Americans keeping focus on FIBA title

But history has shown that doing so could be a serious error in judgment. Nothing is a given with USA Basketball, not after finishes of sixth, third and third in its last three major international competitions.

The Americans have never lost a game in this event (they’re 26-0) and are playing on U.S. ground at the Thomas & Mack Center, but none of the other nine teams entered is giving them a free pass to next year’s Beijing Olympics. Even the American players and coaches aren’t taking anything for granted.

Suffer a cold shooting night in the semifinals or get some key players in early foul trouble and it could lead to the ultimate embarrassment: the need to qualify in a last-chance tournament in Europe late next spring.

From USA Basketball’s standpoint, failure is not an option this time around.

"We’re ready," U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We had a good camp, and everyone’s excited to get going.

"We know this won’t be easy, and we have great respect for all our opponents, but our objective hasn’t changed. We want to win the tournament and qualify for the Olympics."

The U.S. remains a huge favorite to earn one of the two spots to the Olympics from this tournament. Brazil and Argentina are also in the mix, and Puerto Rico and Canada have the ability to cause problems.

Virtually every team is missing players it was counting on as injuries or personal decisions not to play have forced coaches to juggle their lineups. Argentina, for instance, is without its two best-known players — guards Manu Ginobili and Andres Nocioni — as well as Fabricio Oberto and Walter Hermann. Brazil is without Anderson Varaejao and Rafael Araujo. Steve Nash isn’t playing for Canada, and former UNLV center Joel Anthony, a Montreal native, is out with a stress fracture.

But there’s no lack of talent for several of the teams. Brazil will still field a formidable lineup, led by the Phoenix Suns’ Leandro Barbosa and the Denver Nuggets’ Nene.

"Everyone knows they are important to the team, and we wanted them on the team," Barbosa said of Varaejao and Araujo. "But we are in good shape, and we want to do well here."

For Argentina, there will be no excuse not to qualify, even though it is missing several key components.

"We are the Olympic champions and we cannot be absent from Beijing," guard Paulo Quineros said. "We know this is a great opportunity, and we cannot allow it to go by."

Canada coach Leo Rautins said it’s easy to get focused solely on the United States. But he said that’s not his team’s focus.

"Every game is a challenge," said Rautins, whose team is in Group B, which also includes the U.S., Brazil, Venezuela and the U.S. Virgin Islands. "We’re coming in with some confidence, and even though we were only able to play three games to prepare for this tournament, I like where we’re at."

Canada, led by Philadelphia 76ers center Samuel Dalembert and former Hawaii star Carl English, hopes to advance to the second round and see what happens from there.

The top four teams from each of the two five-team groups will advance to the second round of crossover play, which begins Monday.

Rautins said the key for his team is to stay together and not disintegrate into a bunch of individuals.

"The only way you’re going to be successful in a tournament like this is 12 guys, one goal," Rautins said.

Mexico, coached by former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson, played a series of exhibition games in Mexico the last couple of weeks to prepare for the FIBA tournament. There are a lot of new faces on the roster, including former UNLV forward Romel Beck.

"I play fast, and in our system, both offense and defense are based on quickness," veteran guard Omar Quintero said. "We’ve prepared with a lot of intensity for this tournament."

Intensity figures to be a constant, regardless of who’s playing. But it will probably be at a fever pitch whenever Team USA steps on the court. Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant said it’s up to him and his teammates to set the tone from an intensity standpoint.

"We know everyone’s going to be giving us their best effort, so we have to be prepared to do the same," Bryant said. "We had a very good training camp. We’re healthy and the guys are enjoying playing together and working with each other. Our execution is getting sharper every day. We’re becoming more precise with everything we do.

"This is the moment we’ve been preparing for, and I know we’ll be ready to go from the opening bell."