Team USA Basketball: Derrick Rose Joins Camp! Coach K Assures Former MVP Has A Chance To Make The Team!

Team USA Basketball will have a familiar guest. Derrick Rose, former NBA Most Valuable Player who has hardly played the past two seasons will try to make the team.

The Chicago Bulls' starting point guard has missed all but a few games of the past two NBA seasons due to different injuries but has been working hard in rehab and training. The latest word from the team courtesy of Bulls.com:

GM Gar Forman: He's really in a good place right now and he continues to train. He's starting to play one-on-one, two-on-two. So he'll continue to ramp it up. And if everything goes according to plan - which up to this point it has - we're optimistic that he'll play with Team USA this summer and have another good summer of work and be ready to go in October."

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau also aired in: "You can't lose sight of Derrick being back. That changes a lot of things. ... He's right on schedule. So this is the next phase now. The rehab part went well. The non-contact stuff went well. So now this is the next step, which is good."

Thibodeau said he has no doubts that Rose would be able to return to a high level of play. But as any coach would understand, he has to give consideration as those are major injuries.

"The thing is, he's had two unfortunate injuries. I think he's put a lot of work into his body. So we're optimistic that he's going to make a complete and full recovery."

The past two statements are confirmation that the Chicago Bulls organization are optimistic and supportive of Derrick Rose joining Team USA.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski mentioned in an ESPN podcast: "We expect him to be there that last week of July when we're choosing the team in Vegas. He can't make the team unless he's ready to go full bore. And knowing Derrick I would think he'll be ready, and hopefully he'll be 100 percent."

"It's a fluid group, so you're always waiting to the end of the playoffs to find out contractually, physically, and family-wise who you actually have. It's a very fluid situation."

"We're anxious to see once the season ends just who is going to be there. And then hopefully we'll select 12 guys that will win the World Cup for us."

Derrick Rose is one of the most explosive point guards in the NBA and he has millions of fans around the world. Team USA would be a good stint for him to show his wares.