USA – New faces likely for Team USA

COLORADO SPRINGS (2010 FIBA World Championship) - USA Basketball have not made it official but the writing looks to be on the wall with the respect to the number of Team USA Beijing Olympic heroes that will represent the country at the FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

And that number could be zero unless point guards Deron Williams and Chris Paul are able to play. They both had injuries that disrupted their campaigns but are expected at the Team USA training camp July 19-24 in Las Vegas.

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo gave an interview to AOL Fanhouse and spoke about the likely no-shows of players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard.

"It's a combination of three things: free agency, injuries and having gone hard for a long time,'' Colangelo said.

"And I'm okay with that."

Bryant played hurt all season in helping the Los Angeles Lakers win a second straight title.

Another Laker that has been to three straight NBA Finals, Lamar Odom, does seem eager to put on the USA jersey again.

Odom, who was named to the USA Basketball National Team squad earlier this year, played for the Americans at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and helped them win a bronze medal.

Following his end-of-season discussions with the Lakers before heading off for his summer holiday, Odom stopped to speak to reporters and explained why he would be ready for the next NBA campaign.

"I'm going to stay sharp, stay prepared and I'm going to have a little help with that because I'm going to go play in these World Championship games," Odom said.

"I am [looking forward to it]. Travel is always the best education I receive. To be able to play basketball and see different places, I'm always for that, [and] you represent your country."

Odom was not on the USA squad that fell to a surprise 101-95 defeat to Greece in the Semi-Finals of the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

The Americans did beat Greece at the Olympics two years later in China.

The USA will be in Group B at the FIBA World Championship.

All of their games at the 24-team tournament will be in Istanbul.

In the Preliminary Round, the USA will take on Slovenia, Brazil, Croatia, Iran and Tunisia.

The likely no-shows by some of America's most famous players will at least give Turkey and the rest of the world a chance to see some of the other superstars in the making like Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City play for the USA.

FIBA