There's no room for Carmelo Anthony on Team USA

By foxsports
Published

Carmelo Anthony is 31 years old and the best player on a New York Knicks team that's won 30 games, fired their head coach and won't make the playoffs for the third year in a row. But this hasn't stopped Anthony from assuming he's a virtual lock to make the Team USA roster (via New York Daily News):

“From a morale standpoint as a player, if you’ve been through the things I’ve been through the past couple of years you want to feel what that success feels like. You want that success,” he said. “So the Olympics for me is great timing.” Chris Paul announced Tuesday that he’s withdrawing from the Olympics this summer because his body requires rest. It threw cold water on Anthony’s dream of capturing a third gold medal with “Super Friends” Paul and LeBron James, but it didn’t sap the 31-year-old’s enthusiasm for Brazil. “That doesn’t affect my decision either way,” Anthony said...By the time the tournament rolls around, most of the participants on the U.S. squad will be coming off playoff runs. Anthony, whose Knicks are 15 games under .500, will miss the postseason for a third straight season. “Mentally, I think it’s good for me to go out there and feel what (winning) feels like again,” he said.

Whether Anthony should or should not make the final 12 is ultimately besides the point. He's built up more than enough goodwill within a program that tends to prioritize loyalty over talent, and factors beyond the court will weigh into whether he's going to Brazil. 

But, purely from a basketball perspective, there's no rational reason to put Anthony on Team USA. As a small-ball four who can come off the bench, drain open threes, create his own shot in a pinch and even do a little bit of rebounding, Anthony is a phenomenal presence. He's shooting 39.6 percent on catch-and-shoot threes this season and 48.1 percent when no defender is within six feet. 

For all New York's warts (and there are serious warts), Anthony saves the offense by simply being on the floor. But the decision to keep him off Team USA has nothing to do with his talent, and everything to do with all the positives everyone else brings to the table.

Even with Anthony Davis and Chris Paul out of the running, the pool is still way too amazing to use a spot on Carmelo. Here's a list of players at his position who're far younger and can already do what he does, and more (within the context of an Olympic team): Harrison Barnes, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Draymond Green and Kevin Love. For the most part, these guys are superior defenders who can also rebound, shoot spot-up threes and create opportunities for themselves when necessary. Save for Love, they can handle the ball in pick-and-roll action and serve as the screener.

Throw LeBron James and Kevin Durant into the mix, and that's already eight guys, with the need for point guards and big men. It just doesn't make much sense to keep Anthony on board.