Carmelo Anthony blog

Former NY Knicks forward Danilo Gallinari, now with Denver Nuggets, says team had good thing going before Carmelo Anthony trade

2012-01-12T21:31:00.000+01:00

Danilo Gallinari said the Knicks had a good thing going before most of the starting lineup was shipped to the Nuggets for Carmelo Anthony last February. But the 23-year-old former favorite of Mike D’Antoni said he holds no grudges against Knicks. They taught him a valuable NBA lesson.
“This is a business and the owners or whoever makes the decision, they want to make a decision, they do it,” Gallinari said. “We just have to be players and work and try to do the best that we can.
“I thought we were having a really good season. It was a good record. People were having fun coming to see the games. We were doing a really, really good job. We had a positive record, the excitement was there. I had been three years, 2-1/2 years in New York, and the first and second years weren’t easy.”
Before the Knicks scrapped their grassroots plan to acquire an elite scorer in Anthony, Gallinari was helping the Knicks earn their first playoff berth in 10 years. Amar’e Stoudemire was emerging as an MVP candidate, while Landry Fields was one of the league’s top rookies.
For better or worse, the Knicks went in a different direction after landing Anthony, who controls the ball and the shot clock, often at the expense of ball movement. Neither Fields nor Stoudemire have been the same since the trade.
The Nuggets are 25-11 since the trade, their latest win coming Wednesday night against the Nets, 123-115. The Knicks are 20-18, not including getting swept in the opening round of the playoffs.
“I don’t know (why Stoudemire and Fields have struggled). We were for sure, after the trade, we were two different teams,” Gallinari said. “Before and after the trade, two very different teams.”
Gallinari said he got a heads-up from his agent about the possibility of being traded 10 days prior to the deal, so there was little surprise. Gallinari said he’s comfortable in coach George Karl’s system, and the proof is in the statistics. He is averaging a team-high 17.2 points, and had a game-high 22 in the Nuggets’ win over the Nets.
Gallinari also doesn’t have to deal with the New York media.
“It’s a different situation,” he said. “You’re playing in New York, and even if you’re not getting in the games, people are talking about you because New York is New York; the media is the media in New York.
“Here you go to practice and you probably have one media guy, in New York you have 20 guys every practice. It’s the big difference.”

Chris Paul Trade: How CP3 Can Still Become a Knick

2011-12-15T16:46:00.000+01:00

When Marc Stein announced that Chris Paul was traded to the Clippers, the controversial week-long saga ended.

Los Angeles swooped in and made one of the more shocking deals of the past decade, trading Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Gordon and Minnesota's 2012 unprotected first round pick in exchange for Chris Paul and a couple of second round picks.

Most NBA fans do not realize that the Clippers made the deal anticipating that Paul will invoke an option in his contract after the season.

Paul did not guarantee that he would sign an extension making him a Clipper in the long term.

Is there a possibility that Paul could find himself playing in Madison Square Garden in 2013?

Through free agency, there is no way Paul could find his way in New York. The Knicks have too much money invested in three players: Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler.

Paul would need to sign for less than $10 million for this to be a possibility.

Option number two is more intriguing and might cause for great debate. What if Chris Paul, who decided that he did not want to be a Clipper long term, was traded straight-up for Carmelo Anthony?

This is only possible if Paul tells Clippers management that he does not want to play in Los Angeles past the 2012-13 season and wants to explore other opportunities.
Would New York management consider this trade?

I think they would jump on the opportunity to bring in the best point guard in the league.

Pairing CP3 with a frontcourt of Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler, along with role players like Landry Fields, Toney Douglas and a few veterans would create a power in New York.

The Knicks would be the team to beat in the East.

On the other side, the Clippers pick up a much-needed primary scorer. A core of Eric Bledsoe, Anthony, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan would be lethal in the West, especially if Bledsoe continues to develop.

All of this could happen, but there is a huge "if" involved. Would Chris Paul leave a championship-caliber situation for New York?

That "if" could be made possible if Paul remembers why he wanted to leave New Orleans—his desire to play under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.

Carmelo Anthony trolls league over "Melo Rule"

2011-11-21T16:07:00.000+01:00

So after Carmelo Anthony hijacked the Nuggets’ season last year and held them hostage until they traded him, and not just anywhere, but specifically to the team he desired, the New York Knicks, the owners… well, they got a little miffed. You’ve been insulted twice by the power of players over the people who pay their contracts, you tend to get a little irritated. So as part of the latest proposal that was chopped down by the players upon which they summarily disbanded their union and filed suit against the league, the owners had proposed a ban on “extend-and-trade” deals. Melo wants to go get his money in New York in free agency? Fine. But you can no longer extend a player using the advantages inherent in such deals and then move him, giving him the best of both worlds. Cake and eat it, etc.They call it “the Melo Rule.”
And as Alan Hahn of Newsday reports, Melo thinks that’s pretty funny. And he decided to troll them a little bit.

“I’m just glad I can be part of something,” Anthony said last month. “When I’m dead and gone, the Melo Rule will still be here. I’m just excited that they named a rule after me.”

“Make your petty rules against me, mortals! I shall live on forever and haunt your children’s children’s children with my constant threat of playing where I want to on the contract owed to me by the team that was forced to trade me after a six-month nightmare that brought such dread horrors as ‘Lionel Bienvenue!’ The day is mine!”
Or something.
Or, in other words, “Come at me, bro.”
Today is Day 143 of the NBA Lockout.

Forbes catches attention of Carmelo, Karl

2010-10-04T16:21:00.001+01:00

Carmelo Anthony was asked which Nugget is surprising him in camp, and he named someone that many didn't even know was in camp.

His answer: "Gary Forbes."

The former UMass standout was signed as a free-agent invitee — which, in basketball terms, is "a camp body." But the versatile 6-foot-7 Forbes has refused to be relegated to such a role. The guy is fighting for a roster spot.

"He's come in and played well," said coach George Karl, who believed that Forbes was a first-round talent who slipped because of his medical record, notably his diabetes.

Karl has not determined his rotation for the preseason games (the first one is Friday), but it's possible Forbes could get some playing time, because Karl said he's going to rest guard Chauncey Billups, who played a lot for Team USA this summer, in half of the games.

"Forbes is a wing guy who can play point guard, shooting guard and small forward," Karl said. "He's a scorer and also a pretty good defender. He's up and down the court a lot."

Signs of improvement?

During last season's downfall, one of the strongest criticisms of Denver was its inability to share the basketball. Assist totals were often in the teens, and the team, once a title contender, ended up losing in the first round of the playoffs.

But at camp this past week, "We've passed the ball very freely, very together," Karl said. "At the end of last year, that was one of our bigger problems."

Little big man.

Nuggets guard Ty Lawson, listed at 5-11, is known for his speedy offense and, as they say only in sports, his "escapability." But Karl is also pleased with the reserve's abilities on the other end.

"Other than being small, he's a pretty darn good defensive player," Karl said. "He does get shot over some. But his instincts on the defensive end of the court? He's one of our top three, four players defensively."

Many in camp have said Lawson's leadership during the summer league has created confidence this fall.

"He got better — you can see it," Anthony said. "The team that he's been playing on, the second unit, he's pushing them, leading them. I like the direction he's going."

Interesting back-and-forth.

It is known that Anthony wants to be traded to a big market, in efforts to both win a title and maximize his marketability. Sources previously said he was interested in going to New Jersey, a franchise that will move to Brooklyn in a couple of years.

Anthony, who has never gone public with his demands, was asked about his marketing prowess, and he said:

"As far as marketing, it comes from winning. If I ain't winning, then nobody wants me to market their product."

So he was asked: "Then why would you want to play for the team that won 12 games last season?"

Anthony then said: "I never said I want to play for the Nets."

Carmelo Anthony trade rumors

2010-10-01T23:18:00.000+01:00

The Denver Nuggets remained on the brink Saturday of completing a four-team megatrade that would land All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony with the New Jersey Nets, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations.

The proposed deal, as ESPN.com reported earlier Friday, would also involve Utah and Charlotte and is poised to deliver prized Nets rookie Derrick Favors, Jazz veteran Andrei Kirilenko and multiple future first-round picks to Denver in exchange for their franchise player.

Sources told ESPN.com that the deal, which has yet to be finalized, would send former All-Star point guard Devin Harris to Charlotte, with Bobcats forward Boris Diaw moving to Utah. The Bergen Record reported Friday afternoon that the Nets would also receive Bobcats guard D.J. Augustin, with New Jersey's Jarvis Hayes accompanying Harris to Charlotte in a sign-and-trade. Nets swingman Quinton Ross would go to Utah and Denver would get a 1-to-7 protected first-round pick in 2012 that New Jersey received from Golden State.
"Everyone is waiting" on Denver, not Melo, a source close to the trade talks told ESPN's Chris Sheridan on Saturday.
Negotiations progressed well Thursday and Friday, according to two sources close to the talks. If final hurdles are cleared, Anthony's uncertain future -- which has dominated discussion throughout the league since mid-August -- could be unexpectedly resolved before the Nuggets hold their first practice of the new season.

The trade's completion hinges in part on Anthony's willingness to sign an extension with the Nets as part of the deal, as Kevin Garnett did to clinch the blockbuster trade that sent him from Minnesota to Boston in July 2007. One source with knowledge of New Jersey's thinking told ESPN.com that the Nets will not part with assets such as Favors (selected No. 3 overall in the June draft) and Harris (an All-Star in 2009) and go through with the trade unless Anthony commits to the extension, no matter how ready Denver is to pull the trigger.

One source close to the talks told ESPN.com on Friday night that the Nets expect to learn by Saturday whether Anthony will sign the extension. The New York Daily News, quoting a "reliable source," reported Friday night that Anthony has already approved the deal.

One source close to Anthony had told ESPN.com on Friday afternoon that the 26-year-old -- whose top two preferred destinations are New York and Chicago -- was warming to the idea of joining the Nets, whose planned move to Brooklyn in two years under Russian billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov is a strong lure, in addition the presence of center Brook Lopez, one of the league's top young big men.

Yet the source said Anthony was also hoping that the Knicks or the Bulls, realizing Anthony is on the brink of going elsewhere, make a last-ditch attempt over the weekend to join the bidding.

New York's lack of future draft picks to offer and Chicago's blanket refusal to make Joakim Noah available to the Nuggets in trade talks established the Nets as the front-runner to win the Anthony Sweepstakes. ESPN.com reported last Sunday that the Nuggets had begun telling teams for the first time that they were willing to make a deal before the start of the season.

Anthony has the ability to become a free agent at season's end, which is the hammer that has enabled his agent, Leon Rose, to apply such pressure to the Nuggets in hopes of forcing a trade before camps open Monday. The tension has been building since June, when the Nuggets believed that Anthony was on the verge of signing a three-year, $65 million contract extension, only for Anthony to pass.

Nuggets coach George Karl had been hoping that it was still possible to convince Anthony to reconsider his determination to be traded once he arrived in training camp and started hearing some pro-Denver voices after weeks of isolation from the organization. Sources said that the Nuggets were planning to mount one last campaign to get Anthony to sign the extension, with the promise that they would trade him closer to the February trading deadline if he continued to be unhappy.

