Look, I don’t trust that Rondo withdrew from Team USA for family problems. Earlier today, he said he was on the bubble for being cut. Then came this, also earlier, from Coach K: “It’s not so much what Rajon has to show, it’s what our team needs. We’ve found a good lineup, and the international game is so different from the NBA game, you can ask any of these guys. Part of it is to make sure that we try not to have two non-shooters out on the court, and there’s the physicality, too.”

And now, after those two quotes and Rondo’s DNP against Spain, I’m supposed to believe that Rajon Rondo “withdrew” from Team USA? Child please. He was cut, and I won’t believe otherwise unless Rondo says so himself. And now he’ll be as motivated as ever to do exactly what he did to Derrick Rose in the ’08 playoffs: torch him. All the other guards who made the team, too.

I’m a Duke fan, but now I hate Coach K. Eff him. Eff Team USA. Eff Derrick Rose, eff Stephen Curry, eff Eric Gordon, eff Chauncey Billups, eff Russell Westbrook. Eff y’all if you doubt Rondo. He was the best guard on Team USA, I’ll say it proudly. Eff the World Championships, I don’t want Team USA to win. I’m outty. Tell Coach K something he doesn’t know about me.

Or at least tell him something he doesn’t know about Rondo. Because Coach K is missing the boat on this one. I don’t care that Rondo didn’t look good against Lithuania. I don’t care that he can’t shoot. He’s the smartest basketball player Doc Rivers has ever coached and he’s a damn winner. Coach K screwed up. Big time. And I don’t think it makes me un-patriotic that I now want Team USA to finish out of the medal race.

 Rajon Rondo has “withdrawn” from Team USA, finalizing the 12-man roster that will travel to Turkey for the World Championships.

“Rajon came to us and said he was going to withdraw from the team,” said team director Jerry Colangelo,”that he had some family matters to attend to and some things to take care of before the NBA season. He did an outstanding job during our training, we appreciate the effort and commitment he made to our program and he completely has our support.”

Rondo travelled to Athens, Greece with the team for the last exhibition game before the World Championships begin on August 28th in Istanbul, Turkey. In an interview this morning on ESPN.com, Rondo admitted he was on the bubble, but made no mention of his family committments, or his plans to withdraw from the team.

“It’s what’s best for the country,” Rondo told Chris Sheridan of ESPN.com. “It’s part of it. We knew coming in it was still tryouts until we make the team that goes to Turkey.”

Rondo had started each exhibition game before playing poorly against Lithuania. Rondo did not play in USA’s win Sunday against Spain.

So why would Rondo tavel with the team to Greece, if he planned on withdrawing from the team? Why would he talk about being on the bubble in his interview with ESPN.com–without mentioning his plans to withdraw? I think you’d have to ask Colangelo. It all sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me. Rondo got cut. Say it like is Colangelo, you’re not sparing anybody’s feelings.

The final 12-man roster for Team USA:  Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets); Tyson Chandler (Dallas Mavericks); Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies); Eric Gordon (Los Angeles Clippers); Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers); Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers); Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls); and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder.

When the excitement wore off from Team USA’s  thrilling 86-85 win against Spain , one question needed to be answered: why didn’t Rajon Rondo play? Both coach Mike Krzyzewski and team director Jerry Colangelo spoke on the subject, but no clear answer emerged from the discussions. Derrick Rose even suggested that Rondo was suffering from a sinus infection, but Colangelo refuted Rose’s claim.

Coack K, about Rondo and Granger not playing: (USABasketball.com)

Those are two veterans and young guys haven’t had a chance to start or whatever, so before we select our 12 we needed to give everyone a look.

We were trying to learn about our younger players so we started a different lineup.  Before we talk about the outside, Lamar Odom should be our starting center. He’s finally into shape I think to play at this level. Curry has been out so we wanted to give him a chance and we already know what Rondo and Granger can do.

It speaks volumes about this team’s youth that Coach K considers Rondo a “veteran”, but his explanation lacks validity. Neither Rondo nor Granger have competed in adult international competition before. If Coack K wanted to sit veterans to give the younger players a chance to prove themselves, why did both Chauncey Billups and Lamar Odom– the only two players with experience playing for Team USA– start?  Though Coach K said Rondo sat just to give the younger players a chance to show their skills, Colangelo gave a slightly different explanation. (ESPN.com)

“Coach told the team this morning that he was going to try some other players, change the lineup,” Colangelo told ESPN.com. “We’ve been off to some bad starts in our three games, and so he went with a different lineup, and he said some guys might not play today. And that’s how it played out. I don’t think anything is significant. I don’t know what we’ll do in the game against Greece, but we’re still trying to determine who we are and how we’re going to play, so that was just for today, what he chose to do.”

So Coach K said it was just to give other players a look, while Colangelo claimed it had to do with the bad starts Team USA has gotten off to. Hmm.

Ultimately, I’m not too concerned for Rondo’s future on Team USA. Coach K loves Rondo and Rondo’s game. He has openly praised Rondo on several occasions.  Rondo is still going to make the team, and he’s still going to play a significant role. Coach K probably sat Rondo for both the reasons he suggested, and the reasons Colangelo gave. Coach K not only wanted to see the younger players against good competition, he also wanted to send a message to Rondo and Granger that they need to play better, or there spots in the rotation will not be secure.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Rondo plays against Greece on Wednesday in the last exhibition game before the World Championships in Turkey, and how he responds to the benching. Rondo has played unspectacular basketball so far for Team USA and he’ll need to improve if he plans on holding onto that starting spot. Derrick Rose has played VERY well and is poised to usurp Rondo’s role as the starting point guard.

