Carmelo Anthony to New Jersey: Five Reasons Why He Would Put the Nets on the Map

This Article Courtesy Of Rip City Report

Yeah, I know.

The deal isn't final and we don't even know what the Nets would have to give up to obtain his services.

But if the New Jersey Nets owners promise means anything, Mikhail Prokhorov will make this deal happen.

What promise am I referring to?

"How fast can we build a championship team? If everything goes as planned, I expect us to be in the playoffs next season and [win a] championship in one year minimum, and maximum in five years," Prokhorov said.

That promise.

The promise of a championship for the New Jersey Nets within five years.

Is it plausible? Not right now, but we really don't have an insight into the Nets future plans.

But let me just say that the New Jersey Nets would most certainly be right on schedule if Carmelo Anthony were to sign a long term contract with the New Jersey Nets.

Playoffs next year? Yes, I see them as a perennial playoff team with Anthony.

Championship in five years? Maybe, but they would need to add more talent to their current roster.

So what would Carmelo Anthony add to the Nets? A lot.

In what ways? In every way.

Reason No. 1: Star Power

The NBA is a league of top dogs. Teams that have star power are often better off.

An NBA elite will get more respect from the referees, the fans, the media, and that will show up in the win column.

More respect from the refs means more trips to the line. More trips to the free-throw line means more easy buckets.

More easy buckets means a more efficient offense.

And, well, I think you get the point.

More respect from the fans and the media means more people will be willing to pay for a ticket to see your basketball team.

Leading me into my next point...

Reason No. 2: Increased Revenue and Airtime

The better your team is and the easier you make it for the average sports fan to recognize names on your roster, the more money you will bring in.

Name recognition is key to building a successful team in terms money. Not to mention that the league especially likes to sell better teams with more recognizable names to the fans.

This means that the league will be more willing to schedule you games in which are during prime watching hours or dates.—i.e, the holidays, weekends, nights, etc.

Not only will Carmelo Anthony bring the New Jersey Nets more attention from the media, more airtime on national TV, he would also bring in quite a large number of jersey sales.

Reason No. 3: Future Free Agents Will Be More Willing To Sign on the Dotted Line

If Carmelo Anthony pledges his confidence in the New Jersey Nets franchise, who's to say that won't attract other big names?

Instead of the super-trio being formed in the big apple, what would be deterring anyone from joining a promising young nucleus of players in Newark (eventually to  become Brooklyn)?

Chris Paul anyone?

Breaking the ice is the most important thing to do when you are talking about signing free agents to a smaller market team.

That is one reason why most very small market teams are unable to sign big name free agents (i.e. Portland, Oklahoma City, Minnesota, Utah). Building through the NBA draft is the only option for those kinds of teams.

This "breaking the ice" means that you are taking the first step.

It is almost like a domino effect, you get one player to sign in a place where no one wants to go, and suddenly you could find yourself in a position to make a huge splash.

All I am saying is that I don't find it that unlikely for another big name to follow Carmelo's footsteps into New Jersey.

Reason No. 4: Playoff Experience 

If the Nets are really going to be perennial championship contenders like the new owner says, then they should probably want a guy who has been in the playoffs and knows how to compete at that level.

This is not saying that the Nets will instantly win the East and dethrone the Lakers as champions, but in all reality, this would be the first step they should take.

Whether that is a plausible storyline or not is beyond me, we will have to wait and see if this deal gets completed or not.

Teams just don't win in the playoffs without a big name player and it always helps if that big name player has been in the playoffs before.

Going in cold turkey never helped anyone.

Reason No. 5: A Better Product on the Court

Is there anyone out there who thinks that Carmelo Anthony doesn't make the New Jersey Nets a better team?

Sure, the Nets are going to have to give up a lot.

Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, Quinton Ross, and draft picks, so it's not like the Nets won't be shorthanded during camp.

But when you add someone of that quality to the roster, there is only one way to go.

And that is up.

The projected starting lineup for the New Jersey Nets if this trade ends up being completed would be:

PG DJ Augustine

SG Terrence Williams/Anthony Morrow

SF Carmelo Anthony

PF Troy Murphy

C Brook Lopez 

Again, the Nets would need to add more talent, preferably in the form of Chris Paul, if they would like to compete immediately.

The New Jersey Nets are moving to Brooklyn after this season, and what a better way to break in the stadium than with Carmelo Anthony in your starting lineup (unless Michael Jordan is available). I see this trade happening because the Nuggets get what they want from Carmelo Anthony in return.

Young talent and draft picks.

It really is a win-win scenario.

If the New Jersey Nets want to relevant next season, this is the way to do it.

There is no better way to put your team on the map than winning games, and that is exactly what the Nets would do with Carmelo Anthony on the roster.

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