With Steve Nash not participating, the Canadian backcourt will be manned by Carl English, pictured, and Denham Brown in Las Vegas. (Associated Press)

For 10 men’s national basketball programs representing countries in the Americas, the road to the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing runs through Las Vegas.

The 2007 FIBA Americas Championships are set to go from Aug. 22 – Sept. 2 and for a retooled team from Canada, the stakes couldn’t be higher with Olympic berths on the line.

"I think the team is very focused," said head coach Leo Rautins in a recent phone interview from San Juan, Puerto Rico in preparation for the tune-up Tuto Marchand Cup. "They understand that it's a tough task at hand, but at the same time they realize … it has to be all of them doing it together, all 12 guys. But the effort and concentration has been there."

Rautins is banking on a young team to bring Canada back to its first Olympic basketball appearance since 2000, where the team was lead by Steve Nash and ultimately finished seventh.

Now, a new generation of players with ranging NBA experience will lead the team, including guards Carl English and Denham Brown, forwards Juan Mendez, Olu Famutimi and Levon Kendall as well as centre Samuel Dalembert.

Rautins is currently using the four-team exhibition tournament in order to establish those younger players in game situations and nail down his best lineups.

"We have such limited opportunity to give these guys experience that the plan was to just do whatever we can to load them up with whatever we could give them and hopefully this year, next year and the year after really starts to pay dividends," he says.

In order to even think about next summer however, Canada will need a strong showing in Las Vegas. Teams that reach the finals at the FIBA Americas automatically get their ticket punched for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. But the third, fourth and fifth place finishers will have another chance in a tougher World Olympic Qualifying tournament taking place a month before the Games and featuring similar finishers from FIBA Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania tournaments being played in the next month.

Rautins is understandably dreaming big ("just like everyone else we're shooting for those top two spots," he says), but even he knows that his team will need to fight through some deficiencies to earn a chance to qualify in 2008.

"This group has to take advantage of its skills but I think we also have to cover up a few things," says Rautins. "We're not particularly strong at point guard and that's something that we've adjusted in how we play. We're kind of playing that position by committee and we've adjusted how we run and how we get into our offence accordingly."

Of course, Canada does happen to have a pretty good point guard in Nash, who hasn’t ruled out Beijing in 2008 should Canada qualify, but passed on Vegas this summer.

"[Nash doesn't] need to make excuses, [he's] put in many years with this team," says Rautins. "He certainly has left the door open for next year, if we're successful in getting there. With his personality and what he's done, the guys are open and willing to have him come in, even though he might not be there right now."

Fellow NBA player Jamaal Magloire once again has declined the invitation to represent Canada in international play, but Rautins says both cases clearly can't be considered in the same context.

"I've repeatedly tried to communicate with [Magloire] and my last communication was that we were supposed to have a sit-down to talk about it and he never followed through on that," he says. "Then, I pick up the newspaper and he indicates that he won't be playing but he's looking forward to joining the team if we qualify.

"Quite honestly, a lot of this team saw that and they weren't too impressed by that and you know, nor was I.

Olympic Qualifying Events
Tournament	Spots Available	Dates
FIBA Africa Championship	1	Aug. 15-26, 2007
FIBA Americas Championship	2	Aug. 22-Sept.2, 2007
FIBA Europe Championship	2	Sept. 3-16, 2007
FIBA Oceania Championship	1	Aug. 20-24, 2007
World Olympic Qualifying Tournament	3	July 7-13, 2008
Teams that have already qualified China – Host nation, Beijing 2008 Spain – 2006 World Champions Iran – 2007 FIBA Asia Champions

"He's a big guy, he's an NBA talent and I wouldn't want to hurt these guys by not having him there. But if they don't feel he belongs there then he won't be there, regardless of what his intentions are."

Magloire's skills as a centre might have become easier to live without thanks to the recent addition of Philadelphia 76'ers centre Dalembert to the Canadian team.

The Montreal resident, by way of Haiti, was sworn in as a Canadian citizen on Aug. 7, and should provide a true anchor in the post for his newly adopted home country despite his limited international experience.

"He can run, he can play above the rim and he's a tremendous shot blocker so he's going to present problems for opposing bigs and our job is just to put him in situations where … he can catch it on the move and take advantage of people around the basket," says Rautins, who also is cautioning patience with his starting centre given that he's only had two weeks to get ready.

"He was doing what he can along with other things to potentially prepare but certainly, he's not in mid-season form, so it's going to be interesting to see the adjustment."

A strong contribution from Dalembert in Las Vegas could provide a huge boost to a nation desperate to get back Olympic competition but his coach knows that it's going to take more than just the efforts of one player in order for Canada to advance.

"We have to have some players really step up and play as good as they can play," says Rautins. "We need every single player on the same page, not one guy can stray or vary from that and we have to have absolute effort on the defensive end of the floor at all times."

