USA Basketball’s training camp in Las Vegas ended last Friday with emotions running high and thoughts . Four days later, little has changed, except now the pool of players for the men’s 2014 World Cup team roster has been whittled to 16.
Wizards guards John Wall and Bradley Beal, as well as Hawks forward Paul Millsap, were let go from the 19 that competed in Vegas, USA Basketball announced Tuesday.
In speaking to reporters for the first time since George’s gruesome injury ended Friday’s game and the camp early, U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski and USA Basketball’s managing director Jerry Colangelo offered their thoughts on the roster finalists.
But with every question, it seemed, thoughts would revert to George. And how could they not, really?
“We needed a few days to sit back and let some time go by, and we did,” Colangelo said. “The great news there is that, in communication with the players, they are all on board. They recognize that injuries and sports go together, unfortunately, and we all have experiences that we could talk about, where players have been lost in practice, players have been lost in games and in pickup games, for seasons.”
Colangelo said that George will soon be discharged from the hospital in Las Vegas where he underwent emergency surgery Friday to repair the open tibia-fibula fracture in his right leg.
Without George on the wing, the U.S. team, which was already stacked with backcourt players, will inevitably be smaller on the perimeter. Some of the guys who are a 2-guard, Krzyzewski said, might also need to be a small forward.
“When you lose a player of that caliber, you take a hit,” Krzyzewski said of George. ” And especially because his willingness to be a team member and do the dirty work was right there.”
George’s defense will be among the most notable on-court losses for Team USA, but there is optimism that will help to fill some of that void.
“He is a really good defensive player, but he’s capable of being a great defensive player,” Krzyzewski said. “He can guard a center, too, for short periods of time.
“Kenneth is a very, very good player, especially when he goes to his strengths. And defense should be one of his strengths.”
Faried is a “different” player, Krzyzewski said, whose specialties are “rebounding and energy and good running. … Guys like playing with Kenneth.”
However, lingering effects of George’s loss will be, and have already been, felt beyond the team’s roster alterations.
Immediately after he was hurt, it was reported that the backboard stanchion in which he jammed his right foot during the scrimmage than those in NBA games.
But was that to blame?
“I think the stanchion is not the issue here,” Colangelo said. “Some people want to make it the issue, but it isn’t. It appeared to us that Paul George was already in a stressful situation the way he came down on his leg and then hit that stanchion. I think the focus is probably where it shouldn’t be.”
Among other topics Krzyzewski and Colangelo addressed Tuesday:
• On the debate about NBA players competing in international games, Colangelo said: “I’m not sure there’s a debate, necessarily. I think there are some opinions and it may lead to some debate that takes place among the owners.
” … I think people need to read between the lines, which is basically, he’s not against international competition. He’s against international competition when he believes the beneficiary, being the IOC, is getting the money. So he’s basically saying it’s OK for the players to play internationally if the money goes to the NBA and to the team owners. That’s the difference.”
( with: “he is right. I’m not against international competition when the financial benefit is shared by the player and the nba.”
• When asked if Kevin Love was ruled out as a possible addition to the team if his contract details are resolved , Colangelo said that they have to be “realistic about his circumstances” regarding his reasons for not wanting to play in the first place. “Chances are, that won’t happen.”
Team USA will resume its training Aug. 14 in Chicago and will play an exhibition game against Brazil on Aug. 16 at the United Center.
Nicki Jhabvala: njhabvala@denverpost.com or twitter.com/nickijhabvala
| Name | Team | Pos | Ht | Wt | Date of birth |
| DeMarcus Cousins | Sacramento | C | 6-11 | 270 | Aug. 13, 1990 |
| Stephen Curry | Golden State | G | 6-3 | 185 | March 14, 1988 |
| Anthony Davis | New Orleans | F/C | 6-10 | 220 | March 11, 1993 |
| DeMar DeRozan | Toronto | G | 6-7 | 216 | Aug. 7, 1989 |
| Andre Drummond | Detroit | C | 6-10 | 270 | Sept. 10, 1993 |
| Kevin Durant | Oklahoma City | G/F | 6-9 | 230 | Sept. 29, 1988 |
| Kenneth Faried | Denver | F | 6-8 | 228 | Nov. 19, 1989 |
| James Harden | Houston | G | 6-5 | 220 | Aug. 26, 1989 |
| Gordon Hayward | Utah | F | 6-8 | 210 | March 23, 1990 |
| Kyrie Irving | Cleveland | G | 6-3 | 191 | March 23, 1992 |
| Kyle Korver | Atlanta | G/F | 6-7 | 212 | March 17, 1981 |
| Damian Lillard | Portland | G | 6-3 | 195 | July 15, 1990 |
| Chandler Parsons | Dallas | F | 6-9 | 227 | Oct. 25, 1988 |
| Mason Plumlee | Brooklyn | F | 6-11 | 235 | March 5, 1990 |
| Derrick Rose | Chicago | G | 6-3 | 190 | Oct. 4, 1988 |
| Klay Thompson | Golden State | G | 6-7 | 205 | Feb. 8, 1990 |
