Anthony picks up where he left off

As the national team scrimmaged a squad of young NBA players Wednesday on the first day of USA Basketball practice, Carmelo Anthony did what he does best -- dominate.

No score was kept, but Anthony clearly was the best player on the court at Valley High School.

That's no surprise given what he did last year for Team USA.

The 6-foot-8-inch Denver Nuggets forward led the Americans in scoring, averaging 19.9 points per game. He also shot 50.4 percent from the field and 44 percent from 3-point range and averaged 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals.

Most fans probably expect superstars Kobe Bryant and LeBron James to show the way as Team USA pursues a top-two finish in next week's FIBA Americas Championship to qualify for the 2008 Olympics. But Anthony might well be the face of this squad.

That's right, the same guy who lost control during an on-court brawl last December and hit the New York Knicks' Mardy Collins with a cheap shot, drawing a 15-game suspension from the NBA.

He's also the same guy whom coach Mike Krzyzewski could depend on last summer when the Americans tried to win the FIBA World Championship in Japan. It wasn't Anthony's fault that the U.S. finished third.

"I'm very comfortable being one of the faces of the team," Anthony said. "I look forward to being one of the leaders. I'm ready for that challenge."

The key to his success last year, Anthony said, was that he adjusted to Team USA's talent and didn't try to force things. As a result, he established himself as a first-option scoring threat and delivered time and again. His 35 points against Italy set a Team USA single-game record.

"I didn't try to do too much," Anthony said. "I love to win, so I just went out and played to win.

"It made my confidence sky-high, and it definitely carried over to the NBA season."

It also helped facilitate Allen Iverson's transition to the Nuggets after his late December trade from Philadelphia.

"One thing about Team USA, you're playing with 12 starters, so it definitely helped me when it came time to play with A.I.," said Anthony, who along with Iverson helped lead the Nuggets to the 2007 playoffs. "We were together in '04 (on the U.S. Olympic team). The more we're around each other, the more we're comfortable with each other on the court."

Krzyzewski has enjoyed his brief time coaching Anthony.

"I love Carmelo," Krzyzewski said. "Carmelo's a winner. He's a heck of a competitor. He plays with courage at both ends of the court. He's so versatile. He's so strong. He can shoot the heck out of it. I'll take him on my team anytime.

"To me, he was the biggest surprise last year. You try not to go in with preconceived notions. But he's a winner and a leader. Arguably, Carmelo was the most important player we had (last year)."

Anthony said he has enjoyed playing for Krzyzewski.

"I didn't know anything about him, and I'm pretty sure he didn't know anything about me other than what he had read or heard," Anthony said. "I came in, did my work and did what I had to do.

"He's a pretty easy guy to play for. As long as you play hard and do what he wants, it's no problem."

He said being on Team USA has helped him rebuild his image, which suffered a big hit after the incident with Collins. Anthony said he has put it behind him and learned from the experience.

"It was a heat-of-the-moment thing," he said. "It's unfortunate that it happened, and I regret it. But I've moved on. I feel like I'm back to where I was before."