{image1} There will be one thing that is a lock for the upcoming Olympics. The competition for the gold medal in men's basketball will be the most fascinating event. Yes, the world is proving that they have officially caught up to the Americans regardless of whom we put together as a team.

Last week's loss to a mediocre Italian team is proof that the basketball is so good in other parts of the world that the U.S. has to do more that put together an all-star team of NBA players and tell them to go bring home the gold. The days of the original Dream Team are long gone, which is good news for basketball fans across the world.

Losing last week was the best possible scenario for Team USA's preparation for Athens. The no. 1 problem of the last few national teams is that they do not have any respect for their opponent.

All the so-called experts have stated that the reason for the decline is that the Americans don't play any defense. While that may be the end product, the reason for their losing is that they don't think the teams that they are playing belong on the same floor. They consistently dare teams to make shots, which in turn is playing directly into enemy hands.

Playing defense is all about intensity and desire. If you don't think the player that you are guarding can make the shot, you tend not to run at him when he is open. The problem is that this is not an NBA game where the defense can force the ball into player's hands that doesn't want to shoot the ball. All of the foreign players can shoot the ball, especially the big guys.

What this also proves is that the World Championships were not a fluke. Hopefully George Karl gets some sort of exoneration. That debacle was not Karl's fault nor will it be Larry Brown's fault if this team does not bring home the gold.

Larry Brown does have a say which players are going to get the minutes. There isn't a coach in the league that garners more respect from the players and he needs to use that to change the way the U.S. has handled international competitions in the past.

Gone are the days where the top priority for the coach was to make sure that everyone gets enough minutes to make their trip worthwhile. That type of rotation will not get it done this year.

Here a few ideas and some advice for Coach Brown:

1. As in the NBA playoffs, the bench needs to be shortened to gain the maximum continuity from eight or nine players. They are already at a disadvantage going into the game in that they have not played together. It only makes it worse when players are constantly rotating and never seeing the same faces on the floor.

2. The dearth of this team is its shooting. The best two shooters on the team are Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony. The U.S. will have to break down the zones that are going to see by slashing to the basket. Thus the need for Stephon Marbury to play big minutes at the point is useless. Marbury is at his best with the ball in his hands, something that a tightly packed zone defense eliminates.

Playing without a true point guard could also encourage teams to come out of their little shell to put some pressure on the U.S. That would be a welcome site to the Americans as there isn't a team in the world that can hang with the U.S. in an up-tempo game.

3. Tim Duncan is currently the best player in the world. It doesn't matter what defense that the opposing team is playing-if Duncan has position in the post the ball must be pounded into him. Duncan can score on anyone, and it will create more open shots for Anthony and Iverson. Getting the ball to your best player is not rocket science, but at times the big guy can get overlooked when facing a zone.

4. Play as aggressively on defense as possible. It seems that you can do just about anything to a guy handling the ball away from the basket, but once a player gets near the rim he cannot even be guarded. In other words, extend the defense, maximize our length and athleticism, and try to speed the game up.

5. The young players seem to give the team a boost of energy both on the floor and on the sideline. A lineup that included Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Anthony and Carlos Boozer have given the U.S, squad a boost off the bench during their pre-olympic trip. Their length and speed may be too much for other teams and their trapping defense got them out into the open floor, something that the U.S. has struggled to do.

Finding the right combinations of players will be Brown's largest task. Brown needs to find players that will play the brand of basketball that Brown squeezed out his Detroit Pistons some two months ago. A style that resembles the foreign teams more than it does the U.S.

Let's all be honest here-the Americans have the most talent, but at this point they might not even be the third or fourth best team. The Argentines and the Serbians have played together for years and know each other's styles like they were brothers. Not to mention that their motion style will give the American's fits on defense.

The U.S. will still win in the end, but it will not be easy. In fact it would not be a surprise if they lose a game along the road to the medal round. Every country wants to knock off Goliath so they are going to see every team's absolute best.

What all of this is adding up to is that the basketball that will be played over the next couple of weeks will be fabulous. Not since 1988 in Seoul has the gold medal been up for grabs in men's basketball. Up to five countries have a legit chance at dethroning the Americans.

If Brown and company are willing to match the effort put forth by their opponents they should prove that the gold medal belongs in the United States. Just saying that we are still the best doesn't work anymore. In fact, we don't scare anyone. Anthony's guarantee is not intimidating anyone. We will have to earn it this time.

It has been 12 years since the NBA players made their debut in International play. The U.S. introducing the world the Dream Team has made the game better. Now, the ball is back in our court to use our superior players to elevate the game once again.