BARCELONA – The United States Olympic basketball program has always been the perfect refuge for Carmelo Anthony, liberating him of leadership and leaving him to shoot the basketball. These summers in the red, white and blue have cleansed him of missteps and embarrassments in his NBA career, but he's never used proximity to the world's most driven and complete players to finish a transformation into a full-service franchise star.

Carmelo Anthony scored 23 of his 27 points in the first half. (AP)For everything that Anthony has given USA Basketball as a talent, he hasn't always been able to sustain the world-class conditioning, deference on offense and determination on defense. And all these leaders surrounding him … well, they never made him one, too. His flaws have shown themselves within the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks, but Team USA is constructed to take all of 'Melo's good, and never been burdened with the bad.

[ Photos: Carmelo Anthony in action ]

For the needs of USA’s Olympic team, Anthony plays the part of the perfect FIBA forward: An impossible matchup on the perimeter for power forwards, the beneficiary of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James to attract defenders and genius point guard talents to deliver passes.

When the amazing Palau Sant Jordi was busting with Spanish passion and pride on Tuesday night, the formidable frontline of Pau Gasol and Serge Ibaka delivering damage, there was Anthony playing pop-a-shot on Spain to re-gather the American’s footing with 23 of his 27 points before halftime of a 100-78 exhibition victory over Spain. For all the issues that Spanish frontline gives the Americans --- and they’ll be bigger, with Marc Gasol on the floor in London --- this is still a global basketball community that understands that the biggest matchup nightmares lay with the Americans.

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Team USA goes to the Olympic Games understanding two things: They're the absolute gold-medal favorites, and they're just vulnerable enough to lose in a one-game, winner-take-all scenario to a Spain or an Argentina. If the U.S. plays well, it won't lose in these Olympics, and there's no better barometer to this program's success over the past several summers together than Anthony. When he's rolling, Team USA is unbeatable. Spain had come into this madhouse thinking victory, and Anthony left them dazed and defeated.

Suddenly, this Mike D'Antoni offense was 'Melo's benefactor. No Olympian needs the cleansing agents of wearing red, white and blue on the way to a gold medal the way that Anthony does. He's been in the NBA a decade, and yet he didn't come out of the lockout in great shape. James, Bryant, Kevin Durant – they'd never show for training camp the way Anthony has sometimes. Trouble is, you never know what you'll get with Anthony, and that's a frightening proposition a decade into his career.

Anthony poses matchup problems for forwards in international play. (EFE)Still, he said on Tuesday: "Look at what happened the year after we won the gold medal. In 2009, I had one of my best seasons with Denver and we went to the Western [Conference] finals. My body … my mind felt great. And that's something I keep in the back of my mind coming out of USA Basketball."

As a young diva out of Syracuse, Anthony fit perfectly into the knucklehead crew embarrassing themselves on the way to a bronze medal in the 2004 Athens Games. 'Melo and James were too young and too enabled with the likes of Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury running roughshod over that nightmare in Greece. When Anthony departed for Beijing in 2008, he had been pinched on a drinking-and-driving charge late in the season, with the Nuggets pushing for the playoffs.

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Anthony was right: He did come out of those Games and have a tremendous 2008-09 season. Still, the arrival of Chauncey Billups in Denver played an immense part in elevating Anthony and the Nuggets. Billups took over the team's leadership, which Anthony desperately needed to happen.

Now, Anthony has to be that player with the Knicks, and he's never proven that he can do the job. He's equipped to score points in New York, but lead and win? That's different. He had the chance for a beautiful partnership with Jeremy Lin, and it all fell apart with the Houston Rockets' offer sheet. Because Anthony never wanted Lin, it was probably forever doomed anyway. Lin's indoctrination to 'Melo would come watching him ignore the coach's wishes and running whatever he wanted to run. Anthony and J.R. Smith resented Lin's attention, his salary, and convinced themselves that Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd can replicate what Lin had going with the Knicks. The rest of the Knicks' roster loved Lin, wanted him, but Anthony and Smith never had the chance to build a chemistry with him.

Perhaps Team USA will play a part in delivering Anthony back to training camp in shape, making him a standard on the Knicks. And maybe that gets the Knicks on the kind of post-Olympic run the Nuggets found for themselves with Anthony four years ago. There's so much New York needs out of him, but it's different here with Team USA. The U.S. needs 'Melo to play pop-a-shot and sometimes use his muscle playing the power forward and even center spots on defense.

Nevertheless, the Americans don't need Anthony to be a leader, nor a complete talent. Sooner or later, the New York Knicks will need all that to advance in the playoffs. Beyond these Olympic Games, beyond the cleansing colors of red, white and blue, Carmelo Anthony will be made to answer for those flaws that keep chasing him deeper and deeper into his career.

As a young diva out of Syracuse, Anthony fit perfectly into the knucklehead crew embarrassing themselves on the way to a bronze medal in the 2004 Athens Games.

Give me a ****ing break, Larry Brown wouldn't even play Lebron James, Amare Stoudemire, or Dwyane Wade for some odd reason. Even Anthony Davis gets some burn here and there under Coach K.

Dumb article by Adrian W., stick to twitter updates.

misterearl wrote:Tyson Chandler's flaws hidden among greatness and depth of Team USA

Limited ball-handling, non-existant offensive arsenal and he is prone to picking up personal fouls in bunches

Yesterday, (Carmelo) was the best player on the floor in a game that had incredible talent.

