Jones Was Ready for Bad News

Hope was one thing, getting his hopes up quite another, so at least Eddie Jones had a cushion against disappointment.

He wasn’t expecting good news in the first place.

“I don’t think anything I did would have mattered,” the Laker guard said after learning he had been passed over for one of the final two spots on the United States’ roster for the world championships. “I could have been averaging 30 points a game.”

Jones, unlike teammate Kobe Bryant, was among those strongly considered at the very end by USA Basketball, which loved the versatility that came with his history of having played two positions, his ability to shoot outside, and his defense. But Friday, as San Antonio’s Tim Duncan was being added to replenish an inside game hurt by the decision of Shaquille O’Neal not to play this summer in Greece, Miami’s Tim Hardaway was chosen for the other opening.

Or at least the other one that now exists. While one of Jones’ season-long goals officially may be history, he still has reason to hold out some hope since Milwaukee’s Terrell Brandon may be forced to drop out because of an ankle injury. Of course, officials could decide to go with another point guard if Brandon can’t go, giving Phoenix’s Jason Kidd an edge.

“Is it disappointing?” Jones said. “As a player, you know if it’s going to happen. I sort of knew. I knew.”

Bryant, meanwhile, had emerged as a viable candidate around the all-star break, but then went into the second-half tailspin that knocked him from real consideration. Which didn’t matter much since he wasn’t expecting a bid anyway.

“Not really,” Bryant said. “My biggest goal is to be there in the year 2000.”

Not for the next world championships. For the Olympics.

Robert Horry, out Saturday for the fourth time in the last five games because of a strained Achilles’ tendon, said his left leg is feeling better, but would not speculate whether he’ll be able to play Monday at San Antonio.

“I don’t know,” he said. “We’re just going to have to wait and see. I’m not going to force it.”