Sage Oden sees U.S. back atop Olympic podium

When you get past the fact Solomon (Greg Oden to you basketball fans) looks as though he should be researching long-term health care instead of where to purchase a new suit for NBA Draft night, it's pretty evident the most popular man in Oregon today also owns a large dose of wisdom to connect with his mature appearance.

"We're still the U.S.," Oden said. "We invented this game. We want to dominate again. That's the plan, to get back to that point."

He knows reality, the kind that says dominant basketball from the States is as past tense on a world stage as leg warmers are on the fashion scene.

USA Basketball made more roster changes Wednesday, an occurrence the past several years rivaled only by the amount of times foreign teams have pick-and-rolled the Americans to death.

But the difference this time is that overnight fixes are out and a detailed strategy for possible recovery is in, meaning most additions/subtractions from last summer's team merely continue what is a three-year commitment by all involved to avoid more red faces from the red, white and blue when medals are awarded and anthems are played.

The first step back to supremacy is admitting you are no longer the best, a fact reiterated (as if it weren't already obvious) last summer when the Americans took the bronze in the world championships in Japan and failed to earn an automatic berth into the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. When for the third straight time in a major international competition, someone else proved incredible athleticism doesn't promise gold.

It means a busier upcoming summer than most U.S. players had initially imagined. Too bad. Maybe by attending a tougher-than-spa-treatment minicamp here in July and competing for another chance at that Olympic berth in the FIBA Americas Championship at the Thomas & Mack Center the following month, a purpose can be discovered and an objective accomplished.

Maybe losing in Japan is the best thing that could have happened. Not that the Americans had any choice given the nonexistent defense they played against Greece in one semifinal. The Nuggets of the 1980s didn't score with the ease of the Hellenic Hoopsters.

"We fell short," said Jerry Colangelo, managing director of the national team. "Could have, should have ... a bunch of things can be said about what transpired. The reality is, we are now in the position to where we need to qualify.

"We have to tighten up the bootstraps and take care of business and qualify and get ready for (the Olympics). We'll have a stronger roster this summer regardless of how it comes out."

We're guessing that means he envisions keeping at least a few players who can actually defend the same play more than once.

Colangelo at a news conference here officially updated his roster, which includes players such as Dwyane Wade and Gilbert Arenas being unavailable this summer because of injury and those such as original invitees Kobe Bryant and Chauncey Billups finally joining the pursuit.

Jason Kidd has been added. So has Carlos Boozer. So have Oden and Kevin Durant, the college stars and expected top picks in the June draft who joined Colangelo here.

It's not a given this will work for the United States, not ensured the correct mix from a list that has swelled to 32 names will eventually form the best team in 2008. It's not guaranteed that three years will be ample time to defeat players who have essentially shot and run and rebounded together since middle school.

But it's the best chance going. If the Americans can't ultimately realize and correct the weaknesses that have dropped them from atop the world by adopting the kind of relentless passion Colangelo owns to make this right and learning from a gifted coach such as Mike Krzyzewski, we might as well replace all those LeBron and Kobe jerseys in store windows with ones for Theodoros Papaloukas and Juan Carlos Navarro.

"We realize there are great players all over the world now," said Oden, surprisingly quite cheerful given he is probably headed to that train wreck of a franchise in Portland as the No. 1 overall pick following Tuesday's NBA lottery results. "It's going to be a great challenge but I think we'll be up for it."

Ah, Solomon. So positive. So confident. So removed from the time America ruled basketball.

Was it that long ago the Dream Team beat opponents into submission and then signed their jerseys afterward?

"I don't remember," said Durant. "I was 4 years old."

Yep. That long.

Ed Graney's column is published Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. He can be reached at 383-4618 or egraney@reviewjournal.com.