USA must show it has international game figured out

Opponents during an intrasquad scrimmage, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant will team up in the U.S. starting lineup in Las Vegas. AP

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RELATED • MANNIX: Keys to success for Team USA • MANNIX: Weak field awaits Americans

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Maybe it's the whole Tim Donaghy scandal. Maybe it's just withdrawal symptoms after two months of no hoops.

Whatever the reason, I'm looking forward to watching Team USA in the FIBA Americas tournament.

Kobe Bryant. LeBron James. Carmelo Anthony. Jason Kidd. Amaré Stoudemire.

Those are some of the heavy hitters who will be suiting up for the United States over the next two weeks in Las Vegas. Their mission: to secure one of two available berths in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The Americans, who open play Wednesday night against Venezuela, are expected to romp. This tournament, after all, is nothing like the Olympics or last summer's World Championships.

This tourney is just an Olympic regional qualifier, with a 10-team field that includes Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Uruguay, Mexico, Panama and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For the record, the U.S. is 26-0 all time in this particular round of international competition.

Meanwhile, some of Team USA's top competition will be missing key NBA players of their own. Argentina won't have Manu Ginobili, Andres Nocioni or Walter Herrmann. Brazil will be without Anderson Varejao and Rafael Araujo. Canada won't have Steve Nash.

And it should be noted that even if the Americans were to stumble here, their Olympic hopes would not be finished. The third-, fourth- and fifth-place finishers still earn berths in next summer's world Olympic qualifier, held a month before the Beijing Games.

But make no mistake, Team USA is taking this very seriously. As part of USA Basketball's commitment to get back to the world throne, it put together some of the biggest names and had them undergo a just-completed weeklong training camp.

In addition to the big names, Team USA's roster includes Chauncey Billups, Tyson Chandler, Dwight Howard, Mike Miller, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd and Deron Williams. In other words, there is more than enough talent to get the job done.

But then again, that's what people thought before last summer's World Championships. And the '04 Olympics before that. And the '02 World Championships before that.

Are we sensing a pattern yet?

If there is one lesson we've learned about these international competitions, it's that there is no such thing as a sure thing. The rest of the world has caught up, at least as far as this particular brand of basketball is concerned. The United States might still have the best leapers and dunkers, but those skills don't always carry the day anymore against experienced five-man units that play in synch.

Think Milan High in Hoosiers.

That's why I'm anxious to see how Team USA plays in this tournament. Even if the Americans dominate, they must show they can do so in a way that suits the international game.

They must play the right way, with all five guys actually working as a unit on defense and sharing the ball on offense. They must shoot over those packed-in zone defenses. They must defend the pick-and-roll. They must adjust to the quirky officiating, which allows way more perimeter contact than does the NBA.

Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski is going to have some tough decisions to make in terms of playing time and personnel. Does he go mainly with the big names, i.e., Kidd, Bryant, James, Anthony and Stoudemire? Or does he replace one or two of them in his main rotation in favor of a role player like Chandler or a zone buster like Redd?

For now, it appears as if Coach K will go with his marquee guys and hope Team USA can run and gun its way to victory. But if the game slows down, this team could be vulnerable. Coach K might be forced to shuttle in Redd, Billups or Miller to provide three-point threats and floor spacing.

Then some big star (and ego) might find himself on the bench. How would a guy like Kidd or LeBron or Carmelo feel about that?

My guess is that each would be fine with it, as long as the team wins. Despite the debacles at the '04 Olympics and '06 World Championships, team chemistry and morale were never really a big problem. Team USA just got beat, fair and square.

Still, Krzyzewski will have his hands full juggling all these myriad issues while making sure the Americans don't suffer another colossal embarrassment. If nothing else, it should be fun to watch. Two months after the Spurs broomed the Cavs in the Finals to usher in a most forgettable summer, NBA fans finally have something to put their focus back on the court.