Team USA Won’t Add To Roster Despite Injuries

ESPN, Marc Stein

http://espn.go.com/olympics/basketball/story/_/id/7856643/jerry-colangelo-says-team-usa-add-prelim-roster-injuries

In his strongest terms to date, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said Wednesday that no new players will be considered for the roster for this summer’s Olympics despite a flurry of injuries.

Colangelo told ESPN.com on Wednesday night that the 12 players picked to represent the United States in London starting July 27 will come from the 16 names still available from the 20-man preliminary roster announced in January. Colangelo initially had left open the possibility last week that a replacement or two could be added in response to the recent losses of big men Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Lamar Odom.

“We’re not going to add anyone, Colangelo said Wednesday. Even with the losses, we still feel like we’re pretty well covered.”

With Howard undergoing back surgery, Aldridge headed for hip surgery and Odom ruled out of Team USA consideration after a nightmarish season in Dallas that led to him being deactivated by the Mavericks, Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski are down to four recognized centers and power forwards on their list of 20 finalists: Kevin Love, Chris Bosh, Tyson Chandler and Blake Griffin.

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum told the Los Angeles Times last week that he also would not be available because he plans to undergo the same knee procedure in Germany this offseason that Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant underwent during the 2011 offseason. Team USA officials then decided to forge ahead with their plans to focus on the 20 players that already had been selected from the 2008 gold-medal winning team at the Beijing Olympics and the victorious squad from the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

Team USA Won’t Add To Roster Despite Injuries

ESPN, Marc Stein

http://espn.go.com/olympics/basketball/story/_/id/7856643/jerry-colangelo-says-team-usa-add-prelim-roster-injuries

In his strongest terms to date, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said Wednesday that no new players will be considered for the roster for this summer’s Olympics despite a flurry of injuries.

Colangelo told ESPN.com on Wednesday night that the 12 players picked to represent the United States in London starting July 27 will come from the 16 names still available from the 20-man preliminary roster announced in January. Colangelo initially had left open the possibility last week that a replacement or two could be added in response to the recent losses of big men Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Lamar Odom.

“We’re not going to add anyone, Colangelo said Wednesday. Even with the losses, we still feel like we’re pretty well covered.”

With Howard undergoing back surgery, Aldridge headed for hip surgery and Odom ruled out of Team USA consideration after a nightmarish season in Dallas that led to him being deactivated by the Mavericks, Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski are down to four recognized centers and power forwards on their list of 20 finalists: Kevin Love, Chris Bosh, Tyson Chandler and Blake Griffin.

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum told the Los Angeles Times last week that he also would not be available because he plans to undergo the same knee procedure in Germany this offseason that Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant underwent during the 2011 offseason. Team USA officials then decided to forge ahead with their plans to focus on the 20 players that already had been selected from the 2008 gold-medal winning team at the Beijing Olympics and the victorious squad from the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey.