USA - The need 'to keep the pipeline filled'

LAS VEGAS (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - The pressure is off for Team USA this summer when it comes to important games.

The Americans have already punched their ticket to the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, something they did when beating Spain in last year's Gold Medal Game at the Olympics in London.

They do not have to qualify for the World Cup at the FIBA Americas Championship in Caracas, Venezuela.

The pressure is most certainly on USA Basketball supremo Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski, though.

As the managing director of the men's senior team, Colangelo knows that many of the players in the Olympic roster won't feature at the World Cup.

None of the players in the USA's title-winning side at the 2008 Olympics competed at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

Colangelo is in Las Vegas this week with 26 NBA players and two collegians for a USA training camp.

The challenge of assembling the best roster for the World Cup is a significant one, especially as most of the squads to oppose the Americans next year will have experience in abundance when it comes to international tournaments.

"That's part of this program, to keep the pipeline filled with talent and as new players are indoctrinated into the program, that's when we go through the selection process," said Colangelo.

"Obviously, we know them as players. But it goes beyond that. We need to see who fits in and what's a good feel. And this year, we have a couple of new coaches to assimilate also. We want to just break them into our program."

Coaches Tom Thibodeau of the Chicago Bulls and Monty Williams of the New Orleans Pelicans will join returning assistant Jim Boeheim (Syracuse University) to complete Krzyzewski's staff.

Colangelo is hopeful there will be big-game experience in the USA roster next year, including 2010 FIBA World Championship MVP Kevin Durant.

"The key, as far as I'm concerned, going forward for 2014 is if Kevin Durant is willing to play," Colangelo said.

"We've heard some indications that he wants to. We know that (Russell) Westbrook would love to. We've heard the same about Kevin Love. (James) Harden is another.

"If we have three or four of those commitments, that's a third or quarter of our roster."

Derrick Favors of the Utah Jazz is among the players in last year's select team that faced the United States Olympic side in the build-up to the London Games.

Just to be involved in the program was a bonus.

"I think I grew a lot mentally," Favors said, "the way I approach the game, the way I get ready, the way I prepare myself, my body, everything."

The collegians taking part are Doug McDermott of Creighton and Marcus Smart of Oklahoma State. Smart played a leading role for the USA team that won the FIBA U19 World Championship in Prague, Czech Republic earlier this month.

Colangelo was asked about the two.

"If you're competitive at all," he said, "and you have the opportunity to play up like that, that's fantastic.

"That’s like going to grad school. I’m sure they're excited about it."

Players at USA mini-camp in Las Vegas: Derrick Favors, Ryan Anderson, Harrison Barnes, Bradley Beal, Mike Conley, DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, DeMar DeRozan, Andre Drummond, Kenneth Faried, Paul George, Gordon Hayward, Jrue Holiday, Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Ty Lawson, Damian Lillard, Doug McDermott, Greg Monroe, Chandler Parsons, Larry Sanders, Marcus Smart, Klay Thompson, Dion Waiters, Kemba Walker, John Wall and Tyler Zeller.

FIBA