New York Knicks Should Be Thrilled By Carmelo Anthony’s Olympics

Carmelo Anthony’s performance against Australia in the Olympics could be the push the New York Knicks need for a breakout season.

New York Knicks and Team USA star Carmelo Anthony‘s clutch performance against Australia displayed a couple of things about his status as a professional basketball player.

During the struggle against Australia, Carmelo Anthony became the leading scorer in Team USA Olympic Basketball history (293 points), passing LeBron James (273 points).

He’s in his early 30s and is essentially the team leader for a rather young group of talent in international competition.

He has shown how clutch of a performer he can be when his shot’s falling. He scored 14 points in the last quarter of a tight game, ultimately resulting in a 98-88 win for USA.

That’s another step closer to the gold.

Creating Momentum

Now, many viewers will argue that overseas competition is not much to write home about, thus making Anthony’s performance a fluke. Yet, at halftime, Australia was in the lead. Many believe it could have beaten the U.S. without Anthony’s stellar performance.

Australia gave America a fight—one it truly needed. For years, Team USA has been able to blow teams out with ease, right up to the gold medal match.

Though there was never any doubt that Team USA would qualify for the elimination stage, it was nerve-racking to see a team that could be a bit of a challenge for a change.

Anthony managed to outdo himself in a single game, which speaks volumes for the future. If Anthony secures a third gold medal, it would be an amazing feat to carry over into the NBA regular season.

Daily Knicks’ very own Maxwell Ogden tweeted a rather interesting thought regarding Anthony’s Olympic performances:

It could be pure coincidence that Anthony and company have phenomenal seasons following his Olympic appearances. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible for Anthony to carry a bit of momentum over from Rio into the Knicks’ 2016-17 season.

Winning a third gold medal, coupled with his all-time USA scoring title and leadership role on a team filled with new faces, could be the experience that Anthony needs to guide the Knicks to greater heights.

He’s Growing As A Leader

On the subject of leadership, Anthony is without a doubt playing the mentor role for this year’s Olympic squad. He has the most Olympic experience, so one has to imagine he’s giving words of encouragement to his younger teammates, especially following their bout against Australia.

Being around the young up-and-comers in the NBA should be driving Anthony to perform at another level of greatness this coming season.

With the changes to the Knicks’ roster, the team is without a doubt improved—though risk of injury is still a major concern for the organization. Regardless, Anthony should feel relieved as he’ll have help on and off the court with other leaders in Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee and Derrick Rose.

Anthony is hungry for another gold medal and a championship, and that should create a team dynamic that hasn’t been seen in Madison Square Garden for years.

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The Rio Games could very well be the push he needs to persevere and guide his teammates to success in the NBA.