There are plenty of good reasons why the USA basketball team will recapture the gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

After cruising through this summer’s FIBA Americas tournament in Las Vegas, the United States looks poised to bounce back from their disappointing third-place finish in Athens in 2004.

Lebron James led the way for the United States in the championship game against Argentina with a team-record 31 points as the United States rolled to a 118-81 victory. Both the United States and Argentina qualified for Beijing next year. The Americans dominated games throughout the whole tournament; no team gave the United States a close game.

Although this is just a small step in the United States’ quest to get back to the mountain top of international basketball, there are good signs that this team is far better than the team it had back in 2004.

For one, the right players were added to this year’s FIBA team to help it become a more complete squad. Kobe Bryant was definitely the biggest addition, and he brings plenty of scoring and leadership to the table. The second biggest addition was Jason Kidd.

The Nets point guard is the perfect fit for the team because of his unselfish play and his ability to penetrate the lane and find players like Bucks guard Michael Redd. Redd could arguably be the game’s deadliest set shooter from beyond the arc. His addition to the United States squad could be critical to the team’s chances to capture the gold.

Deron Williams, Tayshaun Prince, Tyson Chandler and Chauncey Billups each were excellent additions to the FIBA team; each of these four guys knows their role. Williams is quickly becoming one of the NBA’s top point guards as he enters just his third season as a pro with the Utah Jazz. Billups may be aging but is still a very smart player who always puts his teammates in the right positions to succeed.

Prince, another team player, is a shutdown defender - something this team sorely needs to have a chance to win the gold. Chandler is another great defender, and he’s one of the best shot-blockers and rebounders in the NBA.

None of these players are guaranteed a spot on the 2008 Olympic team, but after seeing how well this group played together in Las Vegas, it can be argued that this should be the team that represents the United States in Beijing next year.

Other players that could possibly be added to the 2008 Olympic team include Dwyane Wade, who sat out the FIBA Americas championships because he is still nursing a shoulder injury suffered last season.

Wade will no doubt be added to the 2008 Olympic team, which may spoil the chances for a player like Mike Miller, or possibly even Redd, to make the roster. Another possible addition who did not participate in the FIBA tournament is Gilbert Arenas but there are also reasons Arenas should not be added to the 2008 Olympic team, beginning with his extremely selfish play.

His chances of making the team, though, are slim, because he did not show up for the FIBA training camp.

Other notable players that have the possibility of being added to the 2008 roster are Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh and Shawn Marion. All these players are very talented, but already in place is a 12-man roster that seems to be well rounded and to have very good chemistry.

The bottom line is that, hopefully, Mike Krzyzewski and the other United States coaches realize how good of a “team” they had this summer, and that these should be the players chosen to bring pride and another gold medal back to the United States next year.

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