Heat's Craig picked to help coach Team USA. Spoelstra: 'DC is ready to be head coach'
USA Basketball on Friday announced its lineup of coaches to assist Gregg Popovich at the men's national team minicamp in Las Vegas later this month and Miami Heat assistant Dan Craig was one of them.
Craig, 36, joins Golden State's Mike Brown, Utah's Alex Jensen, Boston's Jay Larranaga (the son of University of Miami coach Jim Larranaga), Dallas' Jamahl Mosley, San Antonio's Ime Udoka, Portland's David Vanterpool, Villanova's Jay Wright and Gonzaga's Mark Few as coaches who will work with the national team in advance of next year's world championships at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“It’s so exciting,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “When I got the call from USA Basketball I almost dropped the phone. It was that cool of news to get and obviously it's an incredible honor to represent our country and the whole USA program. We have some history there with [former Heat assistant] Pat Delany being a previous scout with them. [Assistant general manager] Adam Simon has been one of the personnel scouts in previous years. Now, DC gets a chance to help them with their camp. What an incredible opportunity. DC is so deserving of it. He's going to do a terrific job. It says a lot about him that he was chosen, one of the [NBA assistant coaches] that was chosen for it. DC is thrilled and not that he cares, but it will help his profile around the league as well.”
Craig started as a video intern with the Heat in 2003-04 and three years later was named video coordinator, a role he served for five seasons before transitioning to player development coach and an assistant on Spoelstra's bench in 2013-14. He coached the Heat's Summer League teams from 2013-15 and then guided G League affiliate Sioux Falls to championship during the 2015-16 season.
Spoelstra, who himself came up through the Heat's video room, believes Craig is ready to join former Heat assistant David Fizdale as an NBA head coach.
“He doesn't need more development,” Spoelstra said. “He’s not in a rush. He’s all about just helping the team the best that he can. And the role that he has right now, he has a great perspective about it. He's going to enjoy it as long as it lasts especially having the opportunity to work with friends. But he's ready for the next step and this is just a great opportunity to be a part of an amazing program, USA basketball.”
There are 35 players on the 2018-20 national team roster, including 11 who won Olympic gold in 2016.
The list of 35 includes: Golden State center DeMarcus Cousins, guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and forwards Kevin Durant and Draymond Green, Houston guards James Harden, Chris Paul and Eric Gordon, Lakers forward LeBron James and guard Isaiah Thomas, Wizards guards Bradley Beal and John Wall, Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes and center DeAndre Jordan, Pistons forward Blake Griffin and center Andre Drummond, Trail Blazers guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, Thunder forward Paul George and guard Russell Westbrook, Pacers guard Victor Oladipo and center Myles Turner, Raptors guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, Celtics guards Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, Clippers forward Tobias Harris, Suns guard Devin Booker, Timberwolves swingman Jimmy Butler, Grizzlies guard Mike Conley Jr., Pelicans center Anthony Davis, Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, Bucks guard Khris Middleton, Cavaliers forward Kevin Love and Hornets guard Kemba Walker.
Craig is expected to arrive in Las Vegas to watch the Heat's summer league team play its next game Saturday against the Pelicans.