But the Nuggets have signed off on the proposed deal and now await word from New Jersey about its ability to sell Anthony on the extension, which does hold significant appeal because it would enable Anthony to sign one more contract under the league's current collective bargaining agreement.
Word of the trade talks surfaced on Friday, hours after new coach Avery Johnson and players reported to camp and talked to the media about the upcoming season. The team's first practice is Saturday.
There have been talks about trades involving the Nets and Anthony in recent weeks and Johnson was asked about the rumors.
"All year you are going to hear stuff about not only our situation but every team. That's the way it goes," he said. "Every general manager, and you have 30 of them, they are always out looking to improve the ballclub and that's what they should do. If Billy was sitting up in his office looking at some political talk on television, because I heard he was a politics guy, I would be very disappointed. He is going to be always looking to improve our ball club."
Johnson said that he wants Harris to be the engine that runs the team and he noted that Favors shows the potential at 19-years-old that Tim Duncan and Garnett showed at the same age.
Johnson was concerned that trade talks might be a distraction for the players.
"They understand that is part of the game," he said. "It's a part of the business. There may be some things said about coach this year that is really inaccurate. That is a part of what we deal with. When you sign you name on contracts to be an NBA player or coach that's kind of the unwritten rule, the fine print you don't see. Your name is going to come up and something is going to be said. You have to deal with it."
Johnson refused to speculate on how many games the new-look Nets would win after winning only 12 last season.
"We're not making any promises except to say we're going to play hard and we'll see what happens on nights when our talent level is not as high as other teams."
New owner Mikhail Prokhorov has said the Nets will challenge for a playoff berth this season.
Johnson noted that statement was made before the free-agency period.
"You have to look at the context of when the statement was made," Johnson said. "Mikhail and I are on the same page. This is not going to blow up in smoke if that doesn't happen the first year."

Division-leading Nuggets and Mavs clash in Denver

2009-12-28T12:48:00.000+01:00

A pair of Western Conference powerhouses get together tonight in the Rocky Mountains, as the Denver Nuggets play host to the Dallas Mavericks at the Pepsi Center.

Denver leads the Northwest Division by one game over the Portland Trail Blazers, but has lost three of its last four games. In a 107-96 setback to the Blazers on Friday, Carmelo Anthony had 32 points and nine rebounds, while J.R. Smith added 20 points in defeat.

"They had urgency to their game and (Brandon) Roy led them at a very high level," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "We never really got control of his leadership, he had a big stat but his drive was pretty obvious. They knew this was an important win they couldn't give us a two-game lead on them, and we weren't good enough offensively."

Kenyon Martin recorded 12 points and 14 boards in a losing cause. In injury news for Denver, which is 13-1 at home this season, guard Chauncey Billups is questionable for Sunday's game with a groin problem. He had 10 points in the loss to Portland after missing the previous three games.

The Mavericks, meanwhile, will kick off a four-game road trip Sunday against the Nuggets, Rockets, Kings and Lakers, and are 10-4 away from Big D this season.

Dallas has alternated wins and losses over the past five games and is coming off Saturday's 106-101 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the finale of a four-game homestand at American Airlines Center.

Jason Terry scored 23 points and Dirk Nowitzki added 20 points, while Erick Dampier had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Southwest Division-leading Mavericks, who rebounded from a loss to Portland on Tuesday. Jason Kidd contributed 10 points and dished out 10 assists in a winning cause.

"Our balance was very good and we had good balance down the stretch as well," Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle said. "Different guys got involved, with different guys scoring and making plays. Dirk didn't even score down the stretch. That's positive and when you get seven or eight guys playing at a high level, it makes a big difference."

Mavs forward Drew Gooden is questionable for Sunday's game due to back spasms.

Denver Nuggets at Chicago Bulls: Game Thread and Preview

2009-11-17T16:52:00.000+01:00

The Denver Nuggets (5-2) head into the Windy City Tuesday night to take on the Chicago Bulls (4-2).

The Nuggets are coming off a pair of difficult back-to-back losses to the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks, and look to turn around their East Coast road trip with a victory against the Bulls.

J.R. Smith will make his first appearance of the season after serving a seven-game suspension to start the year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Smith struggle out of the gate looking to reintegrate into this offense.

Kenyon Martin injured his leg on Friday night against the Heat, but his MRI revealed that there was no fracture and he is currently listed as day to day. He will likely sit out this contest. If Martin is unable to go, look for George Karl to turn to either Renaldo Balkman again or Malik Allen to start at power forward.

The Bulls are riding the momentum of a three-game winning streak, including impressive victories over the Cleveland Cavaliers and the pesky Charlotte Bobcats.

Tyrus Thomas will be out four to six weeks with a fractured left forearm he sustained while lifting weights, but he has been struggling this year anyway and hasn’t been much of a factor even when healthy. The Bulls might even benefit from removing him as a distraction.

In his absence, Taj Gibson is likely to get the start at the power forward spot again. He has been solid, but unspectacular in his starts so far. Also, look for some spot duty time for the Bulls other rookie, James Johnson.

Mismatch in favor of the Nuggets - Carmelo Anthony vs. Luol Deng

At this point, it is too hard for me to resist putting Carmelo Anthony versus almost anyone in the league as a mismatch in favor of the Nuggets.

I think Deng is a physical enough of a defender to give ‘Melo some problems on the block, but the threat of Anthony’s sweet jump shot coupled with his superior quickness should prove to be too much for Deng to contain.

Deng’s size and lack of quickness will prove to be a disadvantage in this matchup. Look for ‘Melo to torch the Bulls and continue his 30-plus point performances.

Deng has been wildly inconsistent this season on the offensive end, and Anthony is a vastly improved defender. I wouldn’t expect much beyond a 10-15-point performance from Deng.

Mismatch in favor of the Bulls - John Salmons vs. whoever the Nuggets throw out there to start + J.R. Smith

John Salmons has been very inconsistent to this point, but he had a break-out performance on Saturday against the Bobcats with 27 points on 9-for-16 shooting.

The Nuggets have been torched by a combined 88 points in the past two games against the opposing team’s shooting guards and I would look for that trend to continue.

While I don’t think J.R. will get the start at the two-guard, I do see him playing the most significant number of minutes. Look for Salmons to have a strong game against Smith, who is sure to be rusty and who isn’t a strong defender even at his most polished.

I expect Smith to come in and force some ill advised shots and really struggle while he presses to pick up where he left off in last year’s playoffs. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 5-for-15 type of performance from J.R.

Key Matchup – Joakim Noah vs. Nene

Noah is coming off of a career performance against the Bobcats and became only the third player since 2001 to record at least 20 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks, while shooting 80 percent from the floor in a victory.

While Noah has been playing outstanding ball to this point in the season (11.3 points and 11 rebounds per game), his wiry frame and lack of strength leaves him vulnerable to be pushed around by the bigger and stronger Nene.

When Nene is aggressive, there isn’t a center in the league that can match up with his blend of size and agility. The problem is that he is only aggressive about 50 percent of the time he plays.

With Martin likely to miss some time while recovering from his leg injury, Nene will have to step up his intensity for the Nuggets to have a chance in this game.

I give the slight edge to the Nuggets in this matchup, but Noah continues to amaze, and seems to prove me wrong every time I underestimate him.

Keys to the Game for Nuggets

- Keep Noah off the boards and win the rebounding battle

- Don’t allow Derrick Rose to control the tempo of the game

- A second scorer besides ‘Melo needs to step up

Keys to the Game for the Bulls

- Keep Carmelo content with the long jump shot

- Capitalize on Kenyon Martin’s absence and win the inside battles

- Slow down Ty Lawson and Nuggets second unit

Prediction – Bulls win 100-93

I think the absence of Kenyon Martin will prove to be too much for the Nuggets to overcome once again. His injury highlights the biggest flaw in this team, and that is its lack of front court depth. In order for the Nuggets to come away victorious, Nene will have to play aggressively and have a 15-point/15-rebound type of game.

Chicago is playing good ball right now, and I see them dominating in the paint against a weakened Nuggets frontcourt and winning the battle on the glass. Even without Tyrus Thomas, the Bulls are deeper and more physical inside. The Nuggets always seem to struggle on their East Coast road trips, and this sets up to be another disappointing game for the Nuggets.

Melo adds fine new title: leader

2009-11-04T16:58:00.000+01:00

Pro basketball's long grind is just beginning, as the Nuggets are the first to point out. But it is still worth noticing that through three games, Carmelo Anthony has been the best player in the NBA.

He leads the league in scoring at 37.7 points per game on .536 shooting. He is among the Nuggets' leaders in steals, rebounds and assists.

In short, as he begins his seventh NBA season at the still-tender age of 25, Melo is taking his game to another level.

"He's just so focused," teammate Chauncey Billups said. "And he's just riding a high wave right now. We're just kind of getting on his back."

If Anthony is setting a tone for the season, not only is a scoring title within his reach, so is consideration for most valuable player. And if their star can reach those heights, the Nuggets' championship aspirations take on a more realistic cast.

"I told you all before training camp started I felt better than I ever felt coming into the season," Anthony told reporters after scoring a season-high 42 against Memphis to lead the Nuggets to a 3-0 start.

"My body felt good. My stamina feels great. I just feel good all around. My confidence is up. I've got one thing ahead of me, which is that gold ball."

That would be the ornament atop the Larry O'Brien Trophy, awarded to the NBA champions. This goal is reflected in Melo's increasing emphasis on his all- around game.

Once, he was just a scorer. He could have maintained that niche and had a great career, a Hall of Fame career, without doing much of anything else. Instead, he has used intimations of such limitations as motivation to expand his game.

"I just use what people say, what I read and what I hear, to fuel my fire," he said. "I search for any and all that stuff. That's just me. I'm a competitor, so I'm going to find anything that somebody's saying that I can't do."

He paused, smiling. "I don't hear I can't get out of the first round no more. So that's a good thing," he said.

Anthony showed off his improving focus at the defensive end early Sunday night, stealing the ball from Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay at one end and converting it at the other. Later, he fed Kenyon Martin on an alley-oop, one of his five assists on the night, then was on the receiving end of a lob from rookie Ty Lawson.

"He's one of the players I watched a lot in college," Lawson said. "He was one of my favorite players, so to see him scoring so many points and doing it so effortlessly, it's crazy."

Coach George Karl is more interested in Anthony's maturation than his point totals.

"My big thing with Melo is be a team leader," Karl said. "The more effective and efficient he is both as a player and as a leader, a captain, a locker room guy, the more consistent he is in his approach, I think the more we're going to feel comfortable following him."

A year ago, the Nuggets had a leadership vacuum in the locker room. Then they traded for Billups, a veteran leader. And now their young star is shouldering some of that burden.

"People talk about they want to be a leader," Anthony said. "If you don't have them qualities in you, then you're not a leader. Leadership is something that I always had in me. It's just that it's coming about now.

"I've been through a lot in my six-year career so far, so my teammates are starting to respect what I got to say, respect what I'm out there doing. My game is speaking for myself. They see me out there hustling, diving on the floor for loose balls, playing defense, and they're going to do the same thing."

Along the way, if Anthony should collect a scoring title or get the first serious MVP consideration of his career, he won't object. But he has learned those things are byproducts, not goals.

"This is the way I look at it: If I do what I've got to do, if my team wins, then all them accolades will come," he said. "I'm not coming out saying I'm going to get MVP. It's too early for that. But if we're winning and we're playing great, then we'll see what happens after that."

Three games are the blink of an eye in the NBA's six-month marathon. Still, they are enough for Anthony to offer up a glimpse of the transcendent player he might yet become.

