Kirk Hinrich (left) may not have the hardware Dwyane Wade (right) has, but he has the intangibles Team USA may need in its starting lineup. AP
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Before listing my choices, I want to make one thing clear: Team USA's stated goal this time around is not to put together another All-Star team. It is to put together a group that plays a cohesive game and, most important, can thrive within the international rules. In other words, I'm not saying these five are the best NBA players. I'm just saying these are the guys I would make the starting core.

My starting unit when official practices for the World Championships begin next week would be Hinrich at PG, LeBron at SG, Battier at SF, Brand at PF and Miller at C.

Yes, I know. I can hear the catcalls already. Where's Dwyane Wade? Where's Carmelo Anthony? Where's Dwight Howard? Hinrich at point guard? Ahead of Arenas and Paul?

Again, I'm not saying Wade and Anthony aren't superior NBA talents. I'm not saying Hinrich is a better NBA point guard than Arenas or Paul. But for this team, and in this particular tournament, this starting lineup makes the most sense.

The U.S. has struggled in past international tournaments because foes zone up on them and take away their penetration. When Team USA has tried to make them pay from outside, it hasn't made enough outside shots. At the other end, the U.S. has been unable to play cohesive team defense, partly because individual stars were too used to freelancing and partly because the group didn't have enough time together.

My lineup features five players who all know how to share the ball, know how to play team defense and can knock down the open shot. Hinrich (37 percent from downtown a year ago) is a better three-point shooter than Paul (28.2 percent) and doesn't look to score first like Arenas. With Billups sitting out the World Championships, the Chicago bulldog is the best combination of three-point shooter/defender/setup man at the point of attack.

Battier should be on the floor because he defends, rebounds, scraps for loose balls (like Hinrich) and shoots a high percentage from three-point range (39.4 percent last season) without needing a lot of touches. Anthony is a scoring machine, and reports out of Vegas are that he's been tearing up his fellow All-Stars, but he's not good enough yet on defense. Team USA is going to have enough offense. It doesn't need another guy looking to create as much as it needs somebody who is willing to shut down opponents and take them out early.

Brand (6-9) gets the nod with a slight advantage over Howard at power forward because he's smart and unselfish, a good defender and more experienced in international competition. Miller (7-feet) provides some much-needed size and physical defense under the basket, and he's a gifted passer who can work the high post. This could be a key, since the U.S. won't be able to rely on one-on-one play as much for its offensive attack.

Stoudemire eventually could supplant Miller at center, if Team USA can establish its defense in other areas and play a more up-tempo style, but he's still at less than 100 percent health-wise. For now, Brand and Miller are the right one-two punch because they provide a low-post (Brand) and high-post (Miller) dimension while being able to step out and hit jumpers -- a necessity in the international game.

As for LeBron, he's a no-brainer. The Cavs superstar is the designated offensive catalyst and penetrator when it's needed. Period. He gets the nod over Wade because he's bigger and a better passer and rebounder.

The starting unit doesn't have to feature the best players. It just has to feature the right combination of skill sets. Hinrich and Battier and Miller aren't as good as Arenas/Paul and Wade and Stoudemire. But the former trio will be willing to set screens, give themselves up on defense and spread the floor better than the latter trio.

The last point, by the way, can't be emphasized enough: Team USA needs to have at least two three-point threats on the floor at all times. This will open it up for James and Brand, who are more than good enough to carry the team offensively.

It's going to be tempting for Krzyzewski and his staff to fall in love with the sublime scoring skills of guys like Wade, Anthony, Arenas and Paul. But the international game is different than the NBA's. There is less of a premium put on one-on-one ability. Those guys should instead be used strategically off the bench, against certain matchups and to fit certain needs. The starting unit, by contrast, needs to have balance, play hard-nosed defense, knock down long-range shots and set a tone. Too many cooks will leave the U.S. once more in the soup.

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