John Calipari is the head coach of the Dominican Republic's FIBA Olympic qualifier team. Charlie Villanueva, being Dominican, was widely expected to be the best player on the club as they attempt to make a run at London. Turns out, not so much. From FIBA.com:
Villanueva had a private workout for the Dominican Republic in New York and didn't leave a good impression.
"Charlie was not in good form when we saw him," Calipari said to Deportes en la Z.
"He was overweight, and unfortunately, we could not slow down the entire team and it was a decision taken collectively.
"Last year, Charlie behaved really well with us and his only problem was his weight.
"An NBA player like him deserves respect and for respect, we have taken this decision.
"I enjoyed coaching him a lot.
"He is a great player."
via DOM - 'Sorry Charlie' - Villanueva misses out | FIBA.COM.
Oh, well, that's too bad. Villanueva couldn't get off the bench in Detroit this season as Lawrence Frank trusted other players who have more of a stake in the club's future. That probably contributed to his weight problem. I'm sure Villanueva understood that and has just resolved to impro... oh. From Villanueva's Lockerz account:
Ouch. That's below Villanueva's listed playing weight, by the way.
Later Villanueva tweeted the following:
So, no, Charlie Villanueva is not taking getting cut from the Dominican Republic team well.
Villanueva's career has spiralled down pretty quickly, but he's still getting paid quite a bit by Detroit. This is two coaches he's had issues with. The pattern is not promising.
For Calipari, it's likely just your typical coach trying to put his stamp on the roster and control how he wants the team to play. From Ball Don't Lie:
The question at this point is who he's the right guy for.The answer is probably a fairly dull one: that Villanueva, in any shape, just isn't a good fit for the run-and-gun system that Cal is known for. When he's at his best, Villanueva is still a very deliberate player. Calipari wants to run, and there's no room for big guys who can't keep up (Al Horford, for example, is doing just fine). Even at many pounds below his usual playing weight, CV just isn't the right guy for the system.
Other than his mom.
(HT: Yahoo Ball Don't Lie)