USA Basketball could use good roster news wherever it might pop up right now. The team has seen a pair of players, P.J. Tucker and De’Aaron Fox, withdraw from the World Cup roster in the past day, while numerous others throughout the summer have either left the team or opted to stay at home instead of taking the floor in China.
But on Saturday afternoon, the team did get a bit of a boost in the form of a player returning from injury. Boston Celtics guard and noted fan of guillotines Marcus Smart hasn’t been able to take the floor in recent days due to a calf issue, but according to Marc Stein of the New York Times, he’s been cleared to take the floor prior to the team traveling to Australia for the final leg of its training camp.
As they prepare to leave the country today, Team USA gets one roster boost to counter the unexpected departure of De'Aaron Fox: Marcus Smart, I'm told, has been cleared to make a full return to the court from the calf injury that has sidelined him for the past week-plus
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 17, 2019
It certainly helps that Smart will fill a gigantic role for the United States. Outside of Kemba Walker and, should he make the squad, Derrick White, the Americans don’t really have all that many players who can initiate the offense. Smart is the kind of player who can do this in a pinch, plus it also helps that he’s one of the best defensive players in the world, giving the red, white, and blue a boost on that end, too.
Gregg Popovich can bring 12 players to the World Cup, so there still needs to be one player cut from the current 13-man group competing for roster spots. There’s no guarantee Smart makes the final squad, but if he’s healthy, what he does on both ends of the floor may be too valuable to keep off the team.
