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When the Denver Nugget's drafted Carmelo Anthony third in the 2003 Draft, many thought he would be the answer to the franchises woe's. Four years later, those who thought he was the answer are now more confused than ever...

Can Carmelo Anthony Mature Into a Leader?

by Alex Goble (Contributor)

20

1,316 reads

Sports

March 09, 2008


When the Denver Nugget's drafted Carmelo Anthony third in the 2003 Draft, many thought he would be the answer to the franchises woe's. 

Four years later, those who thought he was the answer are now more confused than ever.

There is no question that Melo put the Nuggets on the map when he first put on the powder-blue uniform, but he has yet to take control of the team. There have been moments when he has shown that he is ready to take this team to the next level, but they come too little and far between.

Players will always be compared to those drafted or brought into the league with them—Carmelo is no exception. The leadership and game management shown by fellow draft classmates Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are far superior to the leadership skills of Melo.

Many compare Melo to LeBron James. They are very close friends and have the similar ability to take over a game or team as they wish. LeBron has chosen to do so, while Melo is still deciding.

Last year, Melo got the chance to play with one of the best players in the NBA when All-Pro guard Allen Iverson was traded to the Denver Nuggets. He was supposed to be the veteran leader that would take Melo under his wing and make Melo the true leader of the team.

The duo got a late start since Iverson had to play alone for fifteen games, while Melo served his suspension for sucker-punching another player. It is now a year later and nothing has changed. Melo still is amazing on offense and struggles on defense.

The close friendship between Iverson and Melo has made it difficult for Melo to take Iverson as a mentor and not just another teammate.

A true leader is never questioned on his desire to win. When Allen Iverson takes the floor each night, he plays like there is no tomorrow. The same can be said for LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and younger players Brandon Roy and Chris Paul.

When Carmelo takes the floor, some are left to wonder if his heart is really into that particular game. When the game gets away from Melo, he tends to lose control of his desire and rather than play his heart out; he sulks up and down the court for the rest of the game.

Will Melo ever be the leader of this team? The answer is one that has baffled the front office of the Denver Nuggets and sports reporters across the nation.

Denver may have to do what the Boston Celtics did with Paul Pierce. They may have to introduce a proven leader and veteran to the team and let Carmelo play without the responsibility of being the face of a franchise.

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20 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Nick Ruland about 1 year ago

    Pretty sure you can't make the argument that Chris Bosh is any more of a leader than Carmelo Anthony.

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    • Alex Goble about 1 year ago

      Chris Bosh is the face of that franchise and the one of the most respected players in the league. Don't let their record fool you. All great coaches have a lead player to coach through. Chris Bosh is the lead player on the Raptors.

      Can you say the same about Melo?

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  2. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Everybody who is a fan of nba basketball sees Carmelo Anthony play...true he is an great basketball player but I don't believe he's ready to ba a leader. He's still young butlocation

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  3. Steve Yodz about 1 year ago

    Butlocation? Is that a word?

    I don't think Melo seems nearly as motivated as LeBron is for team success. I think he'll go down as a very talented, very good player, but I don't see him achieving greatness.

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  4. Lisa Jackson about 1 year ago

    My school of thought is you're either born a leader or not. It's unusual that someone grows into one. If he's not leading by now, he wasn't meant to and not likely that will change. Melo might not have had the right or any mentors along the way (lost his dad while he was a baby) which is unfortunate. I enjoy watching him, but as a player, and not wishing and wondering if he'll ever develop into the leader I'd hope for.

    On another note, what's the deal with Denver having 3 captains? He doesn't lead because he doesn't have to. The Suns tried that with Steve and Shawn and you see how well that worked out. But three? That's just crazy.

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  5. Sean Stancill about 1 year ago

    Good information, except you forgot to mention that both Bosh, Wade, and James are all in the Eastern Conference. A place where under some of the worst teams live and roam the streets

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    • Alex Goble about 1 year ago

      What does conference have to do with leadership? Wade would be just as much of a leader in the West as he is in the East.

