Carmelo Anthony: 10 Reasons He Should Shut Up and Play
The Carmelo Anthony mega-trade that would've sent him to New Jersey has been dead for awhile now since Carmelo wouldn't sign the needed contract extension with the Nets to make the trade work. All this would've been a moot point if Anthony wasn't in New Jersey last night as the Nuggets were pounded by the Nets.
Anthony himself had a nice night, save for the boos he got every time he touched the ball. But it's clear this on-again, off-again trade talk is becoming a distraction for the Nuggets, if not him personally. For a guy who had reached star status by making Denver relevant in the NBA once again, one could argue he's tarnishing his reputation over the last couple of weeks.
So here's 10 reasons why Anthony should just play.
10. He's Changing His Story
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We keep hearing these conflicting reports about Anthony and who eventually called off the trade. Anthony told the New York Daily News the Nets called off the trade, while we've heard the Nets balked at Anthony supposedly not signing the extension with them. Either way, we're getting conflicting reports on what actually happened and we really don't know the truth, which can't help Carmelo.
9. The Knicks Factor
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You know Carmelo still wants to be a Knick when it's all said and done. It's still in the back of his mind, and it shows by his indecision to commit to an extension to either Denver or New Jersey. Denver is a better team right now than either the Knicks or Nets, record-wise. And will the impending free agency and contract is still a ways off, will it be in the back of his mind?
8. The Mounting Distractions
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Carmelo Anthony has been playing well, but the questions about his future are just going to keep getting asked and asked from now until the trade deadline and well into the offseason as Anthony decides his future. Will all those questions and the pressure he's put on himself start to mount and wear on him as the season moves on, and will it manifest itself at the worst possible time?
7. How Can He Repair His Relationship With the Nuggets?
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With all these negotiations and demands, Anthony has made the Nuggets' front office look pretty bad. They look like a bunch of misinformed, inexperienced executives who kept trying to prod for more from the Nets. If Anthony decides what he wants to do is come back to the Nuggets and not opt out, he could very well have to mend a couple of fences to fix things inside the organization.
6. Hunt Down a Championship
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According to Chris Sheridan of ESPN, Anthony's now "focused on trying to win a championship". If he really wants to win a championship, then he'll really need to focus on getting better and making his team better. He can't worry about his new contract or his existing contract or where he will end up (perhaps that was on LeBron's mind all of last year). If he's really serious about winning a championship, now is the time to do it.
5. He Needs To Repair His Image With the Fan Base
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The Nuggets fan base is perhaps the most hurt in all of this; they've had to watch as their star and their team went back and forth between what to do and made a ton of mistakes in the process. It got to the point a couple of weeks ago that Nuggets fans were actually booing Anthony during a home game. That would've been unimaginable last year or any other time during his career. Not only does Anthony have to fix his relationship with the organization, but with the fans, too.
4. Returned Support From His Teammates
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What effect does all of this have on his teammates who have had to watch and answer the questions about Anthony being traded? None of them will say it publicly, but there has to be a growing sentiment that this issue has just taken over the entire team and now is hovering over. That's a lot of unnecessary pressure put on a roster who hasn't responded well to pressure in the past.
3. Bringing His Trade Value Back Up
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Anthony going back and forth can't be doing much for his trade value, especially since he's really not sure what he wants to do down the road with the Nuggets and with what's going on. If he wants to be traded, doing so without the extension and changing his mind constantly won't fly for any team. If he goes out and shows what he can do, then perhaps he becomes easier to trade.
2. Anthony Needs To Make a Decision
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A lot of this was started by Anthony declining to sign an extension (reportedly), which was all part of the mountains of information about the deal. But it's clear Anthony is unsure about his future, about opting out and trying to land a major deal with the Knicks or staying in a good situation in Denver. Anthony really can't make demands until he's sure of what he wants to do, and he shouldn't do so until he is sure.
1. Is Anthony Really Worth It?
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Let's get something straight: Anthony is an outstanding player. He's one of the better players in the league. But he's also never won anything, never been able to take the Nuggets to the promised land. Of course, a big part of that was playing the Lakers and the Spurs, but he's not a great defender and he's never been able to put a team on his back. He's a very good player, but is he really worth all the attention and the 20 different deals? I'm not really sure if he is.
