So Mike D'Antoni can't coach for Team USA because of a bad back. Amar'e Stoudemire's insurance policy hasn't cleared yet, so the New York Knicks won't let him play. New Knick Ronny Turiaf won't represent France at the games. But that doesn't mean New York teams won't have anybody playing for their international squad this summer:
Most prominently featured is Brook Lopez of the New Jersey Nets. The big man is a very likely choice to make a small Team USA either starting or backing up Tyson Chandler. He'll be playing in the USA's exhibition against France in a few weeks at Madison Square Garden. (Nets fans should hang around for the second half of the double-header to boo ex-Net Yi Jianlian, who will be playing with the Chinese national team against Puerto Rico.)
And Knicks fans will be able to watch two of their newest acquisitions before they take the floor in orange and blue. Alan Hahn confirms that new signing Timofey Mozgov will be cleared to play for Russia - as the only NBA player on the roster, he'll be sure to figure into their plans. And draft pick Andy Rautins is a shoe-in for the Canadian roster -- the team is coached by his father, Leo Rautins.