Knicks: Playing For Team USA Will Help Carmelo Anthony

2008-09

2008-09 is where the results begin to get interesting. Carmelo Anthony completed a stretch of three consecutive seasons with an average of 25 points per game or better from 2006 to 2008, and proceeded to join Team USA at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Following the disappointing bronze medal from 2004, Anthony stepped up to help The Redeem Team strike gold in Beijing.

On the surface, Anthony suffered a massive statistical decline during the 2008-09 NBA season. After averaging 25.7 points and 7.4 rebounds on 49.2 percent shooting in 2007-08, he posted marks of 22.8 points and 6.8 rebounds on 44.3 percent shooting from the field in 2008-09.

Before you get too caught up in the basic numbers, however, here’s the detail that really matters: Anthony led the Denver Nuggets to the 2009 Western Conference Finals.

Though his numbers may have suffered, he played with a team-first mentality and was prepared for the postseason. He took Denver to a stage it hadn’t reached since 1985, and helped it win its most games—54—since 1988.

Thus, while the statistical decline may have occurred following consecutive Olympic appearances, Anthony’s leadership and postseason acumen thoroughly improved in 2008-09.

Next: The Results: 2012-13