The US has three major problems to solve if it is to dominate the forthcoming World Championship, coach Mike Krzyzewski said on Tuesday.
Krzyzewski, who has assembled a roster of young NBA talent, said that a lack of height, the differences between NBA and global basketball rules and his players’ lack of experience playing together are all challenges for the US.
His team was to have one more opportunity to prepare in a tuneup game against Greece yesterday. The World Championship, in Turkey, runs from Saturday through Sep. 12.
“We have only played three [warmup] games and we have never played together before [in a championship game],” Krzyzewski said after a shootaround at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Athens. “[Wednesday] night’s game for us is about getting a better understanding of ourselves and the international game before we get into the world championships. We get the chance to do it against one of the best teams.”
Yesterday’s game was being held in the same arena where the US team at the 2004 Olympics — which included LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson, among others — failed to win gold for the first time since 1972.
UPSET
Greece upset the US at the previous World Championship, in 2006, winning their semi-final against a lineup that again contained James and Wade.
Only with Krzyzewski’s “Redeem Team” of 2008 did the US win another Olympic gold and break a string of disappointing results in major tournaments dating back to the 2002 World Championship in Indianapolis.
FEW VETERANS
Krzyzewski’s roster for Turkey this year boasts just two veterans — Denver Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups and Lakers forward Lamar Odom. He has said that defending champion Spain are the favorites, but his team defeated the Spaniards, in Madrid, 86-85 on Sunday.
“In Beijing [in 2008] we had a team of experienced professionals; this team has younger professionals, outside of Odom and Billups,” said Krzyzewski, who built his fame as a successful college coach. “We are trying to adapt [to different kinds of players] and it’s good. I don’t think the players should have to adapt to you as much as you should adapt to them.”
Tyson Chandler is the team’s only true center as well as its only seven-footer (2.13m), but Krzyzewski said that situation was not intentional.
WITHDRAWAL
Meanwhile, Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo has withdrawn from the US team for family reasons, clearing the way for the final world championship roster to be set, USA Basketball said on Tuesday.
Rondo had started two exhibition games but did not play in the contest against Spain.
With Rondo’s withdrawal, the team was able to finalize their roster to 12 players.
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