Team USA Basketball released their 19-player roster for the team's July training camp in Las Vegas ahead if the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain at the end of August.
While changes can still be made and players added before camp opens on July 27, this list almost surely contains the 12 names who the tournament favorite will move forward with. Some of the names missing from the 28-player list that was originally released in January have been surprising to some.
Here are the 11 names on the initial list not included on the trimmed down roster (DeMar DeRozan and Chandler Parsons were on the 19-player list despite not being on the 28-player edition): LaMarcus Aldridge, Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, Dwight Howard, Andre Iguodala, LeBron James, David Lee, Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams.
Obviously, those are huge names, not to mention the names missing from the initial 28-player list. What follows is an explanation of why some of these players may not have made the latest cut, though again, the team is free to tinker.
Overworked or banged-up veterans
The NBA season can be a long grind, especially for players who make deep playoff runs. While the Olympics are the game's premier international event, the FIBA World Cup represents "just" the second biggest event on the four-year calendar. As such, players who have been burning the candle at both ends over the past few years may have politely and quietly declined to be included.
LeBron James (29), Carmelo Anthony (30) - Only Kevin Durant has played more total minutes over the past two seasons than James, who also has a move to worry about this summer. We're confident if he decides later that he wants to play, the program will make room. Anthony has a similar claim and is 21st in total minutes over two years despite playing in only 12 playoff games.
Chris Paul (29), Dwight Howard (28), Deron Williams (30), Andre Iguodala (30) - Each of these players dealt with injuries of varying severity over the past couple of seasons, and it's likely they preferred to use the offseason for rest. It had been suggested previously that Paul, in particular, may sit out this tournament to allow him to suit up for the 2016 Olympics.
Voluntary withdrawals
While the earlier group may have withdrawn privately, a handful of names made it clear publicly that they would be unable to suit up.
Russell Westbrook - Coming off of three knee surgeries in a one-year span, it's tough to fault Westbrook for spending the offseason in a lower-intensity environment.
Kawhi Leonard - Leonard cited the desire for additional rest following an NBA Finals run as a reason to miss the tournament. Perhaps more saliently, he's eligible to negotiate a sizeable contract extension before Oct. 31 and may not want to risk an offseason injury.
LaMarcus Aldridge - While no reason was made public, Aldridge's status as an impending free agent probably played a part in him opting not to risk participating.
David Lee - Lee had surgery this week to repair a torn core muscle and is out of action until August.
Passports, past prime and passed over
Not everyone left off the list is absent voluntarily due to injury or the purposes of rest, however. Three names may stick out among the league's best Americans as notable absences.
Joakim Noah - Born in New York, NY and having played his high school ball in Lawrenceville, NJ, Noah actually plays internationally with France. Once players play for one country, they have to show FIBA good reason to change, and Noah - who has a French father and a Swedish mother - has little incentive to do so, since he won't be suiting up for the tournament, anyway.
Tyson Chandler - Previously one of the game's elite rim protectors, Chandler's down 2013-14 with the New York Knicks and his age (31) may have conspired against him here. The program clearly values athleticism in their frontcourt, and Chandler's elite ability to force teams into mid-range shots may have been deemed less valuable with a shorter international 3-point line.
John Wall - Here's your biggest snub. Wall probably deserves on this team, and he was upset when he was left off the list of 28 earlier in the process. Coming off his best season as a pro, Wall was left off the list for Kyrie Irving, another young point guard with immense upside but one who Wall outperformed on both ends of the floor in 2013-14. With an improved 3-point stroke and a shorter international 3-point line, the 6-foot-4 Wall would fit fine as a shooting guard in the World Cup, too, making his exclusion for teammate Bradley Beal a tough pill to swallow, as well.
Of course, regardless of which 12 the USA take with them, they were going to be favorites. USA Basketball has taken home gold in each of their last four international tournaments - the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2010 FIBA World Cup and the 2012 London Olympics - and this list of 19 would still be the envy of most other countries.
