<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">With three spots left to fill on its roster for Olympic qualifying this summer, USA Basketball is extending invitations to the L.A. Clippers' Elton Brand, New Jersey's Richard Jefferson and NBA rookie-to-be Nick Collison from Kansas, league sources told ESPN.com. All three players are seen as role-player supplements to what USAB refers to as its "core group" of nine players, and the additions of Brand and Collison would give coach Larry Brown five recognized big men. San Antonio's Tim Duncan, Utah's Karl Malone and Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal are the only power players presently on Brown's team. At guard, meanwhile, Team USA already has commitments from the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, New Jersey's Jason Kidd, Philadelphia's Allen Iverson, Seattle's Ray Allen and Sacramento's Mike Bibby. Jefferson, fitting the up-and-comer profile USAB has established for the role-player spots, would serve as an understudy at small forward to Orlando's Tracy McGrady. The nine members of the core group, along with Brown and his staff, have two-year agreements with USAB and are expected to represent the country in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece. Brand, Jefferson and Collison would not be assured spots on the Olympic team. The decision to pursue those three indicates that USA Basketball does not expect Minnesota's Kevin Garnett to accept a standing invitation to join the national team for the forthcoming qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico from Aug. 20-31. That, however, does not rule Garnett out from joining Team USA for the Olympics. The nature of core-group and role-player distinctions enables USA Basketball to make a few changes after the Puerto Rico trip. Kidd has been lobbying Garnett to reconsider, at least for Athens, after Garnett initially expressed hesitation to make another two-summer commitment to the program. Garnett made that commitment in 1999 and 2000 for the group that eventually won gold in Sydney. O'Neal and Brand were members of the U.S. team that finished a humbling sixth in last summer's World Championships in Indianapolis. Dallas' Michael Finley was originally seen as the only member of that team to have a shot at being invited back, but the need for size created frontcourt openings. The Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal immediately declined his invitation to play and Sacramento's Chris Webber, still facing a perjury trial this summer, has not been considered by USAB because of his uncertain legal situation. Bryant, Iverson and Jermaine O'Neal were formally named as members of Team USA on Tuesday. USAB does not announce its player selections until the players have signed contracts with the federation. Collison, expected to be a lottery pick in the June 26 draft, would be reunited on the national team with his college coach. Roy Williams, the new coach at North Carolina after he and Collison led Kansas to the NCAA title game against Syracuse, is on the Team USA staff as an assistant to Brown.</div> Kidd to Jefferson again this time for team USA!!
i think elton brand would be a great addition for team USA. he is a great rebounder, especially on the offensive glass and he is also a really good one on one shot blocker/defender, i think he would know his role on the team and help them greatly
well they needed a waterboy and someone to carry the luggage, congrats to collison. not sure why richard jefferson is on here? there are a lot more deserving players than him. finley or mashburn would have been a better choice. brand is a good choice.
WHA?!?! thats disgusting! why bring elton brand, richard jefferson! and nick collison!! way to go team usa.
Richard Jefferson is the prefect role player for team USA..you only have to watch the nets to see this...brand will really help up front as the backcourt is loaded he will help get the rebounds with JO and tim duncan. I think these are good choices...as look who else are on the team..basically all superstars you need role players in there just to balance it out.
i don't like collison being on the team, but i do like brand. jefferson is an alright pick, more deserving people, but he is very good.
carter is better than jefferson why collison hes not in the nba why not stodimier cater should for the dunk he did before
rj does not desserve it if its a net it should be kmart to prove his critis wrong, other wise the are alot better canidates than rj and collison?!? come on man thats not right
well the original dream team had college boy, Laettner, so i guess collison makes sense. i would have selected Wade personally. VC is not going to be on any dream team anytime soon after his performance the first time he went. he was a so called "embarrasment" and the committee probably won't have him back.
Why Collison again? He was on the World Championships team (along with J. O'neal and Brand) and got NO playing time...so he wants to be the bag boy again and bring the donuts to practice again (which is what he did during the WCs)?
I thought team USA woul've learned following that 6th place. Obviously they could learn more, no shaq or kg they would really dominate Bibby, Malone? Good but they could be better and apart from Brand the rest arent much internationally. 1st wont be easy at all.
Yeah it will be.. kobe,t-mac,iverson,kidd,allen will take care of everything...all in the backcourt..don't forget duncan up front..this will be easy!! trust me 8)
I thought these guys were goin for the Dream Team thing, why the hell did the get Richard Jefferson and Nick Collison? Brands a solid player but I dont think he was the best choice but he is definately good. Richard Jefferson and Nick Collison, I keep shaking my head when I hear that. What happened to getting the best, why not ask Shawn Marion and for a college guy ask Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade or Carmelo Anthony. Not a good choice on Bibby earlier but oh well.
richard jefferson is a piece of junk. i understand they dont want to win by TOO much but this is a littl ridiculous.i understand that shaq doesnt want to go but u add notihngs like collison and jefferson with no Garnett??? no PIERCE??? how close do they wnat this thing to be???
well in the world games this past summer all we had was all-stars playing...and look where that got us. Team USA is looking to add solid role players and not just superstars that can put on a show. one-on-one style of play just didn't cut it against teams like argentina.