The rest of the field

Even at its best however, Canada will face a daunting challenge in a tournament that became much more competitive thanks to a result from over a year ago.

On Sept. 1, 2006, both the United States and Argentina were dumped from the semi-finals of the 2006 World Championships, allowing Spain to prevail and earn a guaranteed spot in Beijing in the process.

So instead of the world No.1 Americans or the defending Olympic champion Argentines treating this trip to the Strip like a working vacation, these basketball superpowers are going to have to go all-out at the University Nevada-Las Vegas' Thomas and Mack Centre.

That may be bad news for the rest of the field, but it definitely ups the international intrigue for basketball fans looking for a late-summer fix.

Sports Online breaks down the rest of the field for the 2007 FIBA Basketball Americas tournament.

NBA stars Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd will be key to American chances in Las Vegas. (Associated Press)

The Favourite – United States

With all due respect to the defending champs from Argentina, nobody should be betting against the house in this tournament. The U.S. appears poised, reloaded and refocused after its debacle in Athens in 2004, which saw them fail to clinch Olympic gold for the first time since the pre-Dream Team days. That team was led by Tim Duncan and backed by a flock of the NBA’s brightest young stars but was exposed against international defensive zones and fizzled to a bronze-medal finish under head coach Larry Brown.

But incoming managing director Jerry Colangelo and a revamped coaching staff led by Duke University coach Mike Krzyzewski appear to have worked hard on addressing their weaknesses. While a large degree of improvement can be expected from the development of players like Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh, the real difference with this team is the addition of shooters and stability in the backcourt that cost them dearly in 2004.

Player to watch: On a team littered with all-world talent barely old enough to enjoy an adult beverage in Las Vegas, the U.S. team should clinch a top-two finish if it can get the best out of the 34-year-old New Jersey Nets floor general Jason Kidd.

No other NBA player outside of Steve Nash can elevate the play of his teammates like Kidd. The Olympic gold medalist's ability to run the fast break and pick apart half-court zone defences solves a lot of the issues this team had in Athens. A walking triple-double any time he steps on the floor, Kidd is showing no signs of slowing down as he’s coming off one of his finest seasons.

The Defending Champs – Argentina

Argentina would normally be a lock with the US to advance from this tournament but who’s missing from the defending Olympic champs heading into Las Vegas has become just as much of a story as who’s going.

Missing in action will be current NBA players Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs), Fabricio Oberto (Spurs), Walter Hermann (Charlotte Bobcats) and former NBA point guard Pepe Sanchez. That leaves the bulk of the heavy lifting to guard Carlos Delfino (Toronto Raptors), power forward Luis Scola (Houston Rockets) and small forward Andres Nocioni (Chicago Bulls).

Despite the absence of some its best, expect Argentina to still be a handful. Strong team play and an up-tempo style have made the defending Olympic gold medalists one of the strongest international squads on the planet.

Player to watch: A versatile swingman, who was shrewdly acquired by Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo this off-season, Delfino will be required to pick up the scoring and leadership slack in the absence of the dynamic Ginobili. So far, he appears more than capable. At the tune-up Super 4 tournament in Santa Fe, Delfino scored 23 points in the championship game for the Argentines on his way to tournament MVP honours.

The Darkhorses

Brazil

Perhaps the most underrated team in the tournament, the Brazilians have put together a talented squad that could pull off an upset a team and finish with a guaranteed Olympic berth. Leandro Barbosa of the Phoenix Suns will serve as point guard and the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year will be joined by some talented big men including Spurs first-round pick Tiago Splitter, Anderson Varejao (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Nene (Denver Nuggets).

Player to watch: A pretty serious knee blowout in the first game of the 2005 NBA campaign cost Nene well over a season. But he came back in the first half of the 2006 campaign to average 12 points and seven rebounds for Denver during the regular season and upped those numbers in the playoffs. His combined experience with the nuances of the international game as well the talent of the NBA should make him invaluable to Brazil’s chances.

Carlos Arroyo elevates his game on the international stage. (Associated Press)

Puerto Rico

Should contend for the top five and seems to thrive in playing the role of giant killer. A lack of NBA-level talent didn’t stop Puerto Rico from thumping the Americans 92-74 at Athens in 2004 – handing the U.S. its first Olympic defeat with professionals on its roster and its most lopsided loss against top-flight international competition ever. Puerto Rico has traditionally shown no fear against the bigger kids on the playground and shouldn’t be a pushover this time around either.

Player to watch: Carlos Arroyo’s a journeyman in the NBA but nothing short of a warrior when he dons his national team jersey. The 28-year-old former Raptor and current Orlando Magic point guard is now a seasoned veteran for the national team having enjoyed his greatest success at last year’s World Championships where he averaged 21.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game from that tournament in Brazil. Playing the U.S., in particular, brings out the best in Arroyo.