Team USA Makes Final Push for Beijing

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/more/06/28/usa.basketball.ap/index.html

USA basketball begins final push for Beijing

Story Highlights

* It was the first gathering of the 12-member squad
* The team is hoping to win America's 13th Olympic gold medal

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LAS VEGAS (AP) -- The United States took a small first step on the march to Beijing on Saturday.

The Americans tried on their new uniforms, then went through a two-hour practice at Cox Pavilion on the UNLV campus.

"We just wanted to start putting our offense in and run shots and the speed at which we're trying to play, and let them interact," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "That's a big thing -- understanding the magnitude of all this."

This was the first gathering of the 12-member squad since it was announced Monday. Four players -- LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Carlos Boozer -- are holdovers from the 2004 Olympic team, which won the bronze medal.

This year's team has a loftier goal -- America's 13th gold medal. Anything less will be an enormous disappointment for players who gave a three-year commitment to the national program.

"It's a brand-new start," said James, adding that the 2004 holdovers will wear different numbers than they did in Athens.

James, who wore No. 9, will wear No. 6 in Beijing; Wade swapped his No. 6 for No. 9; Boozer switched from No. 7 to No. 4; Anthony from No. 8 to No. 15.

Saturday's workout produced little news -- and that was good news.

Center Dwight Howard missed practice as he continued to recover from what Krzyzewski described as a stress fracture in his sternum. But Howard is expected to be ready for next month's training camp.

"He's just precautionary," Krzyzewski said. "There's no need to do anything today. He's got three more weeks, so let's make sure he's healthy."

Said Howard, "I'll be fine for next month."

Wade said his surgically repaired left knee felt good.

"It's just getting my wind back, getting my conditioning back, getting my legs used to going up and down," Wade said. "But health wise I'm good. No restrictions. I'm good to go."

Kobe Bryant is still nursing a torn ligament in his right pinkie, which could require surgery after the Olympics. Bryant said his finger "still gets sore every once in a while. But it's been manageable to this point, and hopefully it'll stay that way."

USA Basketball officials had originally planned to choose the squad at this minicamp. But they selected the group earlier in the week, and what had been planned as a four-day camp was reduced to an orientation meeting and one practice.

"It was a good first day today, just get up and down the floor and pick up some of the rhythm that we left off last summer" in the FIBA Americas qualifier, Bryant said. "It was a good first step."

Bryant had little to say about a rap video by former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Shaquille O'Neal, who rapped that "Kobe couldn't do without me."

Asked how he took the video, Bryant shook his head and said, "I didn't take it any kind of way whatsoever."

On Sunday, the squad flies to New York, where it will participate in a round of media events on Monday.

The team will reconvene here for training camp July 21, capping the week with an exhibition against Canada on July 25 at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center.

The squad then leaves for China, where it will play four more exhibitions before arriving in Beijing. The U.S. opens preliminary round play against host China on Aug. 10.

 

Just reading about D-Wade makes me think it'll take Franchise a year to get back to B-Ball shape. Remember when Wade injured his knee. It was like two seasons ago.

 

Team USA Interviews

http://www.usabasketball.com/news.php?news_page=08_moly_qoutes_06-28

China received a tough draw when it was placed in Group B along with the U.S., defending world champion Spain and Angola, during the FIBA Olympic draw held Saturday at the Wukesong Arena in Beijing. Two other teams will fill out the group, following the 12-team Olympic qualifier to be held in July in Greece.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=744054

As to the schedule a draw was held in Athens Greece recently and here are the results

OLYMPIC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT FOR MEN (10th to 24th August 2008):

Already qualified for Beijing 2008 are the following nine teams: Angola (African Champion), Argentina (Americas runner-up), Australia (Oceanian Champion), China (host), Iran (Asian Champion), Lithuania (European Bronze medallist), Russia (European Champion), Spain (World Champion) and USA (Champion of the Americas).

The remaining three men's berths for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will be decided in the 12-team FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men that will take place in Athens (Greece), from 14th to 20th July, and that will feature the following participants: Cameroon and Cape Verde (Africa), Puerto Rico, Brazil and Canada (Americas), Lebanon and Korea (Asia), Greece, Germany, Croatia, and Slovenia (Europe) and New Zealand (Oceania). The draw for the remaining three qualified teams will be held on 20th July 2008 in Athens, Greece.


