Ankle injury to Davis adds to worries of US Olympic NBA team
New Orleans Hornets' Anthony Davis smiles during a news conference in New Orleans Friday, June 29, 2012. Davis was the first pick in the 2012 NBA Draft on Thursday. AP/Kerry Maloney
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — No more additions are planned to the list of finalists for the injury-nagged US Olympic team of NBA stars despite a left ankle sprain to last week’s NBA Draft top pick Anthony Davis.
The NBA’s New Orleans Hornets announced on Monday that Davis suffered the ankle sprain during a workout on Saturday at the team’s practice facility and that his status on the US Olympic squad would be reevaluated later this week.
Fifteen US Olympic candidates, or what’s left of the 22 men who had been named to finalist spots, will gather on Thursday at Las Vegas to open training camp, with a final 12-man roster having to be submitted to the US Olympic Committee on Saturday.
USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said Monday he does not plan to name more players to the potential Olympic lineup, having already gotten a special extension from June 18 until Saturday to finalize the roster.
US Olympic officials also allowed the addition of Davis and James Harden to the finalists list after the start of WADA-style random drug testing.
“At this moment we do not have any plans to add anyone,” Colangelo said. “We may very well be seeking permission to add someone else.”
LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams, Andre Iguodala, Eric Gordon, Rudy Gay, Tyson Chandler, Blake Griffin and Lamar Odom are the other finalists.
Any additions could come from the US Select roster of young NBA talent that is set to scrimmage against the Olympic candidates during the training camp.
But there is no assurance the USOC would allow any more players to be put onto the team at the last minute, even with the injury setbacks that have hit the American side getting ready to defend the Olympic gold won in Beijing.
Chauncey Billups and LaMarcus Aldridge were to first to be knocked out by injuries. All-Star center Dwight Howard went down late in the season and 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose was injured in Chicago’s playoff opener.
That opened the door for Harden, the Oklahoma City Thunder standout named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year as the league’s top reserve, and Davis, a college star this year at the University of Kentucky, to join the finalist roster.
But last week, two members of the NBA champion Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, said they would not be playing in the Olympics due to injuries, and with Davis in doubt there are only 15 healthy players from which to pull 12.
“Maybe he is not capable of going early but maybe he would be (soon after),” Colangelo said of Davis.
Harden, Davis, Odom and Griffin were set for Thursday workouts before the other candidates arrives at camp.
Big men will be an issue for the US side after losing 2008 Olympians Howard and Bosh. Love and Chandler are solid picks for London and Odom, Davis and Griffin among those who can join them up front.
