Team USA Must Select 2012 Olympians Without Benefit of a Camp

Filed under: USA Basketball, FIBA World Championship

LOS ANGELES -- Chris Bosh does not envy Jerry Colangelo.

For the 2008 Olympics, Colangelo, USA Basketball's chairman, had until July 1 to set the roster, which was shortly after Team USA had scheduled a minicamp June 27-28 in Las Vegas, although the players actually were decided upon before the camp. But, if the Americans want to have a camp before choosing the final roster for the 2012 Games in London, it won't be possible.

Due to the upcoming Olympics starting July 27, 2012, as opposed to the Bejing Games beginning Aug. 8, 2008, nations must provide the names of 12 players and six alternatives by June 18, 2012. That won't be enough time to have a minicamp to give Colangelo, with the help of coach Mike Krzyzewski, a final chance to evaluate players.

"There's so many great players with the national team right now, I'm glad I don't have to pick them,'' Bosh, the Miami forward who played in the 2008 Olympics, said during All-Star Weekend on Friday when asked about the process perhaps being made more difficult due to the earlier start of the London Olympics.

The are 10 holdovers from the 2008 Olympic gold-medal winning outfit in Team USA's pool of 34 players for 2012 and 12 off last summer's World Championship team that won gold to clinch a a 2012 Olympic berth. The number should rise to 35 due to Colangelo saying Friday Clippers forward Blake Griffin is a good bet to be added.

 

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/02/18/team-usa-must-select-2012-olympians-without-benefit-of-a-camp/

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