SANTO DOMINGO (2015 FIBA Americas Championship) - The majority of players that had terrific performances for the Dominican Republic at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup will wear the national team shirt again this summer and play at the FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City later this summer.

Key men Francisco Garcia and Eulis Baez are among the 24 players invited to a training camp in Atlanta, Georgia, which gets underway 3 August.

Long-time NBA player Garcia was an inspiration for the Dominicans at Spain 2014.

He indicated after the team's run to the Round of 16 that he was retiring from international basketball but later announced he would continue playing.

If he duplicates his performances of last summer under new coach Kenny Atkinson, the Dominicans will be among the favorites to reach the Final and clinch a spot in the Rio de Janeiro Games.

The teams that finish third, fourth and fifth will claim places in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).

Baez, a standout in Spain's Liga Endesa with Gran Canaria last season, also impressed at the World Cup.

Atkinson, an assistant with the Atlanta Hawks who earlier this year was put in charge of the national team, can count on the presence of World Cup players Eloy Vargas, Victor Liz, Edgar Sosa, James Feldeine, Orlando Sanchez, Manuel Fortuna, Ronald Ramon and Edward Santana.

Guard Juan Coronado played for the Dominicans last summer but has a leg injury and is unavailable while national team captain Jack Martinez, one of the side's top scorers and rebounders, is not included.

The 33-year-old Martinez indicated last year he may retire from international basketball after the World Cup.

Other players to have confirmed their presence at training camp in Atlanta are Gerardo Suero, Luis Flores, Rigoberto Mendoza, Juan Miguel Suero, Dagoberto Pena, Juan Jose Garcia and Kelvin Pena.

Players invited to camp that have yet to confirm their availability are Karl-Anthony Towns, Juan Coronado, Luis David Montero, Ronald Roberts, Charlie Villanueva and Manny Quezada.

Towns, 19, played for Dominicans two years ago at the FIBA Americas Championship in Venezuela. He was the No. 1 pick in June's NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves after one season with the Kentucky Wildcats.

Atlanta Hawks big man Al Horford, who last played for the Dominicans at the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, has tweeted he will not play for the national team this year.

Horford said he wants to get ready for the new NBA season and also try to be 100 physically fit while trying to fully recover from injuries that have dogged him the past few seasons.

The tweet said: "Given the concerns about my participation in the FIBA Americas Championship, I inform you that I have decided not to participate in the tournament in an effort to better concentrate on improving my game and better focus on my full recovery after this long last season.

"It is an honor to play with the Dominican team and it's something I’ve always done with great pride but his decision is the best for me right now. I appreciate the support of my fans and send best wishes for the team."

The Dominicans will have practice games 8 and 10 August against a squad called the North Jersey Pros at the Hawks' practice facility in Atlanta.

The team will travel to the Dominican Republic on 13 August and continue their workouts.

Atkinson's squad will then travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico on 21 August and play in the Jenaro "Tuto" Marchand Continental Cup against Brazil, Canada, Argentina and Puerto Rico.

The Dominican squad will then travel to Mexico for the FIBA ​​Americas Championship, where they will play in Group A against the hosts, Brazil, Panama and Uruguay.

Go to fiba.com/Americas2015 for more coverage of the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship.

FIBA