Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant: 10 Reasons This Would Be NBA's Best Duo
Brace yourselves: We have arguably one of the biggest stars in all of professional basketball hitting the market for a trade. His name? Carmelo Anthony.
As of right now, there are preliminary talks between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets over a possible trade involving Denver's star forward Carmelo Anthony.
We do know from some inside sources Denver's interested in Bynum and possibly Odom. I mean, what team wouldn't be?
If Melo went to the Lakers, this would not only be one of the biggest mid-season acquisitions of all-time, but putting Kobe and Melo together could make for the one of most dynamic guard-forward combinations in the history of the game.
10. Catch and Shoot
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There are a ton of reasons why Kobe and Melo would be the NBA's best duo. Let's start with breaking down the offense:
Phil Jackson runs a triangle offense. With Gasol normally down low, two perimeter players are patrolling beyond the three-point line passing the ball.
Those two players could be Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony. Are you really going to argue against a better two to catch a pass from one another and put up quality shots?
Let's keep going.
9. Tempo
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The Lakers are great for so many reasons. Their success in large part is due to their ability as a cohesive unit to click with timing.
Ever heard the saying "Timing is everything?"
Something tells me these two know each other's game...oh yeah, that's right, they played together—on an Olympic team.
Think about Melo and Kobe running up the court together. They run a similar speed, it's called a patient stride.
Ever heard the saying "Patience is a virtue?"
Timing plus patience equals greatness
8. Post Up
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If the Lakers lost Bynum, they would have a different bulk down low. Odom would probably play the four, Gasol the five and Melo the three.
The success of Kobe's game so much depends on the big man chemistry. What makes Melo so dynamic is his ability to knock down a shot from the perimeter, or inside on the post.
Kobe needs a guy who can post up and he can give the basketball to.
Anthony, at 6'8", 230 pounds, has the presence of mind to work an effective inside game. With Melo at small forward, the Lakers now have three guys that can catch the ball on the interior.
Kobe's smiling already...
7. Move Without the Ball
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Everyone knows by the time you get to the NBA, you got game. In some which way or form, if you are in the league, you know how to play basketball.
With that being said, everyone who is anyone on offense knows that moving without the ball is the reason for success in this league.
Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony, both in their own right, are each one of the best at creating space for themselves.
A lot of this separation from defenders is done without the ball in their hands.
Kobe and Melo would learn each other's game without the ball in their hands. After they did that, which probably won't take very long, they will be one of the best at moving without the ball.
6. Quick Moves
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It's often the subtleties of a player's game that truly makes them special. Most people don't even notice the little things when they're watching real time.
Next time you have an opportunity to watch Kobe or Carmelo, please pay close attention. These guys know how to be agile.
Quick moves are what make these two the best at what they do.
Jab step, spin move, push off, you name it.You give these guys space, you're going to see some quickness
5. Intelligence
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Anybody see Kobe's documentary that Spike Lee directed? If you have, then you know how smart the man is.
Kobe isn't just blessed with the physical gifts to play the game of basketball, he's been given the gift of intelligence. Or at least he works at being smart.
Bryant goes into situations that take years to learn, and only milliseconds to watch happen. Kobe has five rings. He's a leader. You think a leader with five championships isn't smart? You're crazy.
Carmelo Anthony is an extremely intelligent basketball player. His ability to make plays one-on-one and create opportunities for other teammates is extremely complimentary to his style of play.
Unfortunately he doesn't have a wingman who does what he can do. But wait a tic, Kobe Bryant begs to differ.
If these two teamed up, you would see one of the smartest duos in all of basketball. Millions and millions of ways to put the ball in the hoop would be generated by this duo.
4. Chemistry
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Everyone remember the Olympic team a couple years ago that won Olympic Gold for the USA? Of course you do, the team was legendary.
A big part of "Redeem Team" was how well everyone bonded and meshed together as one. The team was so successful, some of the guys have already found ways to play together after the Olympic run. Take Miami for example. Others on the team look to re-kindle their relationship in the near future playing together again.
Two of those guys that played on the Olympic team were Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony. Interesting.
Melo was one of the leading scorers and Kobe was one of their captains. Seems to me like Melo and Kobe got along just fine.
You got to have chemistry if you want to win championships. These two together have what it takes.
3. X Factor
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What do you need at the end of games? Clutch players.
What are Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony to their respective teams? They're the X-factor. These are the guys you go to in times of pressure situations.
How many times have you seen Kobe Bryant or Carmelo Anthony hit a big time shot to win one for their squad?
You put two guys who can win the game for you on the court and you have one amazingly effective decoy.
It's Kobe's team, but that doesn't mean he won't throw an alley-oop to Melo if no one is covering backdoor.
Ball game.
2. Star Power
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When you're a superstar in the NBA, you've got it made. Kids look up to you, you are the people's hero, and you get to set an example.
There's no denying the size of Kobe Bryant or Carmelo Anthony's status as an NBA superstar. They are two top notch guys for a variety of reasons.
You put two guys like them in the same lineup and you've got some star power.
Star power equals competitive advantage.
1. Defense Wins Championships
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No one that plays for a Phil Jackson team doesn't participate on both ends of the court. We all know that defense is just as important, if not more important, than offense.
Can you make a stop when your team needs it? I know Kobe lives for the defensive side of the ball. I know Coach K stressed defense on the Olympic team.
Kobe won't have anyone on his team that doesn't play defense. You may not notice Carmelo playing a whole lot of defense, but you are a mistaken.
Long before Denver was what the Nuggets are now, they were a gung-ho offensive minded team. Now they are defense first.
Who do you think was a big reason in making that change? Carmelo.
Bottom line: Kobe and Melo would be a force to be reckoned with offensively and defensively.
