Nets Mason Plumlee promoted to Senior Team at USA Basketball camp

This past week Brooklyn Nets second year center Mason Plumlee made it a goal to make an impression on USA Basketball with his athleticism and fire and it seems that he has done just that.

Plumlee was put on the Select Team just two days ago until he was promoted to the Senior team yesterday.  Team USA will be without Kevin Love and Blake Griffin as they opted out so the team is in need of a high energy big man and Plumlee is more than happy to fill that void.

“He has good size,” USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo told NBA TV in discussing Plumlee’s promotion. “He’s active.”

“Giving him an opportunity to play with the USA Team,” Colangelo told NBA.com, “that puts him in a position where he could earn himself a spot [on the final 12-man roster]. It’s possible.”

The team currently has Andre Drummond and Demarcus Cousins right now at the center position so if Plumlee continues to impress the coaching staff he could earn a spot on the team which is a huge step for the 24 year old.

.@masonplumlee & @milesplumlee13 talk strategy with @coach_collins at @usabasketball practice. pic.twitter.com/1IJoCnhB0L

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) July 30, 2014

via John Schuhmann of NBA.com

Plumlee is just happy to be playing with Team USA and it taking it one day at a time letting the chips fall where they may.

“I’m just doing what they told me,” he said. “They told me to get on the 11:00 bus and I’m here.” “There’s a lot to it,” Plumlee said.

“You know you have to be a great screener to play for [Coach K]. You have to be on the boards all the time. There are different things you have to see as a big man. Like, in our half-court sets, you’re going to be a playmaker-passer from the elbow. So, there’s a lot that goes into it. Just because you aren’t putting the ball in the hole, there’s a lot more to it.”

“[I want to] just pick up things from the best players in the league,” he said. “It’s not everyday you get to practice with [Derrick] Rose, Kevin Durant and a lot of these guys. So you’re always learning no matter where you’re playing. You see what they do, their habits, the different things that they find success with, and then try to add it to your game.”

Mason Plumlee throws it down at @usabasketball practice. https://t.co/OPrrQ2NHeI

— NBA (@NBA) July 29, 2014