Over the past few months Twitter has been a haven for hate towards Anthony peaking when the Knicks (not Melo) decided not to match the offer sheet for Jeremy Lin.

Yesterday, in the midst of a ridiculously efficient performance on the world’s stage, Twitter was eerily silent, I noticed, from the Knicks fan perspective. Those who have been upset with Carmelo didn’t give him an ounce of credit. I found that a bit odd. I mean, if Patrick Ewing had a dominant performance in 1992 for the Dream Team Knicks fans would have been very proud.

Looks like Melo has a long uphill battle with the fans in terms of getting proper support. Same can be said with the media apparently. - Tommy Dee

Nobody is perfect. That is why you have a team.

Just win baby.

Knick fans are still waiting for Melo to do something here worthy of our praise. Sorry, but having a good first half in Olympic exibition didnt get my juices flowing.

For a big part of TKB, Melo's pretty much the scapegoat for everyhing wrong with this team... Which, to me, is a load of bs. And they choose to be very particular about what they see/remember. And somehow they forget that bball is a TEAM sport. Success and losses are team efforts. Always.

1. "Oh, he drove Lin away" (with tears in their eyes). Lin? Lin? Really? Melo, who advocated for him to start drove away a backup PG on a winning team? Really?

2. "Oh, he's a cancer that drove the coach away" The coach that publicly admitted he didn't want him in the team? The guy who told Walsh he wanted DWill? The guy who wanted him and Amare to spot up?

3. "Oh, he's a ball hog-stopper that ruins team bball". Oh yeah, he assumed point forward duties because he was bored. As a Knick he's assumed more responsabilities as player than he's ever been asked before, and he's undertaken them, and he's supposed to. He's gotta show up, no excuses.

4. "Oh, he's never won anything...". What did he do in 'Cuse? And for those talking about his teams in Denver, please, don't be selective. Take a look at those Nuggets' squads through the years and try to remember: When were they ever seen as "serious threats"? The one year analysts alike touted them as contenders, they made a run to the WCF. After that they were seen as nothing more than a playoff team with 1st-2nd round exits. Oh yeah, and for everyone here praising Karl, was he ever seen as a defensive coach? Nope. He's not a defensive minded coach. Take a look at Denver's pts against per with Melo (102) /after Melo (101 - 29th) - Oh yeah, it was Melo's fault their D was bad... Karl just doesn't preach D. You think this wasn't a factor in Denver's little success in the playoffs? If TKB should've learned anything udner the stache: D wins.

[i]So...That said...
Boo, ****ing, hoo. Whether you choose to see these things as absolute certain truths (which many here do and it's far from it), people need to get with the program and understand that this is what we've got. Melo-Amare-Tyson are it.

Whether you like it or not, Melo is the headliner of a core we'll be seeing for the next 3 seasons. Instead of bashing and hoping that he fails, cheer him on. If he succeeds, so will the Knicks.[/i

- VerySilentJay, TheKnicksBlog

You guys continue to compare dude to Lebron when we all know before he got here he wasn't Lebron. There's only one Lebron..Be Grateful we have a star of Melo's caliber on the team. Do u guys wanna see the roster of 3 years ago to lift your spirits?

Lets all root for Melo to do great things here instead of unfairly critiquing him when he's had a flawed roster and injuries on his team during his tenure.

And can we stop with this Melo quit on D'Antoni nonsense. He never said that. Being Frustrated with losing and being confused with scheme is different from quitting on a coach.

fishmike wrote:

FoeDiddy wrote:And can we stop with this Melo quit on D'Antoni nonsense.

he said he didnt give max effort. Go look it up.

The reason Melo gets so much criticism is because he brought it on himself. He cost a kings ransom to be here. He's paid like a king, but aside from a nice what... 6 week stretch under Woody (who immediatly after the season called him out of shape) he hasnt done much else but make a lot of noise.

Im SOOOOOO glad that

Its not Melo's fault Lin left
Its not Melo's fault MDA didnt work here
Melo is just as good as Wade or Kobe, just needs a better supporting cast

bla bla bla

For ten years I have listened to the excuses as to why we arent as bad as our record says. 1 playoff win a decade plus is the bottom line.

Melo will get his due when he earns it.

Show me the quote where he said he didn't give max effort. He never said such things.

ChuckBuck wrote:

FoeDiddy wrote:

fishmike wrote:

FoeDiddy wrote:And can we stop with this Melo quit on D'Antoni nonsense.

he said he didnt give max effort. Go look it up.

The reason Melo gets so much criticism is because he brought it on himself. He cost a kings ransom to be here. He's paid like a king, but aside from a nice what... 6 week stretch under Woody (who immediatly after the season called him out of shape) he hasnt done much else but make a lot of noise.

Im SOOOOOO glad that

Its not Melo's fault Lin left
Its not Melo's fault MDA didnt work here
Melo is just as good as Wade or Kobe, just needs a better supporting cast

bla bla bla

For ten years I have listened to the excuses as to why we arent as bad as our record says. 1 playoff win a decade plus is the bottom line.

Melo will get his due when he earns it.

Show me the quote where he said he didn't give max effort. He never said such things.

Don't you know? Melo's the cause for:

-Dinosaurs extinction
-Holocaust
-Global Warming
-Hurricane Katrina
-Dane Cook and Justin Bieber
-Skinny Jeans
-Dial 666-6666 commercial
-Menudo breaking up
-Anderson Cooper coming out of the closet
-Nut Cancer
-Jesus Crucifixion

How about GWB getting reelected? He caused those chads to hang.