"Me," said the Nuggets forward. "I'm going to get it."

The quest for gold begins Aug. 10 when Anthony and Team USA begin Olympic play against China.

Following the 2004 disaster, USA Basketball put together a core team. This is the third straight summer players have been together.

"(It's easier) than putting together a team for two weeks and sending us out there and just telling us to go out and win the gold medal," Anthony said. "(It's easier) having guys together for three years to prepare for the biggest stage in the world."

Anthony stumbled the last time he stepped on such a stage, playing sparingly and having coach Larry Brown saying he wasn't buying into the team concept. Anthony said he and the several other young players on that team were "thrown to the wolves," but the Americans are now ready to "redeem" themselves.

--Dahntay Jones was on a mission entering summer league for the Nuggets.

Mission accomplished.

After spending time last season in the NBDL, the swingman wanted to earn a guaranteed contract. He did that, getting a one-year deal from the Nuggets after averaging 18.4 points for them in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

"I'm very excited," Jones said of joining the Nuggets. "It's an opportunity for me and an opportunity for us as a team to do some good things. I think I can bring a defensive presence there. I can slash and make the open shots."

In five seasons, Jones has played for Memphis and Sacramento, averaging 4.9 points on 44.1 percent shooting.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I wasn't involved in that. I'm with the Nuggets. This is a better situation." -- Newly-acquired forward Renaldo Balkman, saying that, while with New York, he played no role when the Knicks had a brawl with Denver in December 2006.