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"This might be the start of a new-age Dream Team I'm on,'' Dwight Howard said Tuesday before boarding a plane for a few days back in Orlando. "It's been fun, a great experience, to play with so many great players. I'm honored to be part of this.'' From the roster of 24 that originally were selected by USA Basketball, only 15 remain and only 12 will be part of the official World Championship team that will begin play in Sapporo, Japan Aug. 19. Dwight Howard is one of just three centers who remain on the roster, joining Brad Miller of Sacramento and Amare Stoudemire of Phoenix. Stoudemire, who missed this past NBA season after knee surgery, practiced all week, but his health remains a concern, which makes Dwight Howard almost indispensable. "He (Dwight Howard) is like a sponge. He wants to learn everything,'' said Mike Krzyzewski, USA National Team coach. "He's still very much developing, but he's already an outstanding player. And he's going to be a great player. '' Joining Dwight Howard on the USA roster are players like Dwyane Wade of Miami, LeBron James of Cleveland and Gilbert Arenas of Washington ? all stars who are expected to provide the bulk of the scoring. Dwight Howard isn't as developed offensively, but he clearly will be the key at the defensive end of the floor. He averaged 15.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks last season for the Magic. "We've got enough scorers,'' Dwight Howard said. "I'll be doing what I do best, that's rebounding and blocking shots and playing defense. I had a good week of camp. My goal coming in was to work hard, and become a better basketball player. I think I'm doing that." One thing he didn't do was join in the usual late-night visits to casinos in Las Vegas. He spent more time in his room watching movies and playing on his computer. "I slept a lot (when I wasn't playing basketball). I never gambled, and I don't plan on doing that. That's not my thing,'' he said. "I still had fun, worked hard. I've got a busy summer ahead of me.'' Dwight Howard will report back to Las Vegas July 31 when the training camp resumes. The team will play an exhibition there Aug. 3 against the Puerto Rican national team. They then go to China and South Korea, where they will play and practice until the World Championships begin Aug. 19 in Japan. "We've got athletic big guys who can run and have a lot of tools. We've got guys who can play four positions,'' he said. "And we've got some great point guards. It's fun to play this way.'' |
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