As the second-tallest player on the team and the heaviest in weight for Team USA , Howard knows what he will be required to do.

"Try to get all the rebounds, try to block all the shots, try to be a good defender at the post and try to be a good teammate," he said. "I think that's my role."

Howard, 21, will be teaming up in the middle with the 7-1 Tyson Chandler and the 6-10 Amare Stoudemire for the USA during the FIBA Americas Tournament, which runs from Wednesday to Sept. 2 at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center .

All three players are expected to survive Tuesday's final cut and make Coach Mike Krzyzewski's team.
The presence of three players who are certainties to make the cut -- offensive powerhouses Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony -- has made Howard realize that he doesn't have to be a post player who can take the ball to the hoop.

Although he is a proven offensive weapon with the Magic, Howard has accepted a change in roles in order to be valuable to Team USA .

"No, that's a different role," said Howard about his position with Team USA . "Some of the things I do with the Magic they want me to do here, but for the most part, [I'm the] big man in the middle. [I'll] try to control the area in the paint. You've got all the big guys like Amare, Tyson, myself, and you've got to man up in the middle."

Howard could have become frustrated with his shift away from an offensive-oriented role. In the final blue/white scrimmage during July's minicamp, Howard had 21 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots in 24 minutes. He also made all nine of his field-goal attempts and all three of his free throws.
For the Magic last season, he averaged 17.6 points, becoming the focus of the offense. His scoring increased in each of his three NBA seasons, from 12 points as a rookie to 15.8 points in his second season. It is expected to increase again in his fourth season -- even with the addition of free-agent forward Rashard Lewis.

It's what makes the USA Basketball experience so different. Instead of looking to score, Howard has focused solely on what he can do to help Team USA claim the gold at the upcoming tournament. If the team places among the top two, it will qualify for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing .
"I haven't thought about anything but getting myself ready for the game [Wednesday's opener against Venezuela ]," said Howard. "Everything is going great. It's very competitive.
"I [also] can't wait to get back with my team and get the job done."

NBA Future:
Hasheem Thabeet
Hasheem Thabeet For his immense size, Thabeet is an above average runner of the court . Does a great job of getting initial post position by using his body wide and sealing off his defender . Has soft hands. Rarely does he bobble passes and catches with few problems no matter the distance or speed of the pass . Shot blocking skills are top shelf . His explosiveness: getting off the floor quickly is mind blowing for a player his size ... Physically he has all the tools needed to continue with his long arms and first-rate timing

NBA Future:
Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant His upside is out of this world ... This kid is not even begining to scratch the surface of his potential ... Looking at him you see his frame is going to fill out in 3-4 years ... Very fluid athlete with explosiveness ... He plays hard and is still learning the game ...

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