USA - Big men questions for Colangelo after Howard injury

ORLANDO (Olympics) - It's starting to look more and more like Blake Griffin is going to make his Olympic bow for the United States this summer.
 
A herniated disk has this week brought an early end to Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard’s season, while earlier this month LaMarcus Aldridge was shut down with a hip injury.
 
Howard underwent arthroscopic surgery on Friday.
 
USA Basketball have not ruled either player out, with the Olympics set to tip off on 28 August.
 
"I understand exactly who's involved," USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said.
 
"The only thing I don't know is the extent of Dwight Howard's situation, and I really want to find out more about that.
 
"But we may have to consider, you know, invitations to a couple (other) players.
 
"That's a possibility. We'll talk about it."
 
In an interview with ESPN the Magazine, Howard spoke of his return coming after the end of the Olympics.
 
"The doctor said it's a one-inch incision,” he said.
 
"He said I can start rehab right away and be back to full contact in four months.
 
"So I'm not really concerned. If anything, I'll come back stronger."
 
Griffin, a power forward with the Los Angeles Clippers, has been such a dominant player at the tender age of 23 that USA Basketball named him as a finalist for the Olympic squad earlier this year.
 
He has averaged 20.3 points and 10.9 rebounds and more importantly, the Clippers have been winning.
 
They are 30-24 in the Western Conference and just a game behind their city rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers.
 
The United States also named some other extremely good big men among the finalists, including 2008 Olympian Chris Bosh (Miami), and 2010 FIBA World Championship gold medalists Kevin Love (Minnesota) and Tyson Chandler (New York).
 
There is also still the possibility that the experienced 32-year-old power forward Lamar Odom could find his way into the team, despite his struggles that recently led to his departure from the Dallas Mavericks.
 
Odom was a co-captain of the USA side that won the world title in Turkey, and he played on the Olympic team that won bronze in Athens back in 2004.
 
FIBA