Rajon Rondo has “withdrawn” from Team USA, finalizing the 12-man roster that will travel to Turkey for the World Championships.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

The latest loop on the roller-coaster ride that has been Rajon Rondo’s experience with Team USA: Rondo could be the last player cut before the team heads to Turkey for the World Championships. Read more »

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.

(I love it when bad things happen to the Gasol brothers.)

Kevin Durant blocked two last-ditch Rudy Fernandez three pointers as time expired and Team USA held on for a thrilling, 86-85 victory against Spain.

I would discuss how Rajon Rondo played but, well, he didn’t exactly play. Rondo pulled the DNP, joining Danny Granger and the injured Kevin Love as the only USA players not to play a single second.

Why? Who knows. Maybe he’s a little banged-up. Maybe Coach K was disgusted by Rondo’s bad performance the other day. Maybe Coach K just wanted to give the bubble guys more of a chance to play. Maybe Rondo’s even on the bubble himself.

I doubt Rondo was being saved as a secret weapon for the next time USA runs into Spain. If he was, why were he and Granger the only healthy players not to get in? That just doesn’t make sense to me.

P.S. – Rudy Fernandez looked pretty bad. Too much complaining this summer and not enough practicing, it looks like.

P.P.S. – Ricky Rubio is the real deal. I was so excited by a few plays he made that my 12-year old brother looked at me and said, “I think you’re homo for Rubio or something.” I don’t think I’m actually homo for Rubio, but I definitely have a man crush on his basketball game.

(This music could get me fired up for anything. Anything.)

Rajon Rondo vs. Ricky Rubio. Isn’t that alone enough for you to watch today’s game between USA and Spain?

The game will be televised at 3:00 p.m. on NBA TV and ESPN3.com. It will also be shown on tape delay at 10:00 p.m. on ESPN2.

Rondo will be looking to recover from yesterday’s performance, one that can only be described by a single word: Bad. Actually, you could probably even be harsher than “bad” if you wanted to be. Whenever a player has more turnovers than points and assists combined, you can pretty much be as harsh as you please. After yesterday, I’m wondering whether Rondo will remain Team USA’s starting point guard.

But don’t expect another poor showing from Rondo today. I suspect he’ll be motivated to rebound from yesterday. Plus, I think getting pumped up will be a little easier against Ricky Rubio and Spain than it was against Mantas Kalnietis and Lithuania. Just a guess.

(This play symbolized the whole first half.)

Not that the exhibition game between USA and Lithuania counted for anything, but that was almost ugly. Really, disgustingly, hideously ugly.
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