As the July 7 roster deadline approaches, Team USA Coach Mike Krzyzewski has a lot of tough decisions to make in terms of picking players to make the final 12-man roster. The majority of the final roster is basically already decided upon with Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Durant leading the way, but with so many injuries as a result of the shortened 2011-12 NBA season, the options are becoming more and more limited for Coach K.
Team USA took a major blow recently with both Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh deciding to sit out of the 2012 Olympics in London, England in order to tend to injuries according to ESPN.com:
“Bosh announced the decision through agent Henry Thomas one day after Heat teammate Dwyane Wade pulled out of the Olympic mix because of looming left knee surgery.”
It’s no real surprise that Bosh withdrew his name from consideration for the Team USA roster with an ailing abdominal injury suffered in the second-round of the NBA playoffs against the Indiana Pacers. The news of Wade withdrawing on the other hand was quite a surprise.
Apparently, Wade’s left knee had gotten so bad over the course of the playoffs and the NBA Finals that it will now require surgery.
Now that Bosh and Wade will be tending to injuries summers along with Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Chauncey Billups and Derrick Rose, Coach K and company will be weighing their roster options in the coming week before the deadline.
There are currently 16 players left to fill the 12-man roster for Team USA. With Wade out, the roster spot may go to James Harden or Eric Gordon to fill the void at shooting guard.