23-man invitee roster:
Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards); Shane Battier (Memphis Grizzlies); Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons); Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors); Bruce Bowen (San Antonio Spurs); Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); Antawn Jamison (Washington Wizards); Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks); Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns); Brad Miller (Sacramento Kings); Adam Morrison (Gonzaga University); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Chris Paul (New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets); Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics); J.J. Redick (Duke University); Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks); Luke Ridnour (Seattle Supersonics); Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns); and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat).

Man, the US just can’t get it right.

After an embarrassing Bronze Medal performance at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the US Men’s Basketball think tank, consisting mostly of Jerry Colangelo, had a couple of years to get things right. The result of 2 years of deliberation lies above: a 23 man preliminary roster that will be cut down to 12 before the World Championships commence in August. Headlined by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, this roster includes 2 College players, 9 All-Stars and 6 prior Olympians.

Although the roster boasts a balance of scoring, rebounding, passing and defense, it is far from the best product that the US could bring into the World Championships. Let’s examine the main flaws of this team:

1) Kobe Bryant
Jerry Colangelo is a great basketball executive who has been part of the Phoenix Suns franchise since its inception in 1968. But you have to question his decision to build this team around Kobe.

The NBA game is different from International competition in many ways. The rules are different, the talent is different, and the formula for success is different. Kobe Bryant is the epitome of excellence in the NBA game, currently leading the league in scoring, and boasting the second-highest single game total ever with 81 points on January 22.

However, the international game requires more than just individual talent; it requires solid team basketball, good fundamentals and unselfishness, none of which are Kobe’s strength. Kobe is a shooter; he shoots more often than not, and once the ball touches his hands, no double or triple team is going to force him to pass it. He also struggles with a team concept. He has a big talent in Laker teammate Lamar Odom, but Odom rarely gets the ball in LA and there’s no reason to think things will be any different on Team USA. If Kobe tries to dominate the ball on this team the same way he does with the Lakers, the Americans are in trouble.

2) Size
The US team’s only true center is Brad Miller. No offense to Brad Miller, but where are Shaq, Duncan, and Garnett? Their excuse was that they did not want to commit the three years that the team required. That works with Shaq, who’s getting old, and Garnett, who’s going through a rough time in Minnesota, but Duncan was on the team in 2004, and you have to wonder if other factors weighed into his decision. Kobe is the focal point of this team, and few NBA players today would be excited about playing with him. Had Kobe not been on this team, Duncan would have been the leader with his previous experience, and the opportunity to represent his country would have been hard to pass up.

Ultimately, the US has very little inside presence. Bosh and Howard play inside, but both are young, inexperienced and need the ball to be effective. Stoudemire and Brand are supremely talented, but undersized. Who’s going to defend the 7-3 Lithuanians or the 7-0 Turks in the middle?

3) Notable Omission
Colangelo said that he wanted this version of USA Basketball to be more passing-oriented, and that’s why he chose not to extend an invitation to former captain Allen Iverson. That made a lot of sense until Kobe Bryant was invited, making Colangelo’s statement a farce. Not to say that Iverson’s doesn’t dominate the ball, but he doesn’t do it nearly as much as Kobe. Iverson is averaging over 7 assists per game this year, and knows how to run an offense. He plays with fire, and with his experience from the previous team, he knows what it takes to win. But Iverson was left off, and the US team will miss his energy and passion.  

4) Things to watch
Which candidates will be chosen for the final roster? How will Kobe mesh with his teammates, and will he take the majority of the shots? How will LeBron James respond to playing with Kobe at an international level? Can the Americans finally regain the Gold that has eluded them since the days of the Dream Team?

Despite the flawed roster, any American basketball team has a shot at the gold. However, the way this roster was assembled leaves the team short on size and long on Kobe. That is not a formula for international success.

Lev Elgudin is an avid basketball enthusiast, and is willing to debate Kobe's ballhogging anytime. He can be reached at lev.elgudin@atomicsportsmedia.com.