Hoops is not on Anthony's agenda

2008-09-03T12:02:00.002+01:00

His Olympic experience behind him, Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony is moving on to his next order of business.

Rest.

"I'm not even thinking about training camp right now," Anthony said Tuesday during a news conference in Denver. "What is it, three weeks away?"

It's actually four, but either way, don't expect Anthony to be at full speed from the start. His summer was filled with basketball, and that may take a toll on his early effectiveness when the regular season starts Oct. 29. Last year, after having played in the Olympic qualifying tournament in Las Vegas, Anthony took it easy throughout much of training camp. He expects to do the same this year.

"I'm pretty sure I'll be taking that same approach, especially after this run," Anthony said. "My whole summer was taken from me; for the past four years, really. I don't think I've had an off summer yet. I'm going to take my time.

"Not going to get out of shape or anything like that, but as far as going full speed, and get after it, it's going to be hard for me to just sit in the gym and watch the team practice. I can't do that. But I'm pretty sure we'll figure out a way."

Anthony said he was "surprised" at the Nuggets' busy offseason, though he said he didn't pay too much attention to all of the moves because he was "caught up so much with USA Basketball."

The Nuggets traded center Marcus Camby and re-signed guards J.R. Smith and Anthony Carter.

They let forward Eduardo Najera go via free agency. Yakhouba Diawara wasn't resigned. The Nuggets also signed forwards Chris Andersen and Renaldo Balkman and guard Dahntay Jones. Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien said he will not comment on the team's busy summer.

"I'm not going to get into that conversation," Warkentien said.

The Nuggets are taking a beating in early prognostications. Espn.com has the Nuggets finishing 10th in the Western Conference with 39 wins.

"We like that talk; people were saying it last year," Anthony said. "It's going to happen every year. I'm pretty sure we're motivated. I'm not the only one. I hope I'm not the only one that's motivated."

Carmelo and Phelps

2008-08-14T17:58:00.000+01:00

Two great athletes were groomed just miles apart.

But on Wednesday, Carmelo Anthony and Michael Phelps were 6,944 miles from Baltimore when finally united — two of America's golden hopes, two charms of Maryland's "Charm City."

At the Olympic Village, the basketball player and the swimmer spent their first extensive time together, talking shop and taking snapshots.

"This was my first chance to really interact with him," said the Nuggets all-star and a Team USA starting forward. "Just a good vibe."

Phelps, of course, is in contention to win a record eight gold medals.

Anthony is a star among all-stars on Team USA, aiming to win basketball gold for the first time since 2000.

Both hail from Baltimore, Anthony 13 months older than Phelps. Both were prodigies: Anthony leading Syracuse to an NCAA title as a freshman, Phelps participating in his first Olympics at 15. Both are a marketer's dream, filling magazines with articles and advertisements. Both, infamously, were arrested for DUI.

Though Phelps and Anthony participated in the 2004 Games, the two never hung out in Athens. In Beijing, they have hit it off like they were back in Baltimore. Anthony said he hopes to attend one of Phelps' races, perhaps his first on Saturday.

"If it wasn't for him, I would never be wanting to go over there and see a swimming match," Anthony said. "He's going to bring some gold back to Charm City. Hopefully I can bring a gold back. We'll have a parade together."

For Anthony and Team USA — which opens play Sunday against China — winning gold will take a Phelps-like focus.

"In the NBA game, some guys tend to take possessions off — here, you can't take plays off," said Anthony, who has yet to get out of the first round of the NBA playoffs.

In tuneup games, Team USA coaches have implored Anthony to focus on rebounding. In a recent game against Australia, U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski asked Anthony to get a double-double. Melo complied, logging 12 points and 10 rebounds in just 24 minutes.

"He knows I can score," Anthony said. "But it's not going to take me scoring 20, 30 points for us to win basketball games — it's going to take 10-plus rebounds. I'm going to try to get most of the rebounds — it's going to take someone who wants to grab all the rebounds."

Baltimore, Preparing for Beijing

2008-07-23T08:53:00.000+01:00

Carmelo Anthony is expected to start at forward for Team USA at the Beijing Olympics. He completed his fifth year with the Denver Nuggets in the N.B.A. and led Syracuse University to the 2003 N.C.A.A. title. He’ll be contributing a basketball diary and his own photographs to The New York Times from now through the Beijing Olympics.
I have a very bitter taste in my mouth from the 2004 Olympics, like I just ate a sour grapefruit or something. This summer in Beijing, we’re going to drink a lot of Kool-Aid, because revenge is going to be sweet.
I am headed to Vegas on the 20th for USA Basketball training with my teammates and I won’t be back until Aug. 26. We’re going to be gone for a whole month, but I’m really excited about the whole thing. Not just playing, but being involved and being part of it. We’ve been working out and practicing together for the past three years, and anytime you can get a group of guys like us together as much as possible to play and practice, all that experience and togetherness helps.
Before I left, though, I put on my fourth annual H.O.O.D. (Holding Our Own Destiny) 3-on-3 Tournament challenge this weekend in my hometown of Baltimore. It was incredible. It was a great turnout for the whole community. The kids had a lot of fun and the whole city was in an uproar — everyone enjoyed themselves. It’s been growing and expanding a little bit every year, and every year I see the city getting more and more behind it. I can really relate to the kids playing because I’ve been there before. I’ve been one of those kids looking for something like this. I didn’t have a chance to experience it. They do.
I took some pictures at my tournament; its something I’ve been doing since I took a photo class at Syracuse. I love pictures and film. I don’t just like basketball photos, I like all different kinds — pictures of the wild, animals, the jungle, things like that.
Over all, it was nice to come back to Cloverdale Park, a place I spent a lot of time as a kid, and give back a little.

Chris Mannix: 'Melo proving to be U.S.' best player'

2007-09-26T14:10:00.000+01:00

You won't find too many bigger fans of Carmelo Anthony than Kiki Vandeweghe.

Sitting alongside the former Nuggets general manager in the media row at the Thomas and Mack center, Vandeweghe, in Las Vegas to observe the new and improved Team USA, is effusive in his praise of his former protégé.

"In my opinion, he's the best post player on this team," said Vandeweghe. "And he just keeps getting better. He's the kind of kid who if you tell him something once, he learns it right away."

With three games in the books at the FIBA Americas tournament, there are plenty of arguments to be made for the team's tournament MVP. Jason Kidd, the U.S.' lone gold medalist, is the team's spirit and de facto leader. Michael Redd has given the U.S. its first real shooting threat in years while Kobe Bryant is in the process of reclaiming his status as the world's elite player.

But it is hard to argue with Anthony's credentials. The leading scorer for the United States in the 2006 World Championships (19.9 points per game), Anthony has picked up right where he left off, matching Redd in scoring in the U.S.' first two games before exploding for a team-high 25 points against an overmatched Canada team Saturday afternoon.

Typically an isolation player in Denver, Anthony has used his superior size (he weighs in at a muscular 230 pounds) to bully opponents underneath. He has run the floor well (he was on the receiving end of a beautiful 70-foot long toss from Kidd midway in the second quarter) while collecting 14 rebounds in the tournament. He has even grown more comfortable with the three-point line, connecting on three of his four attempts against Canada.

"Don't forget, for Carmelo and LeBron, this is their [third] year playing international basketball," says Vandeweghe. "They are going to get better."

Like the rest of his U.S. teammates, Anthony seems to have bought into the team concept.

"We all always know where everybody is at on the court," Anthony said. "We are all superstars on the team so there isn't a need for anybody to be selfish."

Indeed. The United States roster is so stacked with star power that it's difficult to distinguish who exactly the role players are. Because while Anthony, Dwight Howard and Amare Stoudemire have been virtually unstoppable around the rim, they have been aided by consistent performances from Mike Miller (who connected three times from three-point range on Saturday) and Redd, who after another stellar performance (19 points on 50 percent shooting from beyond the three-point line) might be inclined to pack his bags and join the Euroleague.

"You're almost surprised," said Vandeweghe. "When Redd actually misses."

For Anthony, however, his stiffest test awaits: a matchup with Nuggets teammate Nene in the U.S.' final game in the preliminary round. Nene is not one to be bullied -- actually, more often than not he is the one doing the bullying. A superior performance by Anthony on Sunday would go a long way toward proving a point some already believe is true: that in this tournament anyway, Carmelo Anthony is the U.S.' best player.

Did Melo Resurrect the Nuggets?

2007-09-15T14:37:00.000+01:00

Larry Bird and the Celtics... In 1978-79 the Celtics won 29 games. The following season the Celtics won 61 games. Much of this improvement, although certainly not all, could be linked to the outstanding rookie performance of Larry Bird. As Table One indicates, the Celtics improvement in the late 1970s marks the fourth biggest one-year leap by a franchise since 1973-74.

Table One: The Most Improved Teams since 1973-74

Typically these leaps are associated with a specific player being added to the roster. For example, the Spurs have made the two biggest leaps. In 1989-90 the team added David Robinson and improved by 35 wins. In 1997-98 the Spurs added Tim Duncan (and a healthy David Robinson) and improved by 36 wins. And certainly the Celtics leap fits this pattern. What of the other teams on the list?

Did Carmelo Resurrect the Nuggets?

The Denver Nuggets, after winning only 17 games in 2002-03, took Carmelo Anthony with the third choice in the 2003 NBA Draft. With Carmelo added to the roster, the team improved 26 games in the standings. Anthony also led the Nuggets with 21.0 points scored per game. So was this leap all about Melo?

When we look at Anthony’s productivity - both during his rookie season and in the next three seasons - it is hard to see how Carmelo could have been the one player who resurrected the Nuggets.

Table Two: The Career Performance of Carmelo Anthony

Table Two compares Anthony to the average NBA small forward. When we look at Carmelo’s rookie season we see a player that was below average in terms of shooting efficiency, steals, blocked shots, assists, and turnovers. Yes, Anthony could score. But this was primarily because he took a large number of shots, not because he was particularly good at getting shots from the field to go in the basket.

Now he was not bad at everything. Anthony was a slightly above average free throw shooter and rebounder. But these small advantages were not enough to offset his many negatives, and consequently his WP48 (Wins Produced per 48 minutes) was only 0.032. Such a mark is well below the average WP48 of 0.100.

Anthony’s second season saw a very similar pattern. In his last two seasons, though, his shooting efficiency has surpassed the average mark. His ability to grab rebounds, though, is now below average. Consequently, given his disadvantages with respect to turnovers, steals, and blocked shots, he has yet to produce at an above average level in his career.

If Not Carmelo, Who Was Responsible?

Okay, Anthony has not been a great player in his NBA career (although he is a great international player, a point I will make in a near future post). So if Anthony did not spark Denver’s improvement, exactly who was responsible?

To answer this question we need to look at who was on the roster of this team in both 2002-03 and 2003-04.

Table Three: The Denver Nuggets in 2003-04 and 2002-03

The team in 2002-03 was led by Donnell Harvey (hard to believe, isn’t it?), who produced 5.1 wins in 1,613 minutes. Obviously if your most productive player only produces 5.1 victories (and is Donnell Harvey), your team is not going to win many contests.

The next season the Nuggets were led by two players who posted double digit Wins Produced totals. Surprisingly (well, if you read the previous section, maybe not surprisingly), neither player was named Anthony (or Carmelo or Melo).

No, the two players who led the 2003-04 Nuggets were Marcus Camby and Andre Miller.

