In a move that was not altogether surprising, Team USA Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski announced that Bruce Bowen and the injured Gilbert Arenas had been cut from the World Championships’ roster giving Shane Battier the final spot on the team.

While I think Bowen would have been the better choice based on pure defensive stopping ability, Battier at least gives you the same type of work ethic and willingness to do the dirty work. While not as good a man-to-man defender as Bowen, Battier is a better rebounder and has a better mid-range jumper (Bowen is a superior three-point shooter, but suprisingly has troubles with shots inside the arc). The 2004 Olympic Team lacked “glue guys” and the addition of Battier and players like Brad Miller add texture to the bench.

We’ll have our complete World Championships’ Preview coming up soon with predictions for who will medal.

With the World Championships set to tipoff August 19th, Coach K has a big decision to make in regards to Team USA’s final roster. Twelve players are allowed to make the final team and 11 of the 12 slots are essentially accounted for with the sole spot left likely going to Shane Battier or Bruce Bowen. Gilbert Arenas, who had been a virtual lock to make the team in lieu of the aforementioned Battier and Bowen, was felled by injury which forced him to withdraw from the team and leaving the current predicament.

The common thread of thinking is that Bowen will be the odd man out. He’s been the lowest scoring player on the team during the exhibition run and has been getting very little playing time. On the other hand, Battier is a Blue Devil and one would expect is a member of Krzyzewski’s happy fun club.

Reality though could be different. ESPN’s Chris Sheridan wrote an “Insider” column breaking down the decision and ended up siding with keeping Bowen. Essentially Sheridan bases his decision on the type of player (lock-down defender) that the team will need in the actual World Championships. While Battier is a nice inside-outside guy who doesn’t hurt you, Bowen gives the upside of being one of the top man-up defenders in the world. He’s also got a streaky three-point shot which won’t hurt particularly with the departure of Arenas.

I hope Bowen ends up being the man, but in my heart I have my doubts as I think Krzyzewski will end up taking Battier. Whoever is chosen might not see much playing time in any event as the core of this team became pretty well-established during the exhibition games and Battier or Bowen would likely be counted on as emergency players only.

The World Basketball Championships are just around the corner and the early returns on Team USA are favorable after three exhibition wins.

Comparing this team to the disastrous 2004 Olympic squad, it’s clear that the work done by USA Basketball and Jerry Colangelo to develop a clear strategy in choosing and devloping a team is paying off. The current team appears much more unified and the roster shows a higher degree of balance while Coach K is everything Larry Brown wasn’t.

While in ‘04 Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Carmelo Anthony were mostly riding the bench and dealing with Larry Brown’s inconsistent lineups, the trio form the key of this year’s team and Anthony in particular has shined. There was understandable concern a few days ago when Carmelo suffered a hyperextended knee in a close 90-86 victory over Brazil but the latest reports have him as day-to-day and he should be able to play in the Worlds with no problem.

While it’s obvious who the stars are, the key to winning the gold will be the role players and I really like what USA Basketball has done in this regard in selecting the team. Brad Miller is perfectly suited for the international game as the wide trapezoidal lane emphasizes big men who can move, pass, and hit open jumpers. Likewise Antawn Jamison’s game is well-suited for the international style as well as Shane Battier. One of the biggest injustices of the initial selection process was the omission of Kirk Hinrich (and the inexplicable selection of Luke Ridnour). Hinrich was added prior to the team’s training camp however, and stuck with the team while Ridnour was sent off. Hinrich provides solid shooting and his a nice change of pace off the bench.

Despite the enthusiasm surrounding the team, the most recent game against Brazil does serve as a reality check that things have changed forever in the basketball world. While the US is still the unquestioned leader in talent, the rest of the world has caught up. From here on out, international basketball competitions will be more akin to soccer’s World Cup with an ever-increasing level of parity.  Adding to the parity is the uniqueness of the FIBA rules compared to NBA and NCAA rules which adds a layer of difficulty for the US players unaccustomed to the international style.

I truly think this team will win the World Championships though, as the talent and mindset have finally come together.

Sorry for the lack of updates…it’s been a busy few weeks.   Coming back tomorrow strong with lots of new content.