Next late August and early September the eyes of the basketball world will be focused on Spain where the FIBA World Championships will be played.
Team USA — which is working out some of the NBA’s young stars this week in Las Vegas to get a closer look at them — will be the favorites going in. Already Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook have said they want to go, and a number of other stars likely will jump on board.
What about Derrick Rose?
He just missed all of last season following ACL surgery (and Bulls fans let him hear about it), but if he feels right and wants to return Team USA isn’t going to say no to a talent like that, USA Basketball president Jerry Colangelo said at his press conference Monday.
“It’s really up to him,” according to Colangelo. “We’re waiting for him to come back physically and emotionally and see how he does this year. But we very much consider him a candidate.”
Team USA likely will be missing a few stars — we’ll see if LeBron James or Kevin Durant head to Spain, but they certainly will be part of the Rio Olympics in 2016 (if they are healthy).
But the USA still rolls out better and more elite athletes than any team on the planet. Then coach Mike Krzyzewski wisely has them pressing on defense and trying to get out and run — use that athleticism to your advantage.
Rose fits right in with that. He’s not a classic point guard but what he brings to the court when healthy other countries just can’t match up with.
The question simply is: How does he feel? And will he want a summer off to recuperate or would he like to go to Spain and see if he can help the USA win (and earn an automatic Olympic berth). Because if he wants to go, they will take him.