Camby was part of the 2002-03 team and actually led that squad in WP48. But when you only play 616 minutes you are not going to generate many wins. The next season Camby managed to post a career high in games played. Although he still missed ten contests, he appeared often enough to produce 14.2 wins. Camby has posted a career WP48 of 0.258. So Camby producing wins when he plays is fairly typical. What is not typical is Camby actually playing. Again, he has missed at least 10 games every season he has played, and has actually appeared in only 71% of all possible regular season games (about 58 per season) during his career.

The other leader of the 2003-04 Nuggets was Andre Miller. Like Camby, Miller is also a very productive player. Unlike Camby, though, Miller consistently plays, appearing in at least 80 games each season he has played in the NBA. In 2002, Miller joined the Nuggets as a free agent proceeded to produce 12.4 wins with a 0.204 WP48.

Okay, let’s summarize. The data clearly indicates that Melo - although a great scorer - has not been a tremendously productive player. In addition, Miller and Camby combined to produce 26.6 wins in 2003-04, a mark quite similar to the team’s overall improvement. Consequently, it looks like the story in 03-04 was the health of Camby and the signing of Miller, not the drafting of Anthony.

Let me close with one last note on Anthony. Melo left Syracuse after his freshman season (by the way, he was quite good at Syracuse). Had he stayed at Syracuse for four seasons, Anthony would now be entering only his second NBA season. Again, to date he has not been a great NBA player. But given his age, maybe he can improve. Yes, that is a big maybe. But young players have been known to get better in the NBA, and the calendar tells us that Melo - a veteran of four NBA seasons — is still a “young” player.

Anthony makes final roster for Olympic qualifying tournament

2007-08-21T23:14:00.000+01:00

Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony is on the final roster of 12 for the Olympic qualifying tournament that starts Wednesday.
However, the Seattle SuperSonics' Kevin Durant and Nick Collison have been dropped. The American team announced its decision about two hours after practicing at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Monday. The final roster needs to be submitted on Tuesday, a day before the U.S. opens the FIBA Americas tournament against Venezuela. The U.S. roster includes: Anthony, along with Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, Dwight Howard, Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups, Michael Redd, Mike Miller, Tyson Chandler, Tayshaun Prince and Deron Williams.

I apologize...

2007-08-03T22:23:00.001+01:00

I know that many of you (more like EVERYONE) don't like the commercials on my blog (like on any other), but I'm affraid that it's a thing I can't be withut because it makes me money. :-)
And we all know that no one knows one who doesn't love it!
So please don't be mad at me and keep visiting my blog.
Hope you enjoy it!
And hey, you can even click on an ad!! :-D
And also, if you like making money, you can join Cashfiesta using the big annoying banner on the middle of your screen, or, if you are lazy to scroll up, you can click on this: http://www.cashfiesta.com/php/join.php?ref=achileus

Thank you for reading this!

Smack: Slow down, 'Melo

2007-07-27T22:40:00.000+01:00

All eyes and ears were on David Stern yesterday as he publicly talked about the Tim Donaghy scandal (and it is undoubtedly a full-fledged “scandal” at this point) in a press conference that was like a national Presidential address for hoop fans. Right off the bat, the commish said we we have a “rogue, isolated criminal” on our hands, and stressed that no other refs are targets of this gambling investigation. At other times D-Stern likened the situation to a soldier turning on his country or a corrupt judge in the courtroom. “If you bet on a game, you lose the benefit of the doubt,” he said, and also described the whole thing as, “the most serious situation and worst situation that I have ever experienced either as a fan of the NBA, a lawyer for the NBA or a commissioner of the NBA.” …
On the whole, Stern seems visibly disturbed by the whole thing. He wasn’t the same smooth, nothing-bothers-me type we’ve all seen so many times over the years. He was described in articles we read later as “subdued” and “humble,” and TV talking head Skip Bayless said Stern was being “evasive” about certain topics. The whole thing was uncomfortable, really. Even some of the reporters in the room looked scared, like they didn’t wanna be sitting next to the guy who asked the question that got Stern really ed …
In a Q&A with the Denver Post, Carmelo Anthony said he realistically thinks the Nuggets can win a ‘chip this year and that he’s a “new ‘Melo” heading into ‘07-08: “I’m introducing the new ‘Melo,” he said. “I’m a new person. A new attitude. A businessman now.” He later said, “On paper we are one of the most talented teams in the NBA, if not the most talented. People have been sleeping on us. I don’t think people think we can jell together.” Sleeping on the Nuggets? They got a lot of love going into the playoffs with A.I. and ‘Melo on the roster. But ‘Melo needs to get his squad past the first round before he starts talking championship. It’s a process …
After losing Kurt Thomas the Suns are looking for a (cheaper) veteran big man. So far the names we’ve seen pop up have been P.J. Brown, Melvin Ely, Brian Skinner and — we’re not lying — Chris Webber and Mike Sweetney. Can you even imagine the disaster of those two trying to run up and down the court in Phoenix? …
Casey Jacobsen copped a Finals MVP in Germany last season. He inked a one-year deal with the Grizzlies yesterday, which is no guarantee he’ll make it past training camp, but Memphis could use another shooter if they’re gonna play the Suns style. What they don’t need is Mike Sweetney and Chris Webber …
One more Suns-related item: According to the East Valley Tribune, the reason Phoenix won’t let Boris Diaw practice with the French national team is because they’re holding out until the national team gets an insurance policy for Diaw that ensures that the Suns won’t have to pay Diaw’s $40-million-plus contract if he gets injured playing international ball …
Daniel Ewing signed with a pro team in Russia. If he never gets back to the League, will he be best-known for having Raja Bell bust that three in his face during the ‘06 playoffs and not fouling? …

Carmelo - LeBron's scout

2007-06-08T18:25:00.000+01:00

After facing the San Antonio Spurs in two of the past three postseasons, not many players know the Western Conference champions as well as Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony does. And Anthony plans to pass on what he knows to his good friend LeBron James before Thursday night's NBA Finals opener in San Antonio.
"My advice to LeBron is to always stay focused against those guys," Anthony said. "The Spurs are a sharp, veteran team that takes advantage of mistakes. You cannot give them an edge."
James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Eastern Conference championship with his clutch play. Anthony, through an interview Tuesday via text message, said he hasn't had a chance to talk with James since the Cavs ousted Detroit, but will do so soon.
The Spurs ousted the Nuggets in the first round, 4-1, during which Anthony averaged 26.8 points and shot 48 percent from the field. In 2005, the Spurs also eliminated the Nuggets 4-1 and held Anthony to a 19.2-point average on 42.2 percent. The Spurs swarmed Anthony and forced someone else to try to beat them. They are expected to do something similar against James.
"The Spurs' defense is great," Anthony said. "They have very good individual and team defenders. Your offensive game has to be at a high level to be successful. LeBron will discover ways to score against them. His teammates have to do the same."
Giving Cleveland hope is the fact the Cavs went 2-0 in the regular season against the Spurs, with James averaging 27.0 points and shooting 48.8 percent from the field. San Antonio, however, does an excellent job of slowing down up-tempo teams and hindering an opponent's best weapon.
San Antonio forward Bruce Bowen, a 2007 first-team selection on the NBA's all-defensive team, who is regarded as the league's best perimeter defender, is expected to start against James, with plenty of help from his teammates on the interior.
Anthony and James are USA Basketball teammates and have had a growing friendship since they were selected third and first overall, respectively, in the 2003 draft.
San Antonio, gunning for its fourth NBA title since 1999, is a heavy favorite in this series. Anthony also views the Spurs as the team to beat, but gives Cleveland a fighter's chance.
"The Cavs have a chance, but they will have to play their best basketball over the seven-game series," Anthony said.

Carmelo Anthony is now a land baron

2007-05-21T19:03:00.000+01:00

According to the Rocky Mountain News, Carmelo Anthony -- the former Orangeman who still finds the time to shop at 7-11 with the little people in the wee hours of the morning -- has purchased a Colorado manse for $12 million, give or take a Rolex.
Not bad for a kid with a college education consisting of a single semester. But then, that possibly explains why Anthony's new digs include a Brazilian mahogany paneled library, a nice little hideway within the Tuscan-styled castle where he can catch up, if he so desires, on his Kierkegaard. Or, sure, where he can write more $3-million checks-as-contributions to his drive-by alma mater, Syracuse University, to which he remains so devoted (no kidding).
David Zalubowski/The Associated PressWhen you live in a 25,000-square foot manse with nine bathrooms, as does Carmelo Anthony, you tend to wonder about things. Like, did I leave the water running in the tub?
According to the architectural scoreboard, Anthony's place is somewhere between 21,084 and 25,610 square feet in size with nine bathrooms, seven bedrooms, a 5,000-bottle wine center, hand-cut limestone floors, a recording studio and an 11,000-square foot barn out back where Melo -- who once showed up at the White House for a visit with the president in a sweatsuit and sneakers -- can keep any goats he may choose to herd.
So, who does this guy think he is, anyway? Bob Congel? And what does he plan to name his compound? Carmelo Dhu? And, more importantly, how does he plan to personalize the joint? Will he put a statue of himself out in the front yard, ala Ivan Rodriguez? Will he commission a sculptor to carve a likeness of his face onto a wall surrounding the property, ala LeBron James? Will he hire an artist to capture him in a bare-chested pose on a mural near the front door, ala Dwayne Wade?
Questions . . . questions . . . questions. And they're not the kind usually mulled by a person who won't turn 23 until later this month, although this person can run and jump and splash the odd jump shot, which are skills highly prized by American society.
The lesson? Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be schoolteachers or firefighters or police officers. Not if they can grow up to be Denver Nuggets.

Are these Nuggets for real?

2007-04-24T21:48:00.000+01:00

Sometimes the hardest step is the first, and the Nuggets know this all too well. The first round of the NBA playoffs has been their first step for three years running.
"I just hope that we are just tired of not getting out of the first round," Nuggets center Marcus Camby said. "Hopefully this year can be different."
To do that, Denver has to prove it is the team that finished the regular season 10-1 in April and not just some facsimile of it.
Two years ago, the Nuggets were the talk of the league, going 32-8 down the stretch - even winning the first game of the first-round series on the road - before the Spurs yawned, clamped down and dispatched of them with four consecutive victories.
So
Nuggets vs. Spurs
Schedule
Game 1: Nuggets 95, Spurs 89
Game 2: Spurs 97, Nuggets 88
Game 3: Spurs 96, Nuggets 91
Game 4: at Denver, Mon., 8:30 p.m., ALT
Game 5: at San Antonio, Wed., 6 p.m., TNT, ALT
Game 6*: at Denver, Fri., TBD, ALT
Game 7*: at San Antonio, Sun., May 6, TBD (*if necessary)

Their play during the past three weeks says maybe. It can't be an emphatic yes when contrasted against the Nuggets' inconsistent play for the bulk of the season.
Each first-round loss has had an effect on its participants and on those who just have to answer the questions as to why. Carmelo Anthony, coach George Karl and Allen Iverson share their thoughts.
PLAYOFF PROBLEMS NUGGETS' NUISANCE
Carmelo Anthony is familiar with the hurt and aware of the stigma.
"I've been in the playoffs three years and never made it out of the first round," the Nuggets star said.
So when he is asked if just getting to the NBA playoffs is satisfying anymore, Anthony's answer is no. Each year his eyes become a little more steely when he says it. His words become a little more stern.
But what makes this year different?
Maturity. Motivation. And more talent around him.
"I really don't think this series is going to be the same thing as two years ago," Anthony said of the Nuggets' 2005 series against San Antonio. "We're much older, kind of a different team. We kind of know what to expect from the San Antonio

First-round exit: Same story, Spurs are just too strong.
Some success: Hey, they made it past the first round! But they don't have what it takes to top the Mavericks or the Suns.
Wow: Playing in the Western Conference finals - what a sweet surprise!
NBA Finals: Carmelo and A.I. make magic. Win or lose, when is the parade?

