Carmelo Anthony: Why He's Not the Only Wing Player the Warriors Should Consider
Carmelo Anthony is an All-Star. A superstar perhaps. He's arguably a top-ten player and one of the league's elite on the offensive end of the floor.
Anytime a team is openly willing to discuss trading a player of his caliber, a team's front office owes it to their fan base to explore the possibility. And while 'Melo would certainly help the Warriors, his acquisition might not necessarily be their best option.
One thing to consider in any transaction is whether the gain outweighs the cost and, for the names involved on the Warriors' end of the trade, the cost greatly outweighs the gains. Namely, the Nuggets want Stephen Curry. You know, the face of the franchise? The developing leader with confidence bursting after joining the world's greats in this summer's FIBA World Championships? Yes, that Stephen Curry.
But the Nuggets' brass does not stop there. They also want expiring contracts (possibly Vladimir Radmonivic, $6.88 million, or Dan Gadzuric, $7.24 million) plus draft picks. Trading all these assets for Anthony would certainly make a splash, but would hardly leave the new Warriors' regime any wiggle room to assemble their own dynasty in the making.
The Warriors might be more apt to making a deal if Curry's name was replaced in the deal by Monta Ellis. This is not a knock against Ellis -- a great scorer in his own right -- but rather would give the Warriors a chance to fill a need on their roster. With Ellis and Curry sharing the backcourt -- with neither taller than 6'3" -- big opposing guards will pose many threats to the Warriors' defense.
Or perhaps the Warriors' front office would not want Anthony in the first place, as they might have their eye on Andre Iguodala. He would bring some much-needed defensive ability to the Dubs' perimeter. He's widely regarded as one of the league's premiere lockdown defenders. And an Ellis-Iguodala trade may be easier to perform than an Ellis-Anthony swap would be.
But which of the three would fill the biggest need on the Warriors? A more detailed look at each of the three should help shine some light on who the team should select.
Option No. 1: Monta Ellis
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The 6'3" shooting guard might be the best suited for Golden State's run-and-gone offense. New coach Keith Smart will emphasize defense more than his predecessor, Don Nelson, did. He'll keep the offense largely the same -- but that might not be a good thing for the club.
The fifth-year pro who made the jump from Lanier High School in Jackson, Miss., is an electric scorer and an above average playmaker. Ellis lit up the league for 25.5 points last season and logged a league-high 41.4 minutes in his 64 games.
Ellis is not known for his defensive contributions, but his gambling style -- more Warriors' philosophy than Ellis' defense -- netted him 2.2 steals per game last year.
If Ellis does the team a true service as their leader and lets the offense run through Curry, he could prosper as he did when he shared the backcourt with Baron Davis. With Davis running the show, Ellis was allowed to focus on his own offense and scored an impressive 20.2 points on 53.1% shooting in 2007-2008.
Ellis does run into problems when he tries to shoulder too much of the load and, at times, needs the ball in his hands to be effective. With a rising star like Curry running the point, the Warriors would rather Ellis stick to his efficient, off-the-ball style of old.
Option No. 2: Carmelo Anthony
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'Melo would bring a lot of things to the Bay should the Warriors acquire him at some point. He would bring four All-NBA selections, three All-Star game selections, a former top three draft choice and a wife, Lala Vazquez, who could rival Shaunie O'Neal -- Shaquille's ex-wife -- in terms of appearances on the internet blotter.
Anthony would also bring a big -- 6-foot-8, 230-pound -- frame to a club that's played undersized for years. And, luckily for whichever team he suits up for this season, he uses that frame to help him score from all points on the floor.
He's a capable three point shooter -- 30.8% for his career -- and can score at will in the post. He also possesses a lightning-quick first step that gets him plenty of shots near the basket and earns frequent trips to the charity stripe, where he shot 83% last season.
He's not known for his defense, but more often than not, gives his all on that end of the floor. He's also been, prior to this offseason anyway, a natural leader, capable of guiding his club through prolonged playoff runs.
The problem with Anthony is not what he will bring, but what it would cost to bring him aboard. And for right now, the asking price is still too high to justify giving the future of an organization... especially if this year's future does not include a plausible championship run,considering he could amount to a one-year rental.
Option No. 3: Andre Iguodala
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Team USA's lockdown defender, Iguodala has been wreaking havoc on Eastern Conference wing players for his entire six years in the league. His quick hands -- not gambling and sacrificing position -- have snatched 1.8 steals away per game in his career. He also has good size -- 6'6", 207 lbs -- that allows him to guard small forwards and the quickness to defend shooting guards.
Iguodala, at least statistically, is the least-potent offensive player of the bunch. But while his scoring is totals have been lower than the other two -- he's never averaged 20 points in a season -- he's played in slower offenses. He also has been the best playmaker of the bunch in terms of creating offense for his teammates. His 5.8 assists per game last season marked the third year in a row where he's increased that number, while turning the ball over just 2.48 times a game.
Iguodala also brings some intangibles -- health and leadership -- to a Warriors' club that could use them. He has a clean bill of health, which would be a welcome change for an organization decimated by injuries over the past few seasons. Last season marked the third year in a row where he started all 82 games, and he even had the stamina to join Curry in leading USA to gold at the FIBA Championships in Turkey.
For a player stuck in a rebuilding situation, and one who's name has been bandied about in trade rumors, he has remained the ideal teammate. He's not one to speak out in the media or openly show up his teammates or coach. Perhaps his lack of real exposure to the NBA's common fan, outside of the dunk contest at least, has kept his ego in checkl. Or maybe he's just a different breed from many of today's athletes.
Regardless which direction the new Warriors' regime decides to go, they can be confident that they will have a great option on the perimeter to compliment Curry and David Lee. Larry Riley knows there is no job security at this point, so it'll be interesting what moves -- if any -- he decides to make in what has already been his most productive offseason since taking over in May 2009.
