5: Health!
Let’s get this one out of the way. Ingram needs to be healthy to lead the team to gold. Getting there and BACK is the biggest priority. Maybe it is a good thing the B.I. vs. GTA battle in Las Vegas has dropped off the Team USA versus Puerto Rico fight card. Those jokes about ‘dropping 40’ during NBA2k Summer League action were just a tease.
This bullet point is no laughing matter though. One of the best young duos in the game, Trey Murphy and Herb Jones will be with Team USA for a few weeks to help the team in scrimmages. Alvarado is apparently missing out because he is still strengthening his legs following a stress fracture. Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rico’s GM, said an MRI performed last week revealed that the injury hasn’t fully healed, so the Pelicans didn’t allow Alvarado to join the squad. Here’s to hoping they all return to training camp ready to run!