Carmelo Anthony Trade Rumors: 10 Reasons LA Clippers Need To Get Into Melo Mix
We've heard about potential landing spots for Carmelo Anthony for what seems like forever now.
Melo's going to the New York Knicks. No, he's going to the Nets. No, he might end up next to Kobe Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Well, here's one for ya: What about Anthony heading to that "other" Los Angeles team?
Yeah, I'm talking about the Clippers.
Here are 10 reasons why the Clippers need to get into the mix for Melo.
10. He's Carmelo Anthony
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Though people will say his stats are bloated because he plays in Denver or his lack of defense makes him a liability, Carmelo Anthony is still Carmelo Anthony.
Maybe he's not an elite player, but there's probably less than five of those in the entire NBA. Anthony is however, an elite scorer, and it's hard to argue with that.
He's averaged 20 points in each of his eight NBA seasons, averaged a career-high 28.9 points per game in 2006 and is averaging 24.8 points during the 2010-11 campaign.
Melo also has chipped in 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.5 blocks per game
Any team that wouldn't want that kind of production out of their small forward position is obviously huffing a little too much of LeBron James' baby powder.
9. To Keep Him Away From The Lakers
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When I first read a few rumors/reports of Anthony potentially heading to Los Angeles to play with the Lakers, my first reaction was, "Hell no. Please, do not let this happen."
I just couldn't bare the thought of seeing the Lakers steal another All-Star a la the grand theft of Paul Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies.
And you know what? The Clippers probably feel the same way.
Imagine what would be going through their minds if the Lakers landed another elite NBA player while they drowned in mediocrity.
So do yourself a favor, Clippers. If nothing else, get involved in the Anthony sweepstakes just to keep him away from the team you share an arena with.
8. To Help Turn Around Their Scoring Woes
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Though Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon combine for a very good 46.8 points per game, there is a big dropoff to the team's No. 3 scorer, Baron Davis, who scores just 13.1 points per game.
In fact, the Clippers as a whole rank just 15th in the NBA in scoring at 99.2 points per game, while Anthony's Nuggets, on the other hand, rank first in that category at 107.9 per game.
Of course, a big reason for that is Denver's up-tempo style and lack of defense, but Anthony plays a huge role in the team's scoring prowess as well.
If he landed in Los Angeles, he would undoubtedly give the Clippers a much needed lift in that area.
7. He Might Come To His Senses
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Essentially, the Knicks want Carmelo Anthony, but they don't want to offer the Nuggets equal compensation.
Offering Landry Fields, Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry's expiring contract for Melo is like offering a 1998 trailer home, a moped and a case of Busch Light beer for a $500,000 home and saying, "Hey, having three mediocre to crappy things is better than having one awesome thing."
Not gonna happen.
And Melo might one day realize that signing that three-year, $65 million extension, heading to the Clippers and living in LA isn't so bad, especially when you consider that no one knows what the hell the salary cap will look like next season.
So if Anthony continues to demand to play in the Big Apple, he might end up playing for less money in New York on a team that probably won't win an NBA title, when instead he could show his wife who wears the pants in the family, move to LA, play for the Clippers, make more money and still play in a huge market.
I'm just saying, Melo.
6. A 2-For-1 Special?
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Any Anthony trade scenario that involves the Clippers making drastic improvements would likely need a third party involved, but it's no secret that the Denver Nuggets are willing to move numerous players on their roster in any potential Anthony trade.
In addition to Melo, J.R. Smith, Chauncey Billups and Al Harrington are three names that have been rumored to be on the trading block.
Therefore, if the Clippers make a deal for Anthony, they may also be able to get a quality point guard (Billups), a shooter off the bench (Smith) or a decent reserve (Harrington) in the swap.
Is it likely? Probably not. But the Nuggets will be looking for a major overhaul if Melo leaves town, and those three names would be the next dominoes to fall.
5. Playoff Experience
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Though Carmelo Anthony's no Kobe Bryant when it comes to playoff experience, he has more of it than any of his would-be Clippers teammates.
In 45 career playoff games, Anthony's averaged 24.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game. And in the 2009-10 playoffs, he averaged 30.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals per contest.
Melo would bring some much needed experience to a team that doesn't have much of it, because the last time the Clippers made the playoffs (2006), Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin were still playing college ball.
4. The Clippers Are The Most Attractive Option For Anthony
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Sure, the Knicks and Melo sound like a perfect fit. But once you consider what the team might have give up to land him, it looks a lot more like a dysfunctional union.
If a third team can't get involved, the Nuggets would likely want some combination of Landry Fields, Wilson Chandler, Anthony Randolph and Danilo Gallinari. A potential Knicks starting five in the Melo aftermath could like something like this:
PG: Raymond Felton
SG: Landry Fields
SF: Carmelo Anthony
PF: Anthony Randolph
C: Amare Stoudemire
Not to say that lineup doesn't look good, but does it really look better than something like this?
PG: Baron Davis/Eric Bledsoe
SG: Eric Gordon
SF: Carmelo Anthony
PF: Blake Griffin
C: DeAndre Jordan
You tell me.
3. To Form Their Own
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The chances of the Clippers being able to pry Anthony away from the Nuggets without giving up Eric Gordon are about as good the Clippers chances of making the playoffs this year.
But what if--somehow, some way‒the Clippers pulled off the coup of all coups and did trade for Anthony without getting rid of Gordon?
That would give LA's No. 2 team a sick "big three" of their own, with Anthony, Gordon and Blake Griffin officially entering the territory of awesomeness.
And the stepchild of Los Angeles basketball would suddenly become the schoolyard bully who no one wants to mess with.
2. They Can Offer a Trade That Benefits Both Teams
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Though I'm convinced the Nuggets would ask for Eric Gordon in any Anthony trade, ESPN writer and Clippers season ticket holder Bill Simmons offered an interesting scenario where that isn't the case.
Here's what we wrote about a potential Clippers-Nuggets trade last month:
"Now the Clips have the foundation of something special: Griffin, Davis, Eric Gordon (a future All-Star) and enough left to make a legitimate offer for Denver: lottery pick Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman, expiring contracts and the rights to Minnesota's unprotected 2012 pick (nearly as valuable a trade chip as Favors) for Carmelo and Al Harrington's horrendous contract that's the Carmelo Trade Tax."
Doesn't sound so crazy now, does it?
1. They Can't Win As Currently Constructed
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With 22-year-old Eric Gordon and 21-year-old Blake Griffin in LA, the Clippers are set at shooting guard and power forward for as long as they're willing to pay their two stars.
But all that's gotten them is a nine-game losing streak earlier in the season, a 4-9 record in their last 13 games, a 20-34 overall record and a view that has them looking up at every team in the Western Conference except for Minnesota and Sacramento.
