updated 8:48 p.m. ET July 23, 2006

LAS VEGAS - Adam Morrison’s mustache practically stood on end when LeBron James loped through the lane, drew contact and muscled in an underhanded bank shot while flying out of bounds.

Morrison gasped and began to rise from his chair in excitement — until he looked down the unimpressed bench at the U.S. national team’s training camp.

Nobody rose. James’ scrimmage teammates clapped absent-mindedly. Somebody muttered, “Nice move.”

“Now I know you see something like that almost every practice,” Morrison said Sunday after the team’s fifth day of workouts. “I’d never seen a lot of these guys in person before. It’s amazing to see how fast the game is played, and how these guys prepare.”

Morrison, a college star at Gonzaga just five months ago, seems unlikely to make the 15-man roster that will head to Asia next month for four exhibitions and the world championships in Japan. But this experience — and the experience to come during his three-year commitment to the national team — will pay off in his rookie NBA season with the Charlotte Bobcats and beyond.

Though James’ artistry might not impress his summertime teammates, every player is soaking up a basketball boot camp of experience. Joe Johnson, the Atlanta Hawks star, said the week was a chance to play “in the best pickup game in the world.”

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“They’re getting instruction and chances here that you wouldn’t get in a regular NBA summer offseason,” assistant coach Mike D’Antoni said. “It’s a valuable opportunity, even for the guys who don’t go with us (to Asia). They’re all good players, and they get even better by playing against each other.”

For instance, Dwight Howard’s low-post defense improves with a week of workouts against Chris Bosh. Gilbert Arenas and Chris Paul engage each other in entertaining duels at point guard with their markedly different styles.

And everybody gets a whole new outlook on conditioning from assistant coach Nate McMillan’s drills, including an exhausting fullcourt fast-break exercise that closed Sunday’s practice.

“At first, we didn’t have a lot of contact in drills, and (the coaches) told us to not be afraid to put a body on,” Arenas said. “Every day counts in this. We’re going to be ready.”

Coach Mike Krzyzewski and managing director Jerry Colangelo must drop three players on Tuesday, when the club breaks its first week of camp. There were 19 players in workouts Sunday, but Chauncey Billups has ruled himself out to stay home with his pregnant wife.

Though Krzyzewski says he still hasn’t made his final decisions, two battles seem clear after Morrison, whose youth and inexperience at basketball’s highest levels probably will keep him home.

Chicago’s Kirk Hinrich and Seattle’s Luke Ridnour probably are competing for one roster spot as a backup point guard. Hinrich has been slowed by a strained hamstring during camp, but he pushed through the injury during a lively scrimmage Sunday — most of it spent guarding Ridnour.

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And Colangelo’s brain trust must decide whether to keep Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire, who would be a lock for the team if he hadn’t undergone surgery on both knees during last season.

He seemed unlikely to make the roster earlier in the summer — but he reported to camp and showed off his remarkable recovery, even at a self-described “70 percent.” Krzyzewski said Stoudemire had his best day of camp on Sunday, participating at full speed in the scrimmage.

“I could understand if they don’t want to (take) me, but I think I can contribute,” Stoudemire said after practice, with bags of ice strapped to both of his knees. “I’m feeling good. It feels great to be out here.”

Brad Miller, Shane Battier or Antawn Jamison could be left home if Stoudemire is deemed ready to play.

Krzyzewski, an assistant on the original 1992 Dream Team, points out this U.S. roster is much younger than those Barcelona gold-medalists. The players need this training camp as much as the coaches need it to finalize their decisions.

“We thought maybe some guys would eliminate themselves by not being in shape,” Krzyzewski said. “Maybe somebody would have an attitude. ... It’s going to be a tough decision.”

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