Carmelo Anthony Trade Rumors: Could Carmelo and Kobe Beat LeBron and D-Wade?
This is a story that has been all over NBA headlines this morning.
According to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard, the Denver Nuggets have been talking with the L.A. Lakers about a potential trade that could send Carmelo Anthony to Los Angeles. This is a package that would be built around the Lakers parting ways with Andrew Bynum.
If this trade would go through, this would have to spark the question of are the Lakers the new favorite to win the NBA title? Or better yet, could the combination of Carmelo and Kobe beat the Heat's duo of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade?
Let's break this down and look at five reasons why Melo and Kobe could take LeBron and D-Wade and five reasons why they could not.
5. Yes—Better Supporting Cast
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James and Wade have Chris Bosh on their side, but not too much after that.
If Carmelo went to the Lakers and all that they had to give up in return was Andrew Bynum, the Lakers would have an incredible cast around Bryant and Carmelo. Pau Gasol is one of the top big men in the game, and Lamar Odom is one of the most versatile players in the game.
Right now, you would have to favor the Heat, but if the Lakers added Melo—advantage Lakers.
5. No—LeBron Can Take Over Whenever He Wants
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LeBron James is the most physically gifted player in the NBA today. He has shown on multiple occasions that he can take over a game by himself when it matters.
Add Dwyane Wade into that discussion, and one still has to believe that is the best one-two punch in the NBA. Both of them are explosive players, but LeBron is the most explosive player to ever play the game of basketball. Hands down.
4. Yes—More Big Game Experience
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The combination of Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony have played in more big games than Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.
Every one of these guys have played in at least a conference championship, but Kobe has played in seven NBA Championships, and have won five of them.
People forget that Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets put up a very good conference finals showing against Kobe and the Lakers just two years ago. When you get to the playoffs, experience matters most, and the Lakers have a ton of it.
4. No—Chemistry
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LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are finally at that point where they are developing some good chemistry together, maybe even better than everyone thought they would.
These two have played together in the Olympics, on All Star teams and most importantly, for the past four months while racing to one of the best records in the NBA.
There were certainly some doubters about this duo playing together, but from the looks of it right now, they are fitting together just about perfectly.
3. Yes—Carmelo Would Be In a Spot Where He Wants to Be
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Carmelo Anthony has wanted out of Denver all year long, and in return, his head has been filled with outside factors that have stopped him from playing his best.
If this trade happened, Anthony could be in a place where he wants to play. He has a home in L.A., and it is a big city, which is something that Carmelo wants. He wants to play in the spotlight.
One would have to believe that Carmelo would play his best basketball if he was put in an environment where he really wanted to be. Los Angeles could be that spot.
3. No—Look at What Happened Earlier When These Two Teams Played
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These two teams squared off back on Christmas Day and the Heat absolutely embarrassed the Lakers in a 16-point route.
We all know that Carmelo Anthony is an NBA superstar, but not even he would have made a difference in this outcome. LeBron James dropped 27 points, Wade had 18 and the Heat held Kobe Bryant to just 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting.
It's only fair to look at this list and having to compare how the two teams did when they played this season. With that said, advantage Heat.
2. Yes—Kobe Would Get Carmelo To Understand What the Playoffs Are All About
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LeBron James might be the most dominant player in the NBA, but Kobe Bryant is hands down the best winner in the NBA.
When the playoffs role around, we all have seen what type of player Kobe becomes. Bryant is hungry for his second three-peat and wants to send coach Phil Jackson out on top of the NBA world.
If Carmelo Anthony joined the Lakers, Kobe would make sure he realized how important the NBA playoffs are and what winning a Championship is really all about.
2. No—Home Court Advantage
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If the NBA playoffs were to start today, the Miami Heat would hold home court advantage over the Los Angeles Lakers.
We all know how much home court advantage matters come playoff time, so this would be a huge factor as to why James and Wade would have the advantage.
Now, that isn't to say that if the Lakers do get Anthony, that their record might not skyrocket and could overtake the Heat for that home court. But, as it stands right now, the Heat have the slight edge, which is huge come playoff time.
1. Yes—The Lakers Have Been There Before
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You could add Carmelo Anthony or you could add Sheldon Williams, the bottom line here is that the Lakers have been here before and know what it takes to get it done come playoff time.
Now, if you add a guy with superstar power like Anthony, one would have to believe that Anthony would agree to buy into the team chemistry and that when the playoffs role around, this team could very well be clicking.
The Lakers have a roster filled with players who have playoff experience and better yet, NBA Finals experience. Add Carmelo into that mix, and that should only help their cause.
1. No—James and Wade Have Played Together Longer
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This is really what it comes down to, the fact that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have already been playing together for more than half of an NBA season. If Carmelo Anthony were to join the Lakers, he would be thrown into what is already a tight playoff race right off the bat.
James and Wade have quieted all doubters and have made it work together up to this point, and there are no signs that would make anyone believe that they are going to slow down in the second half of the season.
When it comes time to play in the biggest games, having that familiarity and chemistry with your teammates matters most. The Heat are starting to find that out at the perfect time of year.
Conclusion
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This is one of the most two-sided arguments that could possibly come up with when talking about NBA trade rumor scenarios.
Talent wise, I give a slight edge to the Heat.
Winning pedigree, I give a slight edge to the Lakers.
When you really break it down though, you have to look at how each time is playing up to this point this season. After a slow start to the season, the Heat are playing really good basketball right now and appear to be finding the perfect mix of chemistry amongst the Big Three. The Lakers are winning games, but they aren't playing their best basketball right now by any means.
Adding a guy like Carmelo could either hurt or really boost this team to the top. But bottom line, the Lakers are still amongst the league leaders. They still have Kobe and you know he will show up come playoff time. As the old saying says, when you have something that's great, don't break it up. This move would break up what the Lakers have going and while it might be a good move in the long run, it might not benefit them this season, which is what matters most right now for this group.
LeBron and D-Wade have developed into good teammates. They seem to trust each other out on the court and have one goal in mind: winning an NBA Championship. I think if this deal were to happen, the slight edge would have to go to James and Wade.
Now, all we can do is wait and see what happens.