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  6. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Kobe fears LeBron.

    LeBron owns Kobe.

    Kobe won't surpass MJ but LeBron has now surpassed Kobe.

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    • Alex Goble about 1 year ago

      You are just making yourself sound ignorant. There is no one in their right mind that truly thinks LeBron James is a better player than Kobe Bryant.

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  7. Jordan Alexander about 1 year ago

    Then can we say that Melo owns LeBron since the Nuggets win almost every head-to-head matchup with Cleveland? I think it's safe to say that everyone on here is tired of this garbage post that you put on every NBA article.

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  8. Patrick Gallen about 1 year ago

    Carmelo was a leader at 'Cuse, was he not? So what happened.? Oh, fame and fortune I guess. Fat contracts and the like take a player from focusing on winning, because its now a business. Maybe Melo will snap out of it, but probably not in Denver.

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  9. Tim Pollock about 1 year ago

    Melo is the new Dominique Wilkins, without the dunk contests.

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  10. Akoma Rodriguez about 1 year ago

    Melo has so much potential and the ability to take over a game, but thus far has not exhibited the true desire and passion for winning as some of his other peers like Lebron, Kobe, or AI. Some nights he displays the defensive proficiency of a veteran, while other nights he barely makes a dent. He has proven that he can be a truly dominant player when he wants to be, but still has a lot of room to grow. I think Carmelo will eventually step up as a leader, but he needs to develop his ambition to win first. We have yet to se the best of him.

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  11. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    I'm sorry but this article seems dead on. I said Carmelo wasn't a leader way befor Iverson even went to Denver. I knew exactly what was going to happen. Iverson being the alpha dog he is was going to take complete control of that team wether he wanted to or not. Iverson is not the type of player to sit back and wait for someone to become a leader, they should be leading that team together. I agree with Lisa, leaders seem to be born and not made, players like Iverson, Kobe or Lebron are natural leaders, they don't know anything else and have figured out other ways to get involved with their teams when their shot isn't falling. You can see it in those guys style of play that all they want to do is win, some may mistake that as being selfish and early on in Kobe and AI's career I may say yes, but at this point I think they just want to win so bad that if things aren't going right they will take control because they would rather things be in their hands and will just live and die with the consequinces, the passion has and will always be there. Thats what real leaders do.

    If Carmelo doesn't have it now in his fifth year in the league he more then likely never will. And thats fine, but that is what is going to seperate him in the end from those players mentioned. Thats the differense between being an All-Star and being great. He strikes me more as a player that you can build with and not around. There's a difference. This article was right on the money comparing him to players like Paul Pierce. Melo is what he is, he'll be a good and talented b-ball player, but just not a leader, I think at this point the pressure is starting to get to him and it shows. Set him loose from all the responsibility and just let him play the game, he and his team will be better for it.

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  12. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    I THINK THAT WASHINGTON WIZARDS SHOULD MAKE A TRADE WITH DENVER LIKE CAMBY FOR JAMISON

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  13. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    I THINK CARMELO AND IVERSON SHOULD SWITCH POSITIONS FOR ONE GAME AND SEE HOW IT GOES

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  14. shra vivian julie lebron about 1 year ago

    i love you carmelo

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  15. Paul Gotham about 1 year ago

    It took MJ more than 5 years before we started to see his true potential. Carmelo is no MJ, but to expect him to make a difference by the age of 25 might be too lofty of expectations.

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  1. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Have you seen the Raptors record without Bosh? You should, you did beat them by around 30 points. with Bosh out of the lineup. They've gotten significantly worse on both ends of the floor, far worse than can be made through the impact of just one player. Without Bosh, there's no communication on the defensive end, there's no one to tell TJ to stop taking so many shots, and there's no one to tell Bargnani to get his head out of his ass.

    Bosh is the leader of that team, pure and simple.

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    • About the Author Alex Goble (contributor)

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