Anthony is 3-12 in the playoffs. Ironically, his first opening-round loss to Minnesota in 2004 was Kevin Garnett's first opening-round win in his eighth try.
But it was after San Antonio beat up Anthony that the 6-foot-8 forward began to get annoyed.
"That arena was crazy," Anthony said. "It was loud, it was crazy, you couldn't hear nothing. I'm pretty sure it's going to be crazy this year.
"We got a way better team than we had in that series. But we know they are going to come focused and prepared, so we got to do the same thing."
The coach
Want to annoy the coach? Ask Nuggets boss George Karl about recent playoff shortcomings.
"How many years did it take Michael (Jordan) to win? It took Kevin Garnett how many?" Karl said, trying to hold his temperature in check. "You all make it out to be easy. This isn't easy."
Karl has been on the losing side in the first round in each of the past four playoffs in which he has coached, dating to his last Milwaukee Bucks team in 2002-03. He is 4-12 in those seasons.
Yet he also has taken two teams to the conference finals and one to the NBA Finals. His take on the Nuggets' string of making the playoffs is defiantly positive.
"Making the playoffs four years in a row is pretty (darn) good," Karl said. "The NBA is a tough business to put winning or excellence on the court on a year-by-year basis.

Nuggets coach George Karl on making the playoffs: "You all make it out to be easy. This isn't easy." (AP / Eric Gay)
"That's why the San Antonio Spurs, I think, is an incredible franchise for what they've done over a decade of time. Maybe it's not a decade, but it seems like a decade."
The Spurs, coming off the NBA title in 1999, last lost in the first round in 2000 to Phoenix.
The all-star veteran
Allen Iverson was brought to the Nuggets for this time of year. The guard was fortunate enough to get out of the first round of the playoffs the first time his Philadelphia 76ers got there in 1999. Philadelphia beat Orlando before being swept by Indiana in the second round.
So, while he can't sympathize with Anthony's plight, he can empathize.
"I think it's important for him to get that monkey off his back," Iverson said. "To win a playoff series, to have that confidence in himself and his team."
Having a short memory is key to playing well throughout a series, Iverson stressed.
"It is hard (to win a series)," Iverson said. "One or two plays can turn a whole series, not just a game. It can determine what happens to us psychologically. If something happens, a bad call or something like that in Game 1 and you're still worried about that thinking it's going to happen in Game 2, then that's what you're going to be concentrating on and it can affect you going into that game.
"Whatever happens in a playoff series, whatever happens in that first game, you've got to let that go. You've got to go on to the next game, try to do the positive things you did in the game before and the negative things you have to work on in practice so it won't happen in the next game."
Or the next season.

Iverson no longer has to carry a team by himself

2007-04-21T22:37:00.000+01:00

He's no longer The Man in Philly but the Wingman in Denver.
As such, Allen Iverson doesn't have to carry his team on his shoulders in the playoffs like he did all those years in Philadelphia.

He doesn't expect to dial down his intensity when the Nuggets open the playoffs at San Antonio Sunday just because sharing the superstardom has suited A.I. so well since his holiday trade from the Sixers.
"It's a better mind-set," Iverson said of having another elite scorer alongside him in Carmelo Anthony. "It feels that much more easier. Not saying that things are going to be easy for me because I'm going to play just as hard as I played when I didn't have 'Melo, even harder. But I think he just helps a lot."
Anthony averaged 28.9 points in the regular season, and Iverson chipped in with a 26.3 clip.
"He takes a lot of attention off of me - not saying that I'm not going to have that attention because I know they're going to double me, they're going to shadow me all over the floor, they're going to make sure every time I touch the ball I see a crowd of people," Iverson said. "But I just think it will make it easier on me.
"When he gets double-teamed, I'm going to have guys running out at me off the pass and I get a chance to penetrate and make plays for my teammates and make plays for myself."
Iverson's career playoff scoring average of 30.6 is second all-time to Michael Jordan's 33.4 average.
'Melo was the star of the American team at the world championships last summer but he has yet to make a name for himself in the NBA playoffs, where his scoring average is 18.6.
After Minnesota's Trenton Hassell helped limit Anthony to 15 points a game in 2004, San Antonio's Bruce Bowen schooled the baby-faced 'Melo in '05, helping hold him to 19.2 points on 42 percent shooting in the Spurs' 4-1 series win.
Last year, Anthony averaged 21 points against the Los Angeles Clippers but again the Nuggets were bounced in five games.
"I think it's important for him to get that monkey off his back, to win a playoff series and just have a confidence in himself and his team," Iverson said.
Anthony has since learned how to handle Hassell and is confident he can counter Bowen this time, too.
"I'm much more mature than I was then," Anthony said. "I know what I have to do for us to win, which is not scoring 30, 35 points a game, especially not in the playoffs. I was young, playing against a veteran guy like Bruce Bowen."

Home Sweet Home

2007-03-30T18:33:00.000+01:00

Nuggets coach George Karl chewed his gum with more vigor - even popping it from time to time - as he thought about his team's struggles at home this season.
Denver is 19-18 at the Pepsi Center, the seventh-worst home start through 37 dates in team history. Karl is at a loss to explain why. "I've flunked the test. I can't figure that one out," Karl said on a snowy Thursday morning. "We have more energy on the road, more bounce on the road. We seem to have more focus. "On the road, it's really good. I don't know what they do at home." The Nuggets are 16-17 so far this season, which is one of the team's best marks in franchise history through that many games. Denver has never posted a winning road record. Its best all-time mark is 19-22 in 1987-88. Denver can temporarily forget about its woes at home. The team will head out on a three-game road swing that begins Friday night in Phoenix, a team they demolished 131-107 at home two weeks ago. Denver also plays eight of its remaining 12 games on the road. Karl grinned when asked if it was a blessing his team was playing so many away from home to end the regular season. "I'm not smart enough to figure that out," he said. The Nuggets are currently clinging to the seventh spot in the Western Conference playoff race even though they've lost four of their last five games. They're just ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers, who are in the eighth and final spot but have won four of its last five. "That's incredible compared to what could've happened," Karl said of the team's current playoff position despite the recent slide. "We wanted to be a competitive playoff team that can win a playoff series. I still have a feeling we'll have a good chance at achieving that goal." Denver had two more potential road wins snatched away in dramatic fashion last week. Chicago's Tyrus Thomas tipped in a shot with less than a second left for a 109-108 win on March 22. Then, on Monday night, Detroit's Rasheed Wallace stunned the Nuggets as he nailed a 62-foot heave at the buzzer to force overtime, which resulted in the Pistons' 113-109 victory. Those setbacks, though, didn't bother Karl nearly as much as a 100-97 home loss to Seattle on Wednesday night. The Sonics entered the game having played the night before in Minnesota. "I was disappointed more last night in ... not valuing a homecourt game," Karl said. Carmelo Anthony said after the loss the team just played flat. But he couldn't explain why. "We didn't have it," Anthony said. "We didn't have any energy." Karl was just starting to get a good vibe about this team, too. The Sonics loss spoiled the moment. "I thought it was there," Karl said. The Nuggets know they need to pick up the intensity in a hurry. "We're putting in effort every game," guard Steve Blake said. "A lot of ups and downs right now." That's to be expected given all the drama the Nuggets have endured this season. Denver has dealt with suspensions - J.R. Smith and Anthony for their roles in a brawl - and a blockbuster trade for Allen Iverson. They've had to learn and relearn how to work with each other. Now Karl is hopeful the team can put it all together before time runs out. "In a strange way, we're in a good place," Karl said. "Has there been frustration and disappointment? (Heck) yeah, there's been a lot of it. I'm optimistic. Our luck and our karma can very quickly swing back to a good place and we can have fun in the playoffs."

Nugetts' 5th in a row

2007-03-21T20:27:00.002+01:00

Carmelo Anthony scored 12 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and the Denver Nuggets won their fifth straight game with a 94-90 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday night.
Allen Iverson added 20 points and a clinching free throw in the final seconds in helping the Nuggets win for the first time in New Jersey since 2000. It also marked the first time this season that Denver has won a game (1-21) when scoring less than 99 points.
Vince Carter had 29 points and nine assists for the Nets, but he was called for walking with 45 seconds to play, and missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 12 seconds to go.
Marcus Camby and Steve Blake had 10 points apiece for the Nuggets, while Richard Jefferson had 18 points for the Nets, who had won nine of 10 against Denver.
The Nuggets, who built a 13-point lead late in the third quarter, needed Anthony to hold off the Nets in the fourth quarter.
After New Jersey drew within 82-80 on a jumper by Eddie House, Anthony scored six straight points to push the lead to 88-80 on a 3-pointer with 4:56 to go.
A six-point run that Carter capped with a rebound follow got New Jersey within 88-86 with 3:17 to play.
After Iverson hit a layup and Carter followed with a dunk, Anthony made a power move inside and converted a three-point play for a 93-88 edge with 1:38 to go.
Two free throws by Jefferson got New Jersey within 93-90, but the Nets could not score the rest of the way. Iverson closed the scoring with a free throw after Carter's missed 3-pointer.
Trailing by seven at the half, the Nuggets went on a 23-4 third-quarter spurt, taking a 73-60 lead on a pair of free throws by Anthony.
New Jersey, which turned the ball over five times and went 1-for-11 in the drought, responded with an 18-6 run, getting within 79-78 on a jumper by House.
A three-point play by Eduardo Najera push the Nuggets lead to 82-78, setting up the stretch run.

Nugetts' 5th in a row

2007-03-21T20:27:00.001+01:00

Nugetts' 5th in a row

2007-03-21T20:27:00.000+01:00

Carmelo Anthony leads Nuggets past Kings

2007-03-11T22:43:00.000+01:00

The Denver Nuggets snapped a 20-game losing streak against the Sacramento Kings with a 113-101 victory Sunday.Allen Iverson had 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds to spoil Ron Artest's return to the King's lineup.Carmelo Anthony added 29 points and six rebounds and Marcus Camby had 16 points, 10 boards and six assists.Denver hadn't beaten the Kings in Sacramento since January 1997 -- the longest active losing streak in the league.Artest had 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists in his return following his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence.

Melo plays big after All-star addition

2007-02-11T20:16:00.000+01:00

Carmelo Anthony celebrated his late addition to the Western Conference All-Star team by scoring 34 points, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Indiana Pacers 102-95 on Friday night to snap a three-game losing streak.
Anthony, added to the squad by commissioner David Stern as an injury placement earlier in the day, shot 11-for-24 from the field and 12-for-13 from the free throw line. Eduardo Najera added 18 points for the Nuggets, who played without injured starters Allen Iverson and Marcus Camby.
Mike Dunleavy scored a season-high 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Danny Granger added 19 points for the Pacers, who lost their third straight home game.
Indiana was called for five technical fouls in the second half and both coach Rick Carlisle and point guard Darrell Armstrong were ejected.
Carlisle was tossed by official Dan Crawford with 9:53 left in the third quarter after getting two technicals for arguing a no-call. Carlisle felt Denver's Nene should have been called for a charge on a move to the hoop that left Indiana center Jermaine O'Neal on the ground.
The normally calm Armstrong lost his cool after he disagreed with a call and was thrown out. He chased after official Eli Roe, was restrained by teammates and kicked a chair on his way off the court.

