Although expected to be in the starting lineup of Team USA in the FIBA tournament in Spain, point guard, Derrick Rose, is the latest star in danger of being cut from the roster.
In a report by ESPN.com, Rose had to skip practice on August 18 and 19 after complaining of sore knees. Rose only managed to play 49 games in a span of three years in the NBA after suffering an injury on both knees alternately. He was supposed to play as a starter against the Dominican Republic in an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden in New York City, on Wednesday, August 20, but Coach Mike Krzyewski advised Rose to rest and allow other players more minutes on the court.
Officials of Team USA were merely treating Rose with much care and caution to prevent any complications, added ESPN. Tom Thibodeau, coach of the Chicago Bulls, assured the public that Rose is "fine."
"He's just getting another day of rest. We gave him a couple days after the game Saturday in Chicago, and he didn't practice yesterday, so we thought the best thing to do would be to give him another day because we wanted to look at some other players today anyway," Thibodeau said.
Rose himself denied that his knees were sore, saying that it was merely body fatigue. He said, "Not the knees. No, no, no, no. You ain't got to worry about that."
One ESPN source added that Rose did some light shooting before the Dominican Republic exhibition match and moved well after skipping the two practices on Monday and Tuesday.
But Fansided.com writes that if the problem persists, point guard, Kyrie Irving, maybe shifted into the starting lineup. Irving performed well in their game against Brazil on August 16, scoring six points and managing four assists in 14 minutes of play.
In an article by Pro Basketball Talk, experts reported that it was normal to feel some soreness or discomfort after undergoing knee surgery and being out of the competitive environment of the NBA regular season for three years. In the past two years, Rose only managed to play 10 games. It will be better for Rose to warm up and return to full form by joining Team USA, where he will not carry the same heavy burden of leading in points and pushing his body to the limits in the same manner that he does while playing for the Chicago Bulls.