Mahihirapang pumili si Popovich

ANAHEIM, California -- Nang tanggalin si Gregg Popovich mula sa 1972 US Olympic basketball roster, naghanap ng madaling paraan ang nagdesisyon nito.

Ito ngayon ang gagawin ni Popovich sa pagpa-finalize niya sa USA Basketball’s roster mula sa 13 players hanggang sa 12 para sa darating na 2019 FIBA World Cup na idaraos sa China.

Ang lahat ng 13 hopefuls ay kasama sa team plane patungong Australia.

“When you cut people from your regular NBA team, it’s difficult,” sabi ni Popovich, ang USA Basketball’s men’s national coach. “We’re going to have to do that. And it’s going to be even more so difficult. I’m dreading having to do that. But it’s got to get done.”

Humigit-kumulang sa 50 NBA players ang ikinunsidera para sa World Cup team at karamihan sa kanila ay umatras dahil sa schedule demands o iba pang mga bagay.

Sina Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo at Chicago Bulls guard Thaddeus Young ay binitawan ni Popovich matapos ang first week ng kanilang training camp sa Las Vegas.

Nabawasan ng isa ang naunang 14 players na bibiyahe sa Australia dahil sa pag-atras ni De’Aaron Fox ng Sacramento Kings kamakalawa.

Kaya isang player na lamang ang tatanggalin sa koponan.

“It just means that guys are doing their jobs,” wika ni Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton. “We’re making it as tough as it can be on them. I think guys have been great all camp, just being positive, bringing energy and playing as hard as they can, giving their body up for everybody else. So that’s a huge thing for everybody. “From top to bottom, everybody is hungry and wants to prove something — that we can get this job done,” dagdag ni Middleton.

Inaasahan namang mapapabilang sa Final 12 ng Team USA sina Kemba Walker, Donovan Mit-chell, Jayson Tatum, Harrison Barnes, Mason Plumlee, Myles Turner, Brook Lopez at Middleton.