets into the lane, he's unstoppable.

PG-Deron Williams
The second best point guard over the past five seasons.  He's fallen into some bad habits with the Nets, but now that he's surrounded by such talented teammates he won't have to take as many shots, especially threes.  He can stay in his comfort zone and return to being the more efficient player he was with Utah.

Alternates (can be used to replace anybody on the 12 man team up to 48 hours before the first game)
PF/C-Anthony Davis
Would have added more size to the roster, but I'm glad he didn't make the team.  He hasn't earned it.  Had been favored to make the squad but a sprained ankle prevented the Number 1 draft pick from scrimmaging last week, costing him his spot.

SF Rudy Gay
Gay's certainly a talented player, just not in the same class as Durant, Anthony, and James.  Plus his style of play isn't particularly well-suited for international competition.

SG Eric Gordon
Missed all but nine games last season with cartilage damage in his right knee, so he's undoubtedly a little rusty as he works his way back into shape.

The team's first game is against France on July 29th, three weeks from today.