Indiana rallied after Armstrong was ejected. A three-point play by Granger, a 3-pointer by Troy Murphy and a 3-pointer by Granger cut Denver's lead to 89-87 with 4:18 left.
Denver held on from the free throw line. The Nuggets outscored the Pacers 20-4 from the line in the fourth quarter. Overall, the Nuggets had a 32-11 advantage from the line.
Iverson didn't make the trip. He aggravated his sprained ankle during overtime in the Nuggets' loss to New Orleans on Wednesday night.
Camby, the league leader in blocks per game and the NBA's second-leading rebounder, sat out with a strained left groin.

Not an All-Star?!

2007-02-05T19:13:00.000+01:00

One bad night might have overshadowed all the good Carmelo Anthony has done this season.
Anthony, the NBA's leading scorer, was not among the seven reserves announced Thursday night for the Western Conference team that will play in the NBA All-Star Game.
Anthony's Nuggets teammate Allen Iverson was chosen, extending his streak of consecutive All-Star appearances to eight. He started the past seven games while playing for Philadelphia. Anthony, who is averaging 31.3 points but missed 15 games while suspended for his role in the brawl at Madison Square Garden, was the most obvious omission.
Earlier Thursday, Anthony said he hoped his suspension wouldn't prevent him from earning his first All-Star spot.
'I hope no one holds that over my head over anything,' he said. 'Things happen. One incident like that is held over one person's head, life ain't fair.
'I did my punishment. I could've easily kept my name out there by appealing it and doing other stuff about it, but I just did my 15 games suspension and hopefully put that behind us.'
Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion were all chosen from the Phoenix Suns, but Dirk Nowitzki was the only player picked from the Dallas Mavericks, who have the league's best record.
The Mavericks had been hoping Josh Howard would be selected as well.
Detroit and New Jersey had multiple reserves picked for the Feb. 18 game. Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton, who made their first appearances last season, are going back, and Jason Kidd and Vince Carter will represent the Nets in the game at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal and first-timers Dwight Howard of Orlando and Caron Butler of Washington round out the East reserves.
The seven reserves were voted on by the head coaches in their respective conferences.
The remainder of the West reserves were San Antonio guard Tony Parker and Utah forward Carlos Boozer.

Carmelo Anthony jersey

2007-02-03T00:49:00.000+01:00

CARMELO ANTHONY HIGH SCHOOL JERSEY

CARMELO ANTHONY NBA AND USA JERSEY

Carmelo Anthony Nike basketball shoes

2007-02-03T00:39:00.000+01:00

NIKE AIR JORDAN MELO 1.5

NIKE AIR JORDAN MELO 5.5

Carmelo Anthony pictures, photos and wallpapers

2007-02-03T00:26:00.000+01:00

Here are the best links to his galleries...

Pictures & photos:

http://www.starpulse.com/Athletes/Anthony,_Carmelo/Pictures/
http://www.bballone.com/carmeloa/carmeloanthonypg.html
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3706/photos
http://www.absolutenow.com/new/carmelo_anthony.html

Wallpapers:

http://www.bballone.com/wallpaper/carmeloanthony/wallpaperspg.html
http://www.hoopsvibe.com/nba/nba-players/carmelo-anthony-ar20846/wallpapers.html

Carmelo Anthony fight/brawl

2007-01-29T23:30:00.000+01:00

I'm an agressive player myself and I even got into a game-fight few times :) Nobody was killed, luckily. Anyway, I wanted to say that I completely understand Melo's reaction. Although he is a professional. Everybody say: "He shouldn't have done it!", but they probably haven't been in a situation like that.

Here is the recap of the game:

Denver's Carmelo Anthony and the other nine players on the court at the time were ejected for fighting during a wild brawl between the Nuggets and Knicks, triggered in part by a New York team that felt it was being shown up on its home floor.
Fight Clubs
Here are the players ejected from Saturday's Nuggets-Knicks brawl, which will likely lead to suspensions and big fines for their actions:

Mardy Collins
Carmelo Anthony
Channing Frye
Andre Miller
Jared Jeffries
Eduardo Najera
David Lee
J.R. Smith
Nate Robinson
Marcus Camby

Multiple players, including Anthony, threw punches, and New York's Nate Robinson and Denver's J.R. Smith - fouled hard by Mardy Collins on the play that started the brawl -- flew into the first row of the crowd while fighting during the NBA's scariest scene since Indiana players fought with Detroit fans in 2004.
According to the Knicks, the whole thing happened because the Nuggets still had their starters on the floor with 1:15 left and a 19-point lead. Denver won 123-100.
"They just wanted to embarrass us," Robinson said. "It was a slap in the face to us. As a team, as a franchise, we weren't going to let that happen. A clean, hard foul happened and after that it went down from there."
Sheridan's take
As it tries to stay in the race in the Western Conference, Denver now has a huge question to ponder, Chris Sheridan writes: How long will Carmelo Anthony be suspended?
The foul wasn't clean at all. Collins grabbed Smith around the neck as he was going in for a breakaway layup. Anthony and Robinson quickly jumped in, and the melee went from one end of the court all the way to the other.
Anthony threw a punch at Collins, and now awaits what will surely be strong punishment from a league still trying to repair its image after the melee in Auburn Hills, Mich.
"Something's going to happen, but we shall see and wait," Anthony said. "I don't really want to comment on that right now."
The NBA didn't, either. Spokesman Tim Frank said the league would "review the incident in its entirety. Until then, it would not be appropriate to comment."
But the players can expect a harsh penalty with the brawl happening at Madison Square Garden, right in the hometown of NBA headquarters.
"I feel bad for the league, I feel bad for the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "Very poor display of respecting basketball and respecting the game in the best place in the world to play basketball."
There had previously been some bad blood between Karl and Knicks coach Isiah Thomas over the handling of the Larry Brown firing. Karl and Brown are close friends.
But Karl wouldn't talk about why he had his starters on the floor late in a blowout, in the closing minutes of a back-to-back that closed a five-game road trip.
Thomas said he even told Anthony that he never should have been in the game at the time.
"I just said to him, 'You know, you're up 20, you're up 19 with a minute and half to go, you and (Marcus) Camby really shouldn't be in the game right now," Thomas said. "We had surrendered, those guys shouldn't even be in the game at that point in time."
After the hard foul by Collins, Smith got up and jawed with Collins and Robinson jumped in to yell at Smith -- who had thrown down a reverse dunk on a fast break minutes earlier.
"They were having their way with us," Thomas said. "I think J.R. Smith had just made one dunk when he reversed and spun in the air. And I think Mardy didn't want our home crowd to see that again. So he fouled him."
Anthony rushed in and pushed Robinson in the neck, triggering the roughest moment, when Robinson and Smith went flying into the stands while fighting with each other. Anthony then threw his punch at Collins, then backed away toward the center of the court.
New York's Jared Jeffries ran from the baseline toward Anthony, but was tackled by a Denver player. The brawl stretched to the other end of the court toward the Nuggets' bench before coaches and security finally pulled Smith away and restored order.
Spike Lee and his young daughter hurried away from their courtside seats, which were near where the brawl occurred, and briefly stopped in the hallway to watch a replay on the monitor. "They show it? Whoa," he said before leaving the arena.
The Nuggets' players were the first ones removed from the court after a fight that began with Denver leading 119-100 when Collins grabbed Smith around the neck with both hands as Smith was going in for a breakaway layup. Smith got up and jawed with Collins, and New York's Nate Robinson jumped in to yell at Smith.
Smith appeared to have a red mark along the left side of his cheek and was yelling as he was escorted back to the locker room, unsure why Collins fouled him as hard as he did.
"I don't even know," Smith said. "That's the first time I ever seen the dude."
Camby, Andre Miller, Eduardo Najera, Smith and Anthony were the Nuggets who were ejected; Channing Frye, David Lee, Collins, Robinson and Jeffries were the Knicks who were kicked out.
"Clearly this isn't how we or the NBA wants to be perceived," Thomas said. "It should have been a foul and the guy takes two free throws and maybe some words, but it shouldn't have escalated. This isn't even a rivalry."
Highlights of the fight were on in NBA locker rooms around the league, and players stopped buttoning their shirts or paused mid-sentence during interviews to see what happened.
"Obviously, it's unfortunate. You never want to see that. It just doesn't belong in the NBA," said Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki, who saw clips of the brawl shortly after the Mavericks had won in New Orleans. "Hopefully we can all forget about it as soon as we can."
With each team forced to put five new players on the floor, Denver finished up the win and ended a two-game losing streak. Camby had 24 points and nine rebounds, and Miller added 12 points and 10 assists.
Anthony was in the midst of a superb second half, having scored 23 points in 23 minutes after halftime. He finished with 34.
Camby, a former Knicks center, added seven blocked shots, and the Nuggets shot a season-best 57 percent from the field.
Stephon Marbury had his best game of the season for the Knicks, scoring a season-high 31 points and adding eight assists. Eddy Curry had 19 points, Robinson scored 17, and Lee finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds.

Carmelo got a 15-game suspension, which lasted until the middle of january, and he is back now playing with Allen Iverson... Time will show everything...

Knicks and Nuggets brawl video

2007-01-29T23:12:00.000+01:00

Carmelo Anthony complete biography

2007-01-28T23:13:00.000+01:00

They don’t come much cooler than Carmelo Anthony. Less than a year after leading Syracuse to the national championship at the tender age of 18, he is taking the NBA by storm. Carmelo possesses a point guard's vision and a scorer's touch, regularly yanks down double-digit rebounds from the small forward position, and knocks down big shots like a veteran. Off the court, the spotlight never seems to catch him sweating. Ask the experts. Carmelo defies all comparisons and definitions. This is his story…

GROWING UP

Carmelo Iriarte Anthony was born on May 29, 1984, in Brooklyn, New York. He was named after his father, who died of liver failure before the boy’s third birthday. That left Carmelo’s mother, Mary, on her own to raise her infant son and his three older siblings.
Mary worked long hours as a housekeeper to support her family. Carmelo’s brothers and sisters were all much older than him, so they helped out looking after their younger brother. He absolutely loved basketball—both the college game and the pros. At the time, the Big East Conference was one of the nation’s best, with big-time players like Eric Murdock, Malik Sealy, Alonzo Mourning,Terry Dehere and Donyell Marshall.The Knicks, meanwhile, were developing into a championship contender behind Georgetown grad Patrick Ewing. For Carmelo, there was nothing better than when spring rolled around each year. First he would gorge himself on March Madness, then he would turn his attention to the NBA playoffs.