Stars and stripes replaced the Green, but Rondo still controls basketball games.

There once was a time when some Townies feared (hoped?) Rajon Rondo wouldn’t make Team USA. Umm, think again. He’s our national team’s starting point guard and a guy everyone on Team USA seems to be gushing about, especially his coach. (CSNNE)

“It starts with Rondo,” said Team USA and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. “He wants to play defense. And he knows that the people behind him are playing defense, too.”

“He’s looking every single time,” Tyson Chandler said. “For the big man, sometimes you’re guessing, ‘Is he shooting? Should I attack the boards, or is he passing?’ So it’s good to know, he’s looking to pass first.”

“I like playing with Rondo,” Billups said. “He’s a winner. I love playing with winners; guys that know how to play the game. Guys that every possession know what it means.”

Watching Rondo play for Team USA, it’s just the same old dude we’ve come to expect every night. He only had six points, six assists and two rebounds in yesterday’s matinee against France (and France’s Boris Diaw, who looks like he has once again eaten every croissant in his home country), but — as always – there was never a time when he wasn’t in control. Solid double negative. 

Rondo runs the show, points players where they’re supposed to go, blows by whoever tries to defend him and makes players around him better. People wondered how Rondo would adjust to the international game, but I’m sure he was thinking all along, “How’s the international game going to adjust to me?”

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All smiles, son.

I’m hoping this quote will bring all “Rondo may not make Team USA!” talks to a quiet death. (Boston Globe)

“He’s unconventionally become an NBA champion and a triple-double guy in this league,’’ Krzyzewski said of Rondo. “The thing that Rondo does is he plays with a will to win, and he just finds ways to have a positive impact on the game. You know, I really like that about him. I thought I developed a really good relationship with him during the week, and his pressure on the ball, defense. But his will to win is something that I truly admire, and we need that.

“Plus, he’s a little bit older — not in age as much — but with experience, because the Celtics have gone so deep and have won one of the recent NBA championships. So, I think we’re very fortunate to have him.’’

Chris Sheridan called Rondo a lock, but also took the time to give him a nice little backhanded compliment. (TrueHoop)

Eric Gordon/Stephen Curry is another obvious bubble situation, with four of the five guard spots seemingly locked up by Derrick Rose, Chauncey Billups, Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo (Note to Rondo skeptics: For all his faults, he rebounds better than any guard in the NBA — something that’ll obviously be needed in Turkey.)

Can we please stop talking about all Rondo’s faults? Can we please not talk about his rebounding like it’s the only thing keeping him on the roster? Rondo is a winner, first, foremost and always. Put him in an NBA competition and he’s better than any of those other guards listed. Every single one. He just finished an NBA postseason in which he was arguably the MVP of the entire playoffs. And now we can’t talk about anything but his faults, just because he’s playing in a FIBA competition where the rules are a bit different?

Child please. Outside of Deron Williams, Chris Paul and maybe Steve Nash, Rondo’s the best point guard in the league. Who else would you take instead of him? Rose? Sorry, get out of the first round before we talk about that. Parker? Maybe a few years ago, before he fell off. Billups? Give me Rondo any day of the week and twice on Sundays. Mr. Big Shot might as well be called Mr. “I’m Only 41% likely to hit my next” Shot.

And just because jump shooting isn’t his strong suit doesn’t mean Rondo won’t make an impact on Team USA. He’ll find open shooters. He’ll push the ball at breakneck speed. He’ll force turnover after turnover. He’ll penetrate the defense and show an uncanny ability to find an open man at the perfect time. Just because he’s playing foreigners with a weird-shaped lane doesn’t mean Rondo suddenly lost the ability to play basketball. Want to hear the story of another speed demon who has a suspect jumper but lives with a hunger for dimes and steals? His name’s Ricky Rubio, and he’s done pretty well for himself overseas.

So get off Rondo’s jock for a little while and enjoy. He’ll be in Turkey with Team USA and he’ll make an impact on the team. Rondo isn’t the best shooter in the world, but he never has been. And he always seems to find ways to adapt and make himself a threat. I don’t see why it will be any different just because he’s wearing Red, White and Blue.

Competitors.

Within the next 24 hours or so, four players will be cut from Team USA’s roster. Rajon Rondo might be one of them.

Though Coach K said he “loves” Rondo, Chauncey Billups noted he was highly impressed by Rondo, Jerry Colangelo rated Rondo’s chances to make the Team as “very good, very good,” and Kevin Durant named Rondo as the one player he most looked forward to playing with, speculation remains that Rondo might be among the players cut.

John Schuhmann listed Rondo among seven potential cuts, citing the following reasons. (NBA.com)

Rondo had seven assists on Saturday, but didn’t really distinguish himself. Defensively, he’s exactly what Krzyzewski wants (a ball-hawk), but offensively, the other three point guards in consideration are better suited for the international game. And indications are that both Rose and Westbrook outplayed Rondo over the course of the week.

I saw the scrimmage the other night, and Schuhmann was right. Rondo didn’t distinguish himself. Not at all. But if you surround Rondo with good scorers you could be playing with NBA rules, FIBA rules or Slamball rules and it wouldn’t matter: It’s always good to have a point guard who can distribute. And Rondo is by far the best passer among the players trying out for the national team. There’s a reason Durant wanted to play with him so badly.

By the way, Chris Sheridan named six players likely to get cut and Rondo was not on the list. Let’s hope Sheridan has better psychic powers than Schuhmann.