"Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups got a step closer Wednesday to the USA Basketball team's roster for the world championships in Turkey. Billups was among 15 players to make the cut, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said. The team trimmed its roster of candidates for the world championships by cutting rookie of the year Tyreke Evans, O.J. Mayo and Gerald Wallace. Kevin Durant leads three Oklahoma City players on the guard-heavy roster that includes the Clippers' Eric Gordon, who was thought to be on the bubble. Tyson Chandler and Brook Lopez are the only true centers on the squad, which includes Billups and fellow point guards Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo and Russell Westbrook. The Thunder's Jeff Green also will join Durant and Westbrook in New York when the team reconvenes Aug. 9. The roster has to be reduced to 12 before the world championships begin Aug. 28 in Turkey. The remainder of the finalists are Lamar Odom, Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala, Rudy Gay, Danny Granger and Kevin Love. " http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_15627138
