basketball092

Melo more mellow E-mail
Written by Usher Prince   
Friday, 09 January 2009 00:00
I love talking basketball.  Discussing, arguing, speculating basketball.  It really would come as no surprise that I am active in a few different forums, doing the aforementioned activities. On one such board, one of the other users took exception to my thinking that Denver should explore their options when it came to Melo... I invited him to respond.  Yes, he's a Nuggets fan.  Despite this, he's quite intelligent, and relatively eloquent.  So without further ado, here's Usher Prince...

So Malice thinks the Nuggets are better off without Carmelo Anthony? AI
2 x All-NBA Third team Carmelo Anthony?
...Olympic Gold Medalist Carmelo Anthony?
...24 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists Carmelo Anthony?
Then again, Malice is the same guy who thought the 76ers were going to win 50 games this season (to his credit, so did most NBA 'experts').[editor's note: sheesh... you had to bring that up!]
Maybe it's the because of the 4 - 0 thumping his Lakers gave Melo and the Nugs last season during the playoffs.
But that was last season, and this is 2009! 6 months is a long time in the NBA, as Maurice Cheeks will confess (2nd cheap 76ers dig. I have a vendetta against Philly ever since they dumped the AI virus on us).

The Nuggets have been one of the most improved sides this season.
Most give Chauncy Billups the accolades for the turn-around, and rightly so. Others will give the kudos to Nene's remarkable comeback.
Yet, for the first time in his career, Carmelo is flying under the radar (33 point quarters and game winning 3-pointers excluded). melo-2
Maybe its his new hairstyle, proving the story of Samson is indeed a myth. Or perhaps it's the newfound maturity he bought in Beijing and managed to sneak through Customs, resulting in less showpony-ing, and an almost career-high in assists. (he had 9 assists in his last game against Indiana...since when does Carmelo have 9 assists!???).

These events may be the reason why people think Melo is not the leading player he use to be at the Nuggets. His MVP stocks seem to have dropped.
But reality is, they've never been higher in Denver then they have this season.
The day after the Nuggets comfortably beat Miami without Melo may not be the ideal time to be arguing his worth. Even the stats don't give a convincing argument (Nuggets are 60% with Melo, 45% without him).

But Melo is a superstar, a franchise player, a youngster they can build a championship team around. He's not the out-and-out scorer he use to be. Thanks to the work he did with Kobe and co in Beijing, he's a true all-round player. Along with Billups, he's brought the D back to Enver (slightly).
If the Nuggets trade Nene, they lose their main big man. But they also get rid of his $10 million a season contract. Ditto with K-Mart (tidbit on Marti - How has a guy who shoots 10 from 17 from 3-point range only attempted 17 shots??).  If they lose Billups, they lose their leader. A leader whose 32 years old and the reason they are over the salary cap.
Malice says they should trade Melo for a centre or a 4, but who replaces Anthony for the next 10 seasons? As great as Kleiza has been playing, he's not in the same ballpark as Melo, nor will he ever be. J.R Smith, Mr melo-1Prodigy, is a superstar in the making, but is beginning to look very Manu-like, and would do better staying on the bench (for now).

Nuggets could go 10 - 0 while Carmelo is out, but it won't mean a thing. Just ask Yao and the Rockets last season.
The Nuggets are one star big man away from challenging from the Lakers, Celtics & Cavs. Players like Melo don't come around every day, so getting rid of him just sets them back 10 years.

And you never know, he might even teach the youngsters how to do the "Melo bitch-slap-and-run" the Knicks and Mardy Collins know so much about!
Usher Prince

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Comments (7)Add Comment
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written by Harst, January 08, 2009
I don't like Carmelo Anthony's attitude, but there is no denying he is a talented basketball player. He has a great inside-outside offensive game. Still, he needs to work on improving his defense, especially in the fourth quarter.

Overall, Melo is a guy who you can build a team around, but he's not like LeBron who can do it all by himself. However, with a talented star like Chauncey Billups alongside him, Carmelo Anthony can truly be a threat.
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written by popi, January 09, 2009
nice job
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written by Soph, January 09, 2009
I'm not a Melo fan. I always thought he got way to much credit at Syracuse and Hak got none. And believe this or not, Mali, I been a 'Cuse fan longer than a Wake fan. Just never as passionate about the Orange as I've been about my Deacons.

That being said, I think there something to have a pure offensive weapon on ones team. Sure the Nuggets can win without him, but are they really "better." Nah.
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written by usherprince, January 09, 2009
Attitude problem or not, Melo is the Nuggets. Like you said Harst, he's the player for the Nuggets to build around. I see no reason why, if the Nuggets can make some good trades / signings, they can't challange for the title in the next 5 years. Melo, Nene, JR, K-Mart & Klieza still have at least 5 years left in them
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written by with-malice, January 09, 2009
Funnily enough, I find myself agreeing with most of what you've written UP.
Thing for me about titles tho', is not so much who the Nuggets have on their roster... but who OTHER teams have on their rosters.
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written by Larry Birdflu, January 10, 2009
Boheim defends him at every turn, and to me, that counts for something. I see him as having at least a slightly better career than Paul Pierce, There is no way you could trade him for anyone close to equal value, so what's the point. To get real shitty and get a high draft pick? He could fall into the Barkley/Malone/Stockton problem of peaking the same time Lebron does. After Lebron, Wade, Paul, which young player would you want?
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written by with-malice, January 10, 2009
After those three? Hypothetical of course, but Dwight Howard. Actually... I want him over Wade. And it's a near thing with James/Paul too.

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