Hot prospects Greg Oden and Kevin Durant set to join U.S. team
(AP) - Greg Oden and Kevin Durant are in, and Tayshaun Prince and Tyson Chandler are joining them.
USA Basketball is making a number of changes to this summer’s roster, with the Americans adding the two college stars and a couple of defensive specialists but losing Dwyane Wade and some key players because of injuries.
Managing director Jerry Colangelo is set to announce the additions to the roster at a press conference Wednesday in Las Vegas, where the Americans will train and compete this summer in the FIBA Americas tournament.
Jason Kidd, Mike Miller and Utah teammates Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams also will be in camp in July with a chance to make the roster for the Olympic qualifier that runs from Aug. 22-Sept. 2.
Oden was at camp last summer after completing high school but wasn’t able to play because of his broken wrist. Expected to be one of the top two picks along with Kevin Durant in the NBA draft, he fills Colangelo’s desire to add another shot blocker and rebounder.
So does Chandler, the New Orleans centre who was second in the NBA in rebounding. Prince is a top defensive forward who helped limit LeBron James to 10 points Monday night in the Pistons’ victory over Cleveland.
Wade and Chris Paul were key contributors on the U.S. team that won the bronze medal at the world championships in Japan, but are sidelined after surgeries. Also unable to participate this summer because of injuries are Paul Pierce, Lamar Odom, Gilbert Arenas, Joe Johnson and Brad Miller.
Pierce and Odom also were sidelined last summer.
Toronto Raptors star forward Chris Bosh said at the team’s wrapup news conference he would likely return to the U.S. team this summer.
Kidd was a member of the Olympic gold medal-winning team in 2000 and Boozer played for the Americans in Athens in 2004, when they won bronze.
The new additions join 17 players eligible to participate from last year’s original pool Colangelo picked for the world championships through the Olympics.
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