USA vs Spain: Carmelo Anthony Key to America's Pursuit of Olympic Gold

Carmelo Anthony had become something of a forgotten man on the USA Basketball men's senior squad of late.

Once considered an elite NBA talent for his all-world ability to put the ball in the basket, 'Melo has seen his star fade in recent years, overshadowed by his peers (i.e. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh) and passed up by the up-and-coming generation (e.g. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook).

All while becoming a 6'8" lightning rod of talk-radio vitriol with the New York Knicks.

But, after ceding his spot to the 23-year-old Durant in Mike Krzyzewski's starting lineup, Anthony seems to have settled quite nicely into a role as one of Team USA's go-to scorers.

At least, that appeared to be the case on Tuesday, when Anthony poured in a game-high 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting to boost the Red, White and Blue to a 100-78 win over Spain at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona.

Now, before we get too worked up about the margin of victory or Carmelo's role in it, let's remember that this was essentially a meaningless exhibition game. True, it would've been an embarrassment, had Team USA picked up just its second loss of the Coach K era, but the result wouldn't have affected its pursuit of Olympic gold either way.

Also, it's worth noting that Marc Gasol didn't play on account of a bad left shoulder and, thanks to some quick whistles by the attendant referees, neither did Tyson Chandler, who fouled out in the second half.

Still, there's plenty of positivity to be gleaned from America's eventual annihilation of the second-best squad in the world and Carmelo's stellar contributions therein. He came into the day having averaged just 9.8 points (on 45.2 percent shooting) through the Yanks' first four exhibitions.

A 1-of-7 shooting performance against Brazil begat a shift in Coach K's rotation, with the Durantula supplanting Carmelo in the starting five. That seemed to light a fire under Anthony, who racked up 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting in Team USA's next game, a 118-78 trouncing of Great Britain.

(Though, to be fair, going off against Team GB's subs isn't exactly something to write home about. Neither was a four-point facepalm against Argentina on Sunday.)

But Anthony's 23-point first half against La Roja? Not a bad way to start a letter to mother, to say the least, especially since he needed only 11 shots (and eight makes) to match Michael Jordan's jersey in the opening 20 minutes.

Anthony had his full arsenal on display, showing the world why he's long been touted as a perfect fit for the international game. He took the ball inside, using his superior size and skill for his position to carve out space when given the opportunity to play in isolation. He stretched the defense with his outside shooting, hitting five from beyond the arc in the first half, mostly on spot-ups and kick-outs.

And in transition—America's bread-and-butter—'Melo did a masterful job of filling the wing while the likes of LeBron, Chris Paul and Deron Williams controlled the action.

While Serge Ibaka was busy crushing Team USA inside on Spain's end, Anthony did his best to keep America's collective head above water before handing the baton off to LeBron, Durant and Westbrook at the half.

In that sense, Anthony was the table-setter for the squad, as well he should be. After all, he and LeBron are the longest-tenured members of the senior squad. They both suited up for George Karl's club, just after their rookie season, at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where Team USA stumbled to a bronze medal.

As such, Melo's been there for the lows as well as the highs. He's also as well-versed in the FIBA rules as anyone on Coach K's roster. And, at the age of 28, Anthony is smack-dab in the middle of the prime of his basketball career. If NBA commissioner David Stern gets his way, this could be Carmelo's last go-round with Team USA.

It might be anyway, if Anthony declines to do this same song-and-dance at the tender age of 32 in Rio de Janeiro.

In the meantime, 'Melo can and should relish the fact that he's a key cog in Team USA's at-times-tenuous machinery. He doesn't do much to bolster America's defense, nor is he particularly useful as a facilitator.

But, luckily for Team USA, Coach K already has plenty of specialists to fill those roles. 'Melo's job is to score, just as it has been since he first donned the Stars and Stripes, and throughout his nine years in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets and the Knicks.

That's what he's known for. That's what he's good at. That's what Team USA needs him to do. So far, when Carmelo scores in double-figures, Team USA wins by an average of 38.7 points per game. When he doesn't, the margin of victory shrinks to 8.5.  

Coincidence? Perhaps, but if Carmelo continues to execute his role—as an offensive assassin, be it in the starting lineup or off the bench—as well as he did against Spain, then USA Basketball should cruise to a gold medal as swiftly and decisively as it extinguished its chief competition on Tuesday.

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