Carmelo Anthony sends warning to Team USA players on rest of the world thumping them in basketball

International basketball is simpler and can cause damage to Team USA's random style of basketball says Carmelo Anthony.

Carmelo Anthony sends warning to Team USA players on rest of the world thumping them in basketball

Carmelo Anthony has a warning for Team USA after barely scraping through in Paris Olympics

Team USA men’s basketball might have won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. But the games – both the semifinals and the finals were closely drawn affairs, both forcing the Americans boasting the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant to dig deep. Long-time Team USA player Carmelo Anthony though is not surprised by that battle.

He was speaking on his show, 7PM in Brooklyn, with his co-hosts in the latest episode. They asked him why international teams managed to give Team USA a tough time at the Paris Olympics.

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The rest where the game has been taught inch by inch and skill by skill. They get taught the game by YouTube and videos. They looking more fluid than us doing that s**t. So, they looking at our game, to them it is easier to play against that. 'Cause y'all not that structured as we over here'. Every possession really really matters internationally.
Carmelo Anthony said

Anthony was clear that international basketball is a completely different ball game. Team USA will need superstars to counter their game. That explains why sometimes LeBron James, and especially in the final two games Stephen Curry had to play lights out. Anthony believes that the structured form of international basketball makes it is easier for them to counter the random one on one basketball NBA players resort to. That structure has enabled them to focus on disrupting the efficiency of Team USA’s players.

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If they manage to do that, then the game will turn in their favor. It is just that Team USA has too many options on the bench to counter that gameplan. That said, the selection committee should pay heed to Anthony’s words.

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Team USA needs to start work soon for the 2028 Olympics

Team USA will still have some of the best one-on-one players in the league. Players who can take over a game and destroy the opposition on their own. Just like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant did in games. However, with international teams also starting to possess such players, it would be wise for Team USA to think about what Carmelo Anthony is saying.

They need to start the process of drilling the international structured basketball into the players soon. That means, organizing USA basketball practices and scrimmages from time to time. Organizing friendlies with other international teams is another option. Teaching them the international game early on is important.

Else the Americans, long known to be the benchmark of basketball, could face their worst fears. With the 2028 Olympics at home in Los Angeles, they cannot take a chance. Maybe bringing in Carmelo Anthony as a consultant coach will be a good option.

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