Team USA to consider other options if Chandler can't go

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=3499568

Monday, July 21, 2008
Team USA to consider other options if Chandler can't go


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By Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com

LAS VEGAS -- So much for Plan B.

Team USA opened training camp Monday with 12 players in uniform instead of
the 13 they had planned on after a toe injury kept top alternate Tyson
Chandler from joining the team.

USA Basketball officials refused to say that Chandler was completely out of
the mix, but coach Mike Krzyzewski said a new backup plan will take shape
over the next couple of days.


"We just found out about it a couple days ago, so what we're going to do is
look at the pool of [alternates] and let a couple people know that if
something happens, you are probably going to be the guy -- but we haven't
decided yet who those guys are going to be."

The alternates for Team USA are Chandler, Shawn Marion, Mike Miller, Kevin
Durant, Chauncey Billups and Joe Johnson.

After Team USA officials learned that Dwight Howard had suffered a hairline
fracture of his sternum, they decided to invite Chandler to travel with Team
USA to Asia for a series of pre-Olympic exhibition games.

Now, the plan is to leave Las Vegas on Saturday with only the 12 players
from the active roster: Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Jason
Kidd, Howard, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Michael Redd, Carlos Boozer, Chris
Bosh, Tayshaun Prince and Dwyane Wade.

Krzyzewski hinted that Durant, who is practicing against Team USA this week
as part of the U.S. Select Team, could supplant Chandler as the No. 1
alternate.

"What we could do is have Durant be a perimeter player, and LeBron be a big.
The way we're playing, LeBron is a big," Krzyzewski said.

Chandler has an inflamed big toe that he originally injured when San
Antonio's Ime Udoka stepped on him during the New Orleans Hornets' playoff
loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

"I had a good conversation with him, he really wanted to be here. We're
going to keep him posted, see how he's doing with that, and if something
happens he's still going to be a major consideration for us. He said he
still wants to be considered, and hopefully this gets better," Team USA
managing director Jerry Colangelo said.

Chris Sheridan is an ESPN.com Insider. He has covered the U.S. senior
national team since the 1996 Olympics.

Alson Wong wrote:
>
> Team USA opened training camp Monday with 12 players in uniform instead
> of the 13 they had planned on after a toe injury kept top alternate
> Tyson Chandler from joining the team.
>
> USA Basketball officials refused to say that Chandler was completely out
> of the mix, but coach Mike Krzyzewski said a new backup plan will take
> shape over the next couple of days.

They need Chandler and any other bigs they can put on the floor.