When Carmelo was eight, with his siblings ready to move out, Mary headed to Baltimore with her youngest son. They settled in a neighborhood on the city’s west side known as “The Pharmacy”—which years later was made famous as the setting for HBO’s “The Wire.” It was no safer when Carmelo and his mom lived there. Crime and drugs could be found on every corner.Mary possessed a powerful tool in her attempts to keep Carmelo out of trouble. If he stepped out of line even slightly, he wasn’t allowed anywhere near a basketball court.
Early in his hoops career, Carmelo was not a standout player. Though he was crazy about basketball and worked hard on his game, he was of average height and build. A point guard, Carmelo entered Towson Catholic High School in the fall of 1998, and was promptly cut from the varsity hoops team. The 45-minute commute he had to make each day hardly seemed worth it anymore.
Everything changed during the summer of 1999. Carmelo shot up five inches, and suddenly became one of the area’s top players. The ballhandling skills and jumpshot he had honed as a guard were much more dangerous packed into the frame of a 6-5 swingman. Carmelo wasn’t afraid to mix it up in the paint, either. Against tough competition in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association and the Catholic League, the sophomore more than held his own. For the season, he averaged 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Towson Catholic surged to a record of 26-3, and finished third in the state tournament.
Carmelo continued to grow, and so did his game. He patterned himself after Tracy McGrady, the Florida prep star who jumped straight to the NBA from North Carolina's Mount Zion High School. Carmelo enjoyed a huge year as a junior, almost doubling his scoring and rebounding numbers. Though Towson Catholic fell short of the state title, he was named the Baltimore City and County Player of the Year, All-Metropolitan Player of the Year and Baltimore Catholic League Player of the Year.
The attention focused on Carmelo began to go to his head. He was all too eager to listen to friends who guaranteed him he was destined for NBA stardom. Ignoring his schoolwork, the junior started missing classes, and was suspended on several occasions. Mary worried that her son was walking on mighty thin ice.
She was right. Though Carmelo was a prep star of considerable renown, he was barely registered a blip on the radar screen of pro scouts. Skinny and lacking strength, he was in no way ready for the physical demands on the NBA. It appeared that four years of college basketball were imperative for his maturation.
Naturally, Division I-A coaches were lining up to recruit Carmelo, particularly those from schools on the East Coast. He decided to declare early, announcing that he would attend Syracuse before his senior year. A fan of the Orangemen since his days in New York City, Carmelo liked coach Jim Boeheim’s style of play, and figured he would get plenty of exposure in the Big East.
But Carmelo’s ticket wasn’t punched yet. With his grades dropping under a C average and his scores on the ACT below acceptable standards, he needed to improve in the classroom to qualify academically for Syracuse. Carmelo and his mother agreed that he would benefit from a change of scenery. First he looked at Virginia's Hargrave Military Academy. Then he talked to Steve Smith, the head coach at basketball powerhouse Oak Hill Academy, also in the Old Dominion State. The Baptist boarding school in rural Mouth of Wilson seemed like a perfect fit.

Oak Hill—winner of the USA Today 2000-01 high school championship—had a sterling reputation. Fourteen former Warriors had graduated to the NBA , including Rod Strickland, Jerry Stackhouse and Ron Mercer.
That summer, Carmelo led an AAU Baltimore Select team to the Final Four of the Adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas. Against the country’s top prep talent, he dazzled to the tune of 25.2 points a game. His performance opened eyes around the NBA. Along with Amare “Baby Shaq” Stoudemire, he was being touted as a future NBA lottery pick.
Also of note was Carmelo’s play at the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival in Colorado. Helping the East Team to the silver medal, he tied for the tournament scoring lead at 24 ppg and shot 66 percent from the field. The only other player who approached Carmelo’s production was LeBron James. The two struck up a friendship, certain their paths would cross again in the pros.
First, however, Carmelo would have to make the Oak Hill Warriors.

ON THE RISE

To meet the school’s academic standards, he spent five weeks on campus in summer school. From Monday through Saturday, he rose every morning for English and Geometry classes starting at 7:00, then hit the gym for several hours in the afternoon. More than once Carmelo thought about quitting. His mother would have none of it.
By the fall, Carmelo looked and felt like a different person. Confident in the classroom, he raised his GPA to 2.5, which qualified him to suit up for coach Smith. On the basketball court, the senior was discovering new phases of his game. His summer of weightlifting and sweaty workouts shed his remaining baby fat and gave him a more chiseled physique. Now standing 6-7, Carmelo had a body that enabled him to dominate anywhere on the floor.Carmelo also embraced the structure and discipline at Oak Hill. Church was mandatory on Sundays and a 10 pm curfew was strictly observed. No matter how big a player he became, Carmelo knew he had to toe the line.
The Warriors entered the 2001-02 campaign boasting a 42-game winning streak. Including Carmelo, there were seven players who were clearly major college prospects. Carmelo was already acknowledged as the team’s go-to guy, while Justin Gray—ticketed for Wake Forest the following fall—offered plenty of experience at point guard. Sani Ibrahim, a 6-10 native of Nigeria, started at center. Coach Smith’s roster also included major college recruits such as Eric Wilkins, Chadd Moore and Antywayne Robinson.
One of the country’s biggest draws, Oak Hill was scheduled to play just nine games on its homecourt. The squad’s first test came in the Les Schwab Invitational in Portland, Oregon. Among the competition in the 10-team field was Mater Dei High School from California, which featured Mike and D.J. Strawberry, the cousin and son of former big-league slugger, Darryl. The Warriors, however, proved the cream of the crop, and Carmelo walked away with tourney MVP honors.

It was more of the same as the season progressed. Oak Hill won two more big-time tournaments, including the inaugural Nike Academy National Invitational in Texas. No contest was more anticipated than a February faceoff with Ohio’s St.Vincent-St. Mary. The game was billed as a showdown between Carmelo and James. Neither star disappointed. James went for 36 points, but Carmelo, who led the Warriors with 34, got the last laugh with a two-point victory.
The Warriors wound up the campaign ranked third in the country at 32-1, their only loss coming in a rematch with Mater Dei (which ended their unbeaten streak at 67). Carmelo’s numbers (22 ppg, 7.1 rpg and 3.0 apg) only hinted at his greatness. He shot 58 percent from the floor, and converted almost half of his three-point attempts. One of five finalists for the Naismith Player of the Year award, he was named to USA Today’s All-USA first team, Parade Magazine’s All-American first team and Basketball America’s All-American first team.
Next up for Carmelo was the parade of high school All-Star games. In Michael Jordan’s Brand Capitol Classic, he scored a game-high 27 points, and got to meet the contest’s host. He pumped in 19 points in the McDonald's All-America tilt. Those performances helped lift Carmelo’s reputation even higher. Hoop Scoop had him as the No. 1 player among the 2002 senior class, while College Basketball News and All-Star Sports both ranked him in the top three.
Everyone wondered whether Carmelo would forget about college and move on to the NBA. Those questions were due partly to his struggles with the ACT. He had yet to produce the minimum score of 18, and didn’t want to rule out the pros until he was a surefire academic qualifier at Syracuse. When Carmelo got a 19 in late April, however, he decided to stick with Plan A and prepared for his freshman year at college.
Before Carmelo made the trek to upstate New York, he traveled south with Team USA to the Junior World Championship Qualifying tournament in Venezuela. In his first taste of international competition, the teenager flourished. Though coach Ernie Kent used Carmelo out of position at power forward—which forced him to play with his back to the basket—he topped the team in scoring and finished third in rebounding. His finest game came against Argentina, as he pumped in 23 points in a 75-73 victory. Unfortunately, an upset at the hands of the Argentines ruined the trip for the Americans, who returned home with the bronze medal.

For Carmelo, there was one more stop before Syracuse. In August, he flew to California for Michael Jordan’s exclusive, invitation-only camp at the University of California-Santa Barbara. Among the others in attendance was Carmelo’s good buddy James.
Carmelo’s arrival in Syracuse was the most anticipated event on campus in years. Along with guard Gerry McNamara and forward Matt Gorman, he was the heart of Boeheim’s most impressive freshman class in over a decade. Not since the days of Billy Owens did the Orangemen boast such a versatile big man.
The Syracuse basketball team had a lot to prove to its fans. During the 2001-02 season, the squad had gone 23-13 and missed the NCAA tournament for just the fifth time in Boeheim’s 26 years at the helm. Making matters worse, the Orangemen were without Preston Shumpert, a sharpshooter who graduated after finishing his career ranked in the Top 10 on the school’s all-time scoring list. Syracuse faced a tough schedule, too. Their foes in the Big East’s West Division included Pittsburgh, Georgetown and Notre Dame. In addition, Georgia Tech and Missouri were slated to visit the Carrier Dome, while a trip to Michigan State also loomed.
When the pre-season rankings were released, Syracuse was nowhere to be found.
Working to Boeheim’s advantage was a roster full of young players who had picked up important experience the year before. Guard Kueth Duany was a natural leader who could be an explosive scorer. Hakim Warrick was a lanky forward with world-class leaping ability. Craig Forth and Jerry McNeil provided plenty of muscle up front, while Josh Pace offered a spark off the bench. The wild card was Billy Edelin, a point guard who had starred at Oak Hill the season before Carmelo joined the Warriors. After being suspended by Syracuse in the fall of 2001, he returned to the squad in Boeheim’s good graces.
Initially, Carmelo had trouble adjusting to life on campus. Syracuse was cold, finding his classrooms was often a challenge, and his role on the team had yet to be defined. Duany took him under his wing, showing the freshman the ropes and helping him relax. Before long, Carmelo was one of the team’s most popular players. He also sported one of the club’s most fashionable ‘do’s, opting to go with corn rows.
Carmelo soon grew accustomed to his surroundings, and his play reflected his comfort level. In Syracuse’s season opener, against Memphis at Madison Square Garden in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, he poured in 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the first half. Though the Orangemen fell 70-63, the college basketball world quickly discovered that Carmelo was a rare talent.
Syracuse rebounded from that defeat to win its next 10. In a blowout of Binghamton, Carmelo flashed his diverse skills, starting the game with a dunk, then dishing out assists on the Orangemen’s next three possessions. He ended the night with 24 points, 15 boards and five helpers. As the team prepared to host #11 Missouri in January, Carmelo already had eight double-doubles to his credit. Against the Tigers, he posted another, as Syracuse pulled off the upset, 79-69.
Though the team’s winning streak was snapped by Pittsburgh five days later, the Orangemen were becoming one of the best stories of the season. Carmelo and McNamara had already established themselves as the Big East’s top two newcomers, Warrick was developing into a star, and Boeheim was again being heralded as a genius.
Heading into the teeth of their Big East schedule, the Orangemen were about to learn whether they were for real. In mid-February, they faced off against Notre Dame in a battle for first in the West Division. With Syracuse trailing in the second half, Carmelo exploded for 18 of his game-high 26 points, sparking his club to an 82-80 victory. A week later, the Orangemen impressed with a 76-75 shocker over the Spartans at Michigan State. Carmelo was dazzling again, knocking down all five of his 3-point tries in a 25-point performance.

The victory propelled Syracuse down the stretch, as the team won its last four to take the Big East's West division title and moved within striking distance of a Top 10 national ranking. In the regular season finale—an 83-74 victory at home over Rutgers—Carmelo entered his name in the record books, breaking Moten’s school scoring record for freshman with 607 points.
His 30 points also pushed his season average to 22.5 ppg, which topped the Big East rookie mark set by Troy Bell of Boston College. Late in the contest, the more than 30,000 in attendance began chanting, “One more year!" Indeed, by now Carmelo’s pro prospects were crystal clear to everyone. Speculation increased after he swept all the significant freshman honors, including the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s Freshman of the Year, Big East Rookie of the Year and All-Big East First Team.
The streaking Orangemen were temporarily derailed in the Big East Tournament with a loss in the semifinals against UConn, despite 29 from Carmelo. Still, the Orange secured the #3 seed in the East bracket of the NCAA Tournament. Though their road to the Final Four promised to be treacherous, they had two advantages. First, their loyal fans didn’t have far to travel to support the team in Boston in the opening rounds. Second, with Carmelo at the top of his game, they had a player who could carry them a long way.

