USA - Karl threatens to bench captain Carmelo Anthony

DENVER (NBA) - Denver Nuggets coach George Karl has threatened to bench Team USA captain Carmelo Anthony if he doesn’t show more maturity on the court.

"I think that's the next move," Karl said in the Denver Post, frustrated with All-Star forward Anthony’s contribution since returning from a 15-game suspension following his role in a brawl with the New York Knicks.

The Nuggets have struggled since embarking on their "great experiment" - pairing Anthony with free-scoring guard Allen Iverson - going 15-20 in the games since Iverson arrived from Philadelphia.

It is Anthony who is taking the bulk of the criticism.

"I've told Melo in the last two weeks, 'I don't think you're listening. I don't think you're listening as well as you need to listen’," Karl added. "For me, the next step is to change the democracy back to a dictatorship."

Anthony is leading the league with an average of 30.2 points per game, but Karl does not see that as a good thing, believing Anthony is putting his own scoring record ahead of the team.

"Personally, I think Melo should forget about scoring," said Karl.

After Karl’s comments were made public, Anthony seemed to respond on Tuesday night, scoring 21 points but adding seven rebounds and six assists in a 106-91 win over the New Orleans Hornets.

"I wanted to come out and win a basketball game," Anthony said. "Prove to people that I don't have to score 30 points to win a basketball game. I don't really try too hard to score 30 points; it's just something that comes to me. It's a gift that I have."

Ian Parker
FIBA