Anthony Davis and Team USA Ready to Rise and Grind

July 21, 2012; Barcelona, SPAIN; USA forward Anthony Davis (14) shoots during practice in preparation for the 2012 London Olympic Games at Palau Sant Jordi. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

Anthony Davis and Team USA will take on the French national team in their opening game Sunday at Olympic Park’s Basketball Arena. It will be an early start time at 9:30 a.m. EST. Team USA went undefeated through their warm up period as they strive to win the gold medal in London during the 2012 Summer Olympic games. France will be a quality opponent and a step up from exhibition play  as they feature two players who started for the San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker and Boris Diaw, who also held the NBA’s best record during the regular season. They’ll also feature Wizards forward and John Wall teammate Kevin Seraphin. Team USA should handle them though, and this being the third week that Davis has been a part of the team, hopefully Coach K is ready to unleash Davis on the French.

During the Olympics opening ceremonies last night, the announcers on NBC gave Anthony Davis a shoutout. He even got a picture with fellow USA Olympian and Lexington native Tyson Gay:

And while I, like every other Kentucky fan does, hope Davis does actually start to get some consistent playing time, everyone needs to temper their expectations and realize that Davis is a 19-year old teenager playing with grown men in their late 20s to early 30s. You should also read this piece on the 5 Reasons Anthony Davis Fans Shouldn’t Be Angry About Team USA Playing Time, which provides several great reminders that despite Davis’ lack of playing time, he still is getting a tremendous experience that will help his developmental as an NBA player, a professional, and a representative of the USA.