MAKING HIS MARK

Syracuse’s first game was against mighty mite Manhattan, an opponent that many believed would give the team fits. But a balanced scoring attack led by the Orangemen’s impressive freshman trio—Carmelo, McNamara and Edelin—keyed a 76-65 victory.
Up next was Oklahoma State, another squad that matched up well against Syracuse. Equally imposing was coach Eddie Sutton, who rarely entered a game anything less than fully prepared. With the Cowboys playing swarming defense, the Orangemen found themselves down 17 points in the first half. Carmelo was non-existent, hitting on just one field goal attempt. Syracuse, however, managed to cut the score to 31-25 at intermission. In the second half, Carmelo and McNamara heated up and, with Edelin also feeling it from the floor, Syracuse turned the tables. The Orangemen’s 68-56 win provided a major emotional boost. Syracuse got another when Carmelo was named Freshman of the Year by Basketball Times.
Heading into their Sweet 16 tilt with Auburn, the Orangemen were riding high. They jumped out to a big lead versus the Tigers, moving in front by 17 points. Auburn, however, pulled within a bucket with eight minutes to go on the lights-out shooting of Marquis Daniels and Nathan Watson. That’s when Carmelo took over. He scored Syracuse’s next seven points to put the game on ice. Boeheim, who marveled afterwards at his freshman’s sense of timing, earned the 650th victory of his career.
Carmelo and Boeheim also made headlines in Syracuse’s Elite Eight victory over Oklahoma. The 18-year-old went for 20 points and 10 rebounds, while the coach’s signature 2-3 zone completely handcuffed the Sooners. On the strength of a 63-47 laugher, the Orangemen advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 1996.
Facing the University of Texas—the team many experts predicted would capture the title—Syracuse had its hands full. Point guard T.J. Ford was a lethal penetrator and the Naismith winner as national player of the year. In Brandon Mouton and Royal Ivey, the Longhorns had two athletic swingmen, and forward James Thomas was a rebounding machine. The squad was the deepest team Rick Barnes had ever coached.
What Barnes and the experts didn’t count on was Carmelo’s ability to dominate a game—an almost unheard of quality in a player his age. From the opening tip, the game belonged to the fabulous freshman. He poured in a career-high 33 points on 12-of-19 shooting, and pulled down 14 rebounds. At one point, Carmelo joked with Barnes about the Texas defense. Both knew that no one was stopping Carmelo this night, and the Texas coach couldn’t help but smile. Though the Longhorns battled hard, Syracuse ran away late in the contest, cruising to a 95-84 victory.

The Championship Game was a television executive’s dream. The storylines were thick with drama. Kansas coach Roy Williams was agonizingly close to his first title. So was Boeheim. Rumors also swirled that Williams would bolt the Jayhawks to take the North Carolina job. His two best players, Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison, were suiting up for the their final college contest. And, of course, there was Carmelo.
Syracuse charged from the gate to seize an 18-point lead in the first half. McNamara couldn’t miss from the outside, and Carmelo was putting together another masterpiece. But Kansas refused to go quietly. The Jayhawks sliced the lead to 80-78 with under a minute remaining, then had a chance to tie the contest on their last possession. Warrick, however, blocked a 3-pointer by Hinrich to seal the deal. Carmelo (20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists) finished just shy of a triple-double. He was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, making him the third freshman ever to claim the award. The others were Louisville's Pervis Ellison in 1986 and Utah’s Arnie Ferrin in 1944.
Less than three weeks later, Carmelo announced his intentions to leave college for the NBA draft. He cried several times during the press conference at Syracuse’s Manley Field House. Boeheim didn’t fight his star’s decision. Carmelo was certain to earn millions as one of the top three picks.
With the Cleveland Cavaliers the odds-on favorite to win the draft lottery, LeBron James—an Ohio boy—was the popular choice as the #1 selection. Then it was a toss-up between Carmelo and Darko Milicic, a 7-0 forward from Montenegro. When the Detroit Pistons secured the second spot in the draft, they opted for the big man, partly because they wanted more size in the paint and also because they liked the future of Tayshaun Prince, who already played Carmelo’s position.
Fortunately for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit’s decision allowed Carmelo to fall into their laps. Coming off another miserable year—the team went 17-65—the 6-8 forward was exactly what the franchise needed to re-energize its fans, not to mention its offense. The Nuggets averaged a paltry 84.2 points per game in 2002-03, the second lowest mark in the league. Carmelo slotted easily into a starting lineup that included Andre Miller at the point and Marcus Camby and Nene Hilario in the front court. Coach Jeff Bzdelik also figured to get contributions from Earl Boykins, Voshon Lenard and Jon Barry.
Denver’s most highly touted rookie since David Thompson in 1975, Carmelo was sure to benefit from the teachings of Kiki Vandeweghe, the team’s GM and a former All-Star. The rookie showed up for camp about 10 pounds overweight, but was in shape by Denver’s pre-season game against the Pistons at Syracuse’s Carrier Dome. Carmelo pumped in 19 in the first half, then returned to the floor briefly in the fourth quarter with fans screaming his name.

Tens days later Carmelo made his regular-season debut. In a rousing 80-72 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, he scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
As the season progressed, Carmelo experienced most of the normal ups and downs of an NBA rookie—though there were considerably more ups. Two of those came in wins over the Cavs and James. Both contests attracted national media attention, and Carmelo displayed his amazing sense of cool, letting the game come to him instead of forcing the action.
By season's end, Carmelo proved he was worthy of the #3 pick. In fact, he was the main reason why the Nuggets rose to a record of 43-39, a surprising turnaround from last year's 17-win year. Carmelo averaged 21 a game, including a 41-point outburst in March against Seattle. He shot almost 43% from the field and 78% at the free throw line. Named to the NBA All-Rookie Team, he garnered tremendous support as Rookie of the Year. But James had the inside track on the hardware. Carmelo wound up the runner-up in the voting to his buddy.
But Carmelo had more success where it counted: in the standings. Denver returned to playoffs against the top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. Though the Nuggets were eliminated in five games, they gave their fans a treat with a win at home. Carmelo was fantastic in the victory, scoring 20 points with 10 rebounds and four assists. But he showed his inexperience three night later with a dreadful 1-for-16 shooting performance. He sat out the last contest of the series with a mild knee sprain.
Carmelo assumed he would get more rest over the summer—he wasn't invited to play for the U.S. hoops team going to the Olympic Games in Greece. But in July he was a late addition when several NBA stars bowed out. Carmelo joined fellow rookie standouts James and Dwayne Wade, as well as perennial All-Stars Allen Iverson and Tim Duncan.
As had been the case since the original Dream Team dominated the Olympics in 1992, there were golden expectations for the Americans, particularly with Larry Brown in charge. But a rout at the hands of Puerto Rico shook the confidence of the U.S. squad. Though they fought back to win their next two games, the best they earned was a shot at the bronze medal, which they won after a victory over Lithuania.
For Carmelo, the Olympics proved another valuable experience. He saw little playing time, just 47 minutes in the entire tournament. Unaccustomeed to being a bit player, he complained about his role, which drew the ire of Brown and made headlines back home. Apparently, however, Carmelo learned from his missteps. When asked if he wanted to represent the U.S. in Bejing in 2008, he said he was already on board.
Back in the States, Carmelo refocused on his health and his relationship with Bzdelik. The two had their differences at times during the '03-04 season, mostly in how to execute the offense. But they shared an important quality—both hate losing.
Off the court, Carmelo remained very busy. He was hired to co-host the three-part cable TV series, "Spike 52's Greatest Moments in NBA History," with Bill Walton. He was also involved with a wheelchair-bound friend named Nicholas Owens, and he hosted a charity basketball exhibition in Denver.
With many of the experts predicting the Nuggets to join the Western Conference’s top echelon, they got off to an awful start in 2004-05, stumbling to a mark of 13-15. The team’s play was puzzling. Denver had made a big splash in the off-season by signing Nets star Kenyon Martin, who gave them an excellent starting five, with plenty of depth on the bench.
With the club bumbling along under .500, management fired Bzdelik and replaced him with former Lakers star Michael Cooper. He did even less with Denver’s talented roster. Carmelo was as much to blame as anyone, shooting poorly from the field and often sleepwalking through practice.
Denver’s season turned in late January with the hiring of George Karl. The veteran coach introduced a new sense of discipline to the club, and allowed the Nugs to run, provided they took care of business on the defensive end.
Karl was particularly tough on Carmelo. He pushed him every day in practice, challenging him to work hard on every facet of his game and fully accept his role as a team leader. Carmelo responded amazingly well to his coach’s proddings. So did Miller and Camby. Carmelo pushed his scoring average to more than 20 points a game, while Miller looked rejuvenated at the point and Camby became a terror in the paint on defense. Carmelo also credited Vandeweghe and Martin for helping him regain confidence in himself.
The Nuggets finished the year at 49-33, good for second place in the Northwest Division and the seventh seed in the conference playoffs. Carmelo just about matched his numbers from his rookie campaign, but it was his willingness to take control when his team needed him that showed his growth as a player.
The bad news in Denver was the team’s opening-round matchup, San Antonio. Though the Nuggets suprised the Spurs with a Game 1 victory on the road, they couldn’t muster any more magic. Denver dropped the next four games and lost the series in five. Carmelo’s frustration was evident in Game 3, when he earned a $7,500 fine for shoving Manu Ginobili.
Carmelo’s transition to life as a pro has been smooth—for the most part. Aside from an arrest for marijuana possession, he has been a good citizen. Some have criticized him for acting immature at times, but for a kid who should still be in college, he has demonstrated amazing composure. Carmelo signed for $18 million over six years, and seems to be managing his money responsibly. He lives in a high-rise condo in downtown Denver, and keeps in close contact with his mom (who resides in a house he bought for her).
On the court, shooting has been the most inconsistent part of Carmelo's game. But his work with former Duke three-point specialist Chip Engelland, who helped Grant Hill and Steve Kerr develop into dangerous outside threats, has been a big help. Carmelo already knows about the work ethic he will have to embrace to stay ahead of the curve.
With some in the Denver media proclaiming him the Nuggets' savior, hehas said publicly that he wants to be bigger than John Elway. For a guy ascomposed as he is, that's quite a boast. Then again, the soft-spoken Carmelo never minces his words.

CARMELO THE PLAYER

Carmelo’s basketball instincts are impeccable. He understands how to use his size and strength to back players into the paint, then has a variety of moves to convert baskets or draw fouls. His court vision is excellent, and he enjoys giving up the ball to an open teammate. While he’s not a tremendously gifted leaper, his body control and athleticism are well above average.
Carmelo can score from anywhere on the floor. Going to the basket, he’s a slasher who finds room where none appears to be. His jumpshot is still developing, but his form is solid, and his range is deep. As he gains consistency, he will become even more dangerous.
Carmelo showed at Syracuse that he’s a natural leader, though he’s not necessarily a rah-rah guy. Teammates respond to his cool confidence. He was accepted immediately by veterans on the Nuggets. He’s funny off the court and intense on it.
Carmelo possesses the intangible qualities of a winner. If he's paired withthe right star veteran star and the Nuggets can surround them with quality role players, don't be surprised to see him wearing more than one championship ring.