Coach Mike Krzyzewski said Monday that not having the injured Derrick Rose will be a "big loss" for Team USA in its defense of the gold medal at the London Games this summer.
Rose tore his ACL in Game 1 of the Chicago Bulls' playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, sidelining him for six to nine months. He underwent surgery on Saturday.
"I love Derrick," Krzyzewski said at the Team USA media summit. "He helped us win a world championship in Istanbul (in 2010). He's our starting point guard. I thought he grew a lot from that experience. He's somebody in the future I know will be a point guard for our Olympic team.
"He's a team player. No one pushes the ball down the court any quicker than he does. He can be an outstanding defensive player. Our hearts go out to him. It was a big loss for our team. Hopefully the surgery he had just a day or so ago will be proven to be very successful."
Rose was named in January as one of 20 finalists for Team USA. Since then several stars have suffered significant injuries, including Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Chauncey Billups and Rose.
Team USA has been granted an extension from the U.S. Olympic Committee and won't have to name its roster until July 8, pushed back from June 18. That will allow them to wait until after the NBA season has ended and after training camp has begun.
USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said Thursday the Americans haven't decided how many players will be invited to camp in Las Vegas, with the first practice on July 6. There are 18 healthy players in the roster pool.
The Americans were allowed to add two players, long after the deadline to be included in the drug testing program. Oklahoma City's James Harden, the NBA's top Sixth Man, and likely No. 1 draft pick Anthony Davis from NCAA champion Kentucky were added earlier this month.