USA - Colangelo to ‘keep options open’ for Americans

LAS VEGAS (Olympics) - The season-ending ACL injury suffered by Derrick Rose that ended the Chicago Bulls star's chances of playing at the London Games will be discussed on Monday and Tuesday in Las Vegas when USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo meets with the national team coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Rose’s injury happened late in the Bulls' home win over Philadelphia and robbed the Americans of a second key player in the space of eight days.

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard was lost for the rest of the season and the Olympics on 20 April when he underwent back surgery.

Colangelo did not intend on adding any new players to the list of finalists for London when Howard hit the operating table but Rose's injury could force the American supremo to change tack.

"I think now we're going to wait until the very last moment to pick the team, because it seems ridiculous with a lot of play-off games to play that we would select a team," Colangelo said to cnnsi.com.

"We might as well keep the options open as long as we can, and continue to monitor [the situation].

"Our staffs (including Krzyzewski) are going to be meeting on Monday and Tuesday in Vegas, and we're going to be talking about all of that.

“But I'm certain that that's going to be the call."

There are now 15 players from the original list of 20 that was announced on 16 January that are able to play for the USA.

LaMarcus Aldridge (hip surgery), Chauncey Billups (ruptured Achilles) and Lamar Odom (deactivated by Dallas and not playing) are the other finalists that will not be in London.

If another player were to be added, he might come from the USA select team that is to scrimmage against the finalists in the build-up to London.

The injuries, particularly the one to Rose, is going to force the United States to reconsider everything, and not just playing personnel.

"We've said that the strength of the team is going to be athleticism, wing players, the backcourt, but we'll see," Colangelo said.

"We're going to have to consider a lot of things.

“The good news is that so many people wish and desire to play that we will be very deep regardless of what happens here - unless there's another rash of things happening here. I pray that it's over."

Tyson Chandler, meanwhile, had been set to face fierce competition for one of the spots in the USA squad but with Aldridge, Howard and Odom no longer in the mix, his chances of making it to London appear to have improved greatly.

Chandler was invaluable for the Americans in Turkey two years ago when Krzyzewski’s team went undefeated and captured the gold medal.

A vital player for the Dallas Mavericks’ NBA-title winning team last year, Chandler is now competing with the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference play-offs.

“I’m definitely ready to represent my country,’’ Chandler said to New York Post.

“I’m very excited.

“Just to be able to be considered for the USA team is a blessing and something I’m very proud of.

“I committed myself when I joined in 2007. I still feel that way.’’

FIBA