Washington center JaVale McGee and Oklahoma City forward Jeff Green were trimmed from the US roster of NBA talent for the World Basketball Championships on Sunday, USA Basketball announced.
Neither player took part in a scrimmage against China on Saturday ahead of an exhibition game Sunday against France at New York's Madison Square Garden.
Cutting McGee, who had been bounced off the team once before but brought back for workouts, leaves the American squad for the world championships with 13 players but only one center, Tyson Chandler of Dallas.
"The decision made was predicated on having less players to work with and play during the upcoming exhibition games which will help in terms of our final preparations," USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said.
"Rather than bring 14 or 15 players we will for now go with 13 because we have yet to make a final determination on 12."
The Americans must cut one more player from the lineup by the eve of the August 28 start of the world championships in Turkey. They will leave Monday for a four-day training camp in Madrid that starts Tuesday.
The US team, relying heavily on quickness and backcourt talent with only one big man, will play Lithuania next Saturday and Spain next Sunday at Madrid and face Greece at Athens on August 25 ahead of the worlds.
Joining Chandler among the final 13 were Denver's Chauncey Billups, Rudy Gay of Memphis, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Boston's Rajon Rondo, Minnesota's Kevin Love, Chicago's Derrick Rose, Indiana's Danny Granger, Golden State's Stephen Curry, Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala, Eric Gordon of the Los Angeles Clippers and Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Copyright 2010 AFP American Edition
