Team USA eyeing reinforcements ahead of London Olympics 2012 – NBA Update
The United States are hot favourites to win basketball gold at the London Olympics later this year. The USA boasts the most prestigious and high quality basketball league in the world; the NBA. The players that play the sport here are often head and shoulders
above the rest of the world and therefore the USA has a stranglehold on the sport at the international level.
Earlier in the year the US national setup announced a 20 man preliminary squad for the Olympics, out of whom 12 are to be taken to London. It has now been confirmed though that the preliminary setup will be expanded before deciding on a final cut, largely
because of injuries which have reduced the active number of players under consideration to just 15.
Out of the 20 initially named, 5 are no longer available. Chicago Bulls super star and NBA MVP Derrick Rose became the latest of those after he suffered a knee injury in the playoffs. Orlando Magic talisman Dwight Howard is the other high profile casualty,
taken out by a back injury during the regular season.
Others off the list include LaMarcus Aldridge of the Portland Trail Blazers, Lamar Odom of the Dallas Mavericks and veteran point guard Chauncey Billups.
"I think we have concluded to some degree, although we're not finished with our meetings, that we will probably add one or two players to that pool and that's because of circumstances," Jerry Colangelo said.
Jerry is the chairman of USA Basketball, and after consultation with the coaches he declared that the final 12 will be announced much later, and there would be a number of requirements to be met for new entrants to be considered.
"And we are probably at this point not going to make any announcement on who that 12 will be until the very last moment as we watch the NBA.”
"A lot of things have been said along the way. Equity is certainly right at the top of the list, those who have participated, paid their dues, etc. So equity is very important. " Jerry added.
Despite the injury to Rose and Billups, Team USA is still well stocked at the point guard position, with Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Russell Westbrook all on the preliminary squad. The injuries to Howard and Aldridge however leave them a little short
handed in the frontcourt and that is where the new entrants might come in.
Sacramento Kings centre DeMarcus Cousins and Greg Monroe of the Detroit Pistons have been rumoured as possible replacements.
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