When asked who he believes is the ‘Most Important Player’ on the current Team USA roster during the Undisputed show, Pierce responded, “Well, I did say that LeBron is probably the most valuable player and Kevin Durant is gonna be very very instrumental. But to me, the most important player in all of this has to be Anthony Davis.” But why did The Truth choose AD over so many legends? Well, while most players on the team are great scorers and elite offensive players, only a few can match AD’s presence on the defensive end.
“I feel like he’s the backbone of the defense.” Pierce remarked. As we have already seen in the five exhibition games and the two group stage encounters, every time, different players have stepped up to be the top scorers. During the Serbia game, KD led the charge with 23 points, and against South Sudan, it was Bam Adebayo who surprised everyone with his 18-point performance. But in both games, Davis stuck to his role of protecting the paint. “I feel like Anthony Davis changes the game every time he starts, comes off the bench or plays.” Pierce added. After AD scored seven points and eight rebounds in the opener against Serbia, Steve Kerr bumped him to the starting lineup the next game. And he played a pivotal role against South Sudan grabbing a steal and getting two crucial blocks. Moreover, with KD, LeBron, and Steph in their mid to late thirties, the team needs someone like Davis to take charge of defense day in and day out.