A close look at remaining U.S. roster

— -- Sixteen players to choose from. Only 12 roster spots available. And merely 10 more days of practices and exhibition games to collect sufficient on-court data to break any ties.

That is what coach Mike Krzyzewski and managing director Jerry Colangelo face starting Aug. 13 in Chicago, up until they board the Team USA plane bound for Spain on Aug. 23, in choosing the dozen players who will represent the United States at the inaugural FIBA World Cup.

Tuesday's release of John Wall, Bradley Beal and Paul Millsap, in the wake of the devastating compound leg fracture that felled Paul George, is only Phase 1. To get you (and the USA Basketball bosses) ready for the tough choices ahead -- four more cuts on top of the various emotional challenges after what happened to the well-liked George -- we've broken it all down here by position: