Chris Sheridan has reported that 19 names grace Team USA Basketball's preliminary roster for consideration on the 2012 Olympic team. Tyreke Evans, the Sacramento Kings' best chance to get a player on Team USA, is not on that list. Neither is DeMarcus Cousins, Jimmer Fredette or anyone else from the club.
Evans played with Team USA before the 2010 FIBA World Championships, but sprained his ankle during camp and did not make the trip to Turkey. (It's unclear whether he'd have made the team if he'd been healthy; even Rajon Rondo was a late scratch.)
Evans and Cousins would be the best bets to receive consideration in the next Olympic cycle, which will begin the following year. You'd expect some of the old-timers like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Chauncey Billups retire from international play to clear the way a bit. Team USA always needs size -- Tyson Chandler and Dwight Howard are the only two true centers on the preliminary roster -- so Cousins could get a look going forward.
0 recs | 16 comments
They just wanted to give the rest of the world a chance.
HeuristicLineup - January 10, 2012
the way tyreke plays, I'm happy he won't be spraining his ankle for team USA this time around
mtmoore55 - January 10, 2012
i hope DMC does make it
wow would it be good for him to be around those kind of players
yaboyrafa - January 10, 2012
Exactly what I was thinking!
dampania - January 10, 2012
Interesting...
Eric Gordon, but no Curry
Slam_Dunk - January 10, 2012
Lots of politics
bignerd - January 10, 2012
Billups and Odom are weird picks
I guess it shows how important spreading the floor is for these teams. That kinda hurts Tyreke.
sdfd - January 10, 2012
I know Odom was pretty important for the team last go around
I know Billups played too just kind of hazy on his contributions (could have been a lot for all I know)
wallywagon11 - January 10, 2012
Well then...
GO CANADA!
caseycheesecake - January 10, 2012
No Josh Smith, Gerald Wallace, Rudy Gay, Roy Hibbert, Greg Monroe, Cousins, James Harden, Reke, or Curry
In all honesty though i don’t think Curry or Reke deserve it. They have either been injury prone and/or inconsistent to really be called onto team USA.
I think guys like Billups and Odom get calls just on what they have done and “veteran leaderships/being on good teams”. I hardly think those things are important with a group of superstars on a team.
MJ5 - January 10, 2012
I want a recount!
The Crown Royal Gentleman - January 10, 2012
I didn't know this was something people didn't know already
prowseinthehouse - January 10, 2012
This shouldn't come as any surprise...
SayWhat? - January 10, 2012
Agreed
Now, if it was Team U-S-uck…
section214 - January 10, 2012
Kings Players on Team USA?
HarveySpecter - January 10, 2012
Team USA needs moar Jimmer
$KingsElite$ - January 11, 2012
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