1. Composition of groups:


Group A: Argentina, Australia, Iran, Lithuania, Russia, Qualifier A
Group B: Angola, China, Spain, USA, Qualifier B and Qualifier C


2. Preliminary Round:

The exact game number and time for each of the Preliminary Round games below will be known by 25th May 2008 at the latest. The information below only shows whom is playing whom on which day. The Preliminary Round games will be played at 09:00, 11:15, 14:30, 16:45, 20:00 and 22:15 hours.


10th August 2008:

Game 7: Australia vs. Qualifier A
Game 8: Russia vs. Iran
Game 9: Lithuania vs. Argentina
Game 10: USA vs. China
Game 11: Spain vs. Qualifier C
Game 12: Qualifier B vs. Angola


12th August 2008:

Game 19: Qualifier A vs. Russia
Game 20: Argentina vs. Australia
Game 21: Iran vs. Lithuania
Game 22: China vs. Spain
Game 23: Angola vs. USA
Game 24: Qualifier C vs. Qualifier B


14th August 2008:

Game 31: Argentina vs. Qualifier A
Game 32: Lithuania vs. Russia
Game 33: Australia vs. Iran
Game 34: Angola vs. China
Game 35: Qualifier B vs. Spain
Game 36: USA vs. Qualifier C


16th August 2008:

Game 43: Qualifier A vs. Lithuania
Game 44: Iran vs. Argentina
Game 45: Russia vs. Australia
Game 46: China vs. Qualifier B
Game 47: Qualifier C vs. Angola
Game 48: Spain vs. USA


18th August 2008:

Game 55: Iran vs. Qualifier A
Game 56: Australia vs. Lithuania
Game 57: Argentina vs. Russia
Game 58: Qualifier C vs. China
Game 59: USA vs. Qualifier B
Game 60: Angola vs. Spain


3. Quarter-Finals:

The information below shows only who will be playing whom in accordance with the final standings after the Preliminary Round.

20th August 2008:

Game 65: B2 vs. A3
Game 66: A1 vs. B4
Game 67: A2 vs. B3
Game 68: B1 vs. A4

The exact game number and time for the four Quarter-Finals will be known at the latest on the evening of 18th August. The games of the Quarter-Finals will be played at 14:30, 16:45, 20:00 and 22:15 hours.


4. Semi-Finals:

22nd August 2008:

Game 71: Winner 65 vs. Winner 66
Game 72: Winner 67 vs. Winner 68


The exact game number and time for the two Semi-Finals will be known at the latest on the evening of 20th August. The games of the Semi-Finals will be played at 20:00 hours and 22:15 hours.


5. Finals:

24th August 2008:

Game 75 (12:00 hours): Loser 71 vs. Loser 72 (3 - 4)
Game 76 (14:30 hours): Winner 71 vs. Winner 72 (1 - 2)

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/fibaEven/olymMen/p/newsid/24358/arti.html

 

Manu is waiting for clearance on his ankle July 6th. He will be carrying the Argentinian flag in the opening ceremony. He will most likely be playing

 

Argentina's roster...looks stacked to me.

PF 4 Argentina Scola, Luis 81.5 6 ft 9.5 in (2.07 m) 250 lb (113 kg) Houston Rockets
SG 5 Argentina Ginobili, Manu 78 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) San Antonio Spurs*
C 7 Argentina Oberto, Fabricio 82 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 250 lb (113 kg) San Antonio Spurs*
SG 10 Argentina Delfino, Carlos 78.75 6 ft 6.75 in (2.00 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Toronto Raptors*
PG 11 Argentina Prigioni, Pablo 76 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Tau Vitoria*
SF 13 Argentina Nocioni, Andres 79 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Chicago Bulls*
PG - Argentina Gianella, Nicolás 75 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) CB Granada*
PG - Argentina Porta, Antonio 76 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Spartak Saint Petersburg*
SF - Argentina Kammerichs, Federico 80.75 6 ft 8.75 in (2.05 m) 240 lb (109 kg) CB Murcia*
PF - Argentina Gutiérrez, Leonardo 78.75 6 ft 6.75 in (2.00 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Atenas*
C - Argentina González, Román 83 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 290 lb (132 kg) Peñarol*
SG - Argentina Quinteros, Paolo 74 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Zaragoza*

 

Inside the Mind of Dwayne Wade on his own preparations for the Olympics.

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TEAM USA in Practice before Olympics

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