Team USA Basketball has been devastated by the fact that the vast majority of the league's best players don't want to play for upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup squad. With the tournament going down in September, some players feel as though it's too close to training camp and they would much rather focus on their NBA teams. Not to mention, going to international tournaments can lead to injuries and no one wants to start the NBA season on the bench because of an ailment.
One of Team USA's most prominent players, PJ Tucker, announced today that he will be withdrawing from the team due to an ankle injury. It was reported by Kelly Iko of The Athletic that he wanted to continue playing but realized that he's better off resting ahead of the Houston Rockets season.
Earlier today, we reported on how Tucker commented on the team's recent loss to a Select Team full of G-League players and how at the end of the day, it really wasn't all that big a deal.
Tucker was expected to be a starter on Team USA and would have been a huge defensive presence for them. Without him, the squad will have to dig deep to find a suitable replacement.
Needless to say, Team USA training camp has been a struggle.