USA's long-range issue

The prevailing lame joke about how to defeat the U.S. basketball team at the upcoming world championships has been "to slap a zone defense on the Americans the moment they got through customs and see if anyone can hit a jumper."

While not particularly witty, it is true. The U.S. has a lot of things going for it, but an abundance of zone-busting, dead-eye jump shooters isn't one of them.

Team USA is the fastest and most athletic basketball team ever assembled. Note, we didn't say best. The Dream Team of 1992 holds that title, but this is a youthful squad where most players – centers included – are capable of some kind of high-wire-act dunk.

None of which will help much against a zone defense.

And that was before Gilbert Arenas strained his groin during practice Monday, forcing him out of the world championships which begin Saturday in Japan. Suddenly, Team USA is wondering if it has enough outside shooting to get past what should be some ferocious zone defenses. Here we go again.

It's not that Arenas was the best player on the team, but his ability to knock down outside shots is a skill that the Americans desperately need.

That Arenas averaged 3.8 points and made only two of nine three-pointers in four exhibition games and is still considered so valuable is a testament to the team's dire need for outside shooting.

With Kobe Bryant already out due to arthroscopic knee surgery, coach Mike Krzyzewski was counting on Arenas to be one of the team's primary spot-up shooters. He told Arenas, who averaged 29.3 points a game last season for the Washington Wizards by scoring every way imaginable, to forget about being an all-around threat and concentrate on taking and making jump shots.

Arenas shot 36.9 percent from three-point range last season – not exactly Jimmy Chitwood numbers – but the thinking was if he took the open shots that should come courtesy of his talented teammates, he would hit a high percentage.

"I don't need to drive, get to the line," Arenas said of his role during training camp. "We have Dwyane [Wade], LeBron [James]. Chris Paul can drive. I can shoot the ball, which I do well. You take the part of your game and put it to use."

Carmelo Anthony will probably be the team's primary outside threat. Wade and Joe Johnson can fit in there, too. The loss of Arenas may also mean that Brad Miller sees more time. Miller, a big man who can step out and shoot the three, went 4-of-5 from behind the arc in exhibition play.

In its final exhibition game, a 116-63 swamping of overmatched Korea, the US shot 7 of 15 from three point range (James was 3 of 4). In five exhibition games the team shot .412 from behind the arc. That is reasonable but the defense promises to be tougher at the Worlds.

The U.S. must cut one more player to get its roster to 12. Point guard Kirk Hinrich, who may have been expendable, now could find himself a lock to make the squad.

Krzyzewski will have to dream up something. He cut two college shooters – J.J. Redick and Adam Morrison – early in camp, and the decision made sense because neither of those young players could hang with the group that was sent to Asia. Besides, there was a belief that Team USA was going to accentuate its speed and athletic ability. That isn't either player's strong suit. Redick, in particular, is not someone who can create his own shot.

But now time will tell if there is enough shooting or if taking one of those guys was the right call.

Krzyzewski can only dream of having one of those great 1992 gunners like Larry Bird, Chris Mullin or Michael Jordan. He'd probably take Jordan out of retirement, even if M.J. couldn't drive to the hoop any longer.

Team USA fell apart at the 2002 world championships and 2004 Olympics in part because it struggled to score when stingy 2-3 zones clogged driving lanes. This team should do a better job in its zone offense. Paul is a superior point guard to what the U.S. sent to the last two international tournaments, and James is the most difficult player in the world to guard.

Krzyzewski also hopes the full-court press can dictate the tempo, create easy scoring opportunities and get other teams out of their offensive rhythm.

But at some point, the zone gets slapped on the U.S., it becomes a half-court game and someone in red, white and blue has to hit outside shots. All the athletes in the world can't change that.

One of the key people expected to fill that role is now gone.

Arenas' injury may not cripple a talented Team USA, but it just made things at the world championships that much more interesting.