NBA: Mellowing In These Locations

Carmelo Anthony is one of the best scorers in league right now. Melo had a fantastic season (stat wise) for the Denver Nuggets but they fell to an undermanned Utah Jazz team in the first round of the playoffs. 

The blame shouldn't be placed on Melo's shoulder alone, as the rest of the team provided little support to aid the 26 year old superstar. George Karl, the Denver Nuggets current head coach, had been diagnosed with throat cancer. This isn't Karl's first time dealing with cancer, as it has plagued both him and his son thus far in their lives. 

The cancer turned out to be pretty curable but going through the rigors of chemo therapy proved to be too much for Karl. At first, the Nuggets brass understood that Karl would most likely miss the first round of the playoffs. Whether Karl was able to return or not, it ended up not mattering because the Nuggets were defeated by the Utah Jazz in the first round. 

Many say that the Nuggets team broke down because of George Karl's absence on the sideline and that could very well be true but I believe it was more than just a coaching difference. Adrian Dantley was a fine player back in his day and from the rumors, an excellent teacher as well. That doesn't always translate to success but I believe that last year's failures occurred more so because of the team's lack of talent than a coaching change. 

Melo understands that the team is lacking talent at key positions. Their bigs, which I thought was their biggest strength, have all succumbed to ticky tac injuries or in Kenyon Martin's case, a very length one. They have a point guard in Chauncey Billups, who has performed quite well considering his age (33). Billups is getting older and you have to wonder when the drop off is going to come.

Why would Melo want to play for a team that has so many question marks? Loyalty can only take you so far and I already believe that Melo has made up his mind that he is leaving the Nuggets. It's a shame that he's leaving because the Nuggets would have loved to make one more run against the Lakers. Though they aren't as talented as the Lakers, the Nuggets always seem to give them trouble and if they somehow made it to the Western conference finals, I believe Denver could give them a scare. 

That most likely won't happen for several reasons, two major ones to consider including potentially having an unhappy superstar (if Nuggets don't trade him before season starts) and health issues concerning their bigs but let's also not forget the rather average role players that surround Melo. 

Here are a list of teams that Carmelo would fit well with. 

Washington Wizards

The Wizards brass are banking on John Wall becoming an immediate contributer in his rookie season. Though the backcourt has question marks, it at least has talent and you can't say that for the other positions on this Wizards roster (though I like McGee this season). 

The consistently injured Josh Howard, was resigned for a one year deal and will be the starting small forward. If healthy, Howard can be a great wing player for Wall to begin his career with but there's no way this guy can stay away from the doctor's office. They have a nice center in McGee and despite having a great summer league, he is still a little raw to depend on for inside scoring. Blatche was a nice player for the team but this guy looks like he's already going to become a headache (off the court) for a team that doesn't need one right now. 

The infamous Gilbert Arenas shall be returning and if he starts, it won't be as the team's point guard. Arenas will most likely start at the two position and if his head is right, he should flourish at his role. 

Melo can bring stability to this roster if the Wizards decide to trade for him. They have some nice pieces in both McGee and Blatche, and could couple potential deals with some first round picks. With Melo being a Baltimore native, maybe playing closer to home is just what he needs right now. If you pair Wall, Gilbert, and Melo together, that's a dangerous trio and you can win a lot of ball games with that lineup. 

Houston Rockets

A lot of analyst's believe that Houston is the first team on Melo's supposed wish list. Even though Houston has nice pieces in a potential trade, they still are a Western conference team. I can maybe understand the Nuggets entertaining trades from bottom dweller Western conference teams but not a Rocket team that is a good move away from becoming a powerhouse. 

The Nuggets would be desperate to trade Melo to a good Rocket team that happens to play in the same conference as them. It most likely won't happen but this article isn't about which teams are likely going to get Melo. 

If the Rockets want Melo, Aaron Brooks will most likely be heading out. It would most likely have to be a three-way trade because the Nuggets wouldn't really be interested in anyone from the Rockets. Having Melo mann the wing, would be great for Houston.

They'll finally have a player who has the versatility to play both on the perimeter and inside. Melo can play in the low post, especially if Yao Ming is injured, and has a deadly mid range game. Melo's three point shooting has improved enough for him to be a threat out there and though his defense can be lacking at times, it also has improved greatly over the years. 

If Yao Ming is healthy and playing like old, this team will be deadly and will ascend to contending status. If they could also somehow keep Brooks or Scola (one will have to go, probably brooks though), then this team will be right there with the Lakers.  

New York Knicks

The Knicks will be trying to imitate the Miami Heat, in the hopes of creating their own big three (Amare, Paul, Anthony). They already have one of the big three in Amare and are hoping the Nuggets look their way when they inevitably decide to trade Melo. 

Melo would love to play for the Knicks, according to his lovely wife and we all know how much influence your partner can have on decisions like these. If the Knicks somehow get Melo, fans will definitely forget about Lebron James and how he played the city. Melo will be their primary scoring option on the perimeter and he will definitely have a shot at the scoring title in that fast paced run 'n' gun system. Amare will return to his more natural secondary role on a team and that will benefit the Knicks in the Win/loss column. Even without an elite point guard, though Felton will be pretty good in that system, the team should be a top five team in the East. 

The problem is that the Knicks have no enticing options to start up serious trade talk with the Nuggets. Their best asset is Danilo Gallinari and that won't nearly be enough. Their first round picks won't mean as much if they get Melo and it's not like they have too many of them in the next couple of years (traded nearly all of them). 

New Jersey

I believe this is the most likeliest destination for Carmelo Anthony. The New Jersey Nets were horrific last season but that should change this season. Though they overpaid for Travis Outlaw services, he should have a breakout season in the scoring department. You could do a lot worse than Outlaw at the wing position.

Harris should be healthy this season and that should help with consistency, something this team definitely lacked last season. Brook should continue to improve and maybe this year he will get notice for his fantastic performances (All Star?). 

I believe the biggest difference is the coaching change. Instead of having a inexperienced general manger running your team, the Nets will have the very underrated Avery Johnson coaching the team. Avery was a hard nosed player and uses that mentality when coaching. It has worked, as his previous team (Dallas) could attest to though they fired him but yet they still experience disappointing playoff losses. 

The Mavericks made a mistake in letting Avery Johnson go, but thats in the past. The Nets are happy to have Johnson running the team and Melo will love playing for a coach of his caliber. 

The Nets will definitely have to give up Harris and maybe their first round pick, Derrick Favors. Those are some nice pieces that the Nets have at their disposal and that will surly help heat up discussions with the Nuggets on a potential trade for Melo. 

Pairing Melo with Brook Lopez, will definitely kick start the Nets Mikhail Prokhorov's plan of winning a championship within 5 years. Having a duo like Melo and Lopez, will attract free agents like Chris Paul and the Nets know this.

As of right now, I believe the Nets have the best chance in acquiring Melo. It isn't far from his hometown of Baltimore or his wife's (New York) and he'll still be able to play for a large market team unlike his current destination.