With stars sidelined, Oden and Durant on Team USA

Associated Press

Greg Oden and Kevin Durant are in, and Tayshaun Prince and Tyson Chandler are joining them.

USA Basketball is making a number of changes to this summer's roster, with the Americans adding the two college stars and a couple of defensive specialists but losing Dwyane Wade and some key players because of injuries.

Managing director Jerry Colangelo is set to announce the additions to the roster at a press conference Wednesday in Las Vegas, where the Americans will train and compete this summer in the FIBA Americas tournament.

Jason Kidd, Mike Miller and Utah teammates Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams also will be in camp in July with a chance to make the roster for the Olympic qualifier that runs from Aug. 22-Sept. 2.

Oden was at camp last summer after completing high school but wasn't able to play because of his broken wrist. Expected to be one of the top two picks along with Durant in the NBA draft, he fills Colangelo's desire to add another shot blocker and rebounder.

So does Chandler, the New Orleans center who was second in the NBA in rebounding. Prince is a top defensive forward who helped limit LeBron James to 10 points Monday night in the Pistons' victory over Cleveland.

Wade and Chris Paul were key contributors on the U.S. team that won the bronze medal at the world championships in Japan, but are sidelined after surgeries. Also unable to participate this summer because of injuries are Paul Pierce, Lamar Odom, Gilbert Arenas, Joe Johnson and Brad Miller.

Pierce and Odom also were sidelined last summer.

Kidd was a member of the Olympic gold medal-winning team in 2000 and Boozer played for the Americans in Athens in 2004, when they won bronze.

The new additions join 17 players eligible to participate from last year's original pool Colangelo picked for the world championships through the Olympics.

What a Prince

The lip service USA Basketball has paid to selecting more than a glorified All-Star team to represent the country has finally taken a turn with the addition of Pistons small forward Tayshaun Prince. He, of course, never has been an All-Star. He's simply a winner, which is why it's no accident that Detroit has won at least 50 games all five seasons he's been with them.

Prince is exactly the kind of savvy player essential to success in international competition, where mental tenacity trumps vertical hops and chemistry is more important than individual excellence. Not that Prince, at 6-9 with a 7-foot wingspan, can't play above the rim or break off electric moves -- they're just way down his priority list.

Prince's excellence for the Pistons has hinged on his ability to make whatever adjustments necessary to fit his game around that of his teammates. That's why Detroit's four other starters were All-Stars and you've never heard a peep from Prince about respect or touches. Sure, his 14 points and five rebounds a game this season look rather modest. But need someone to smother LeBron? Check. Need someone to light up Luol Deng? Check. Bury a 3, score on the block, reject a sure layup, grab a rally-killing rebound? Check, check, check, check.

Hell yeah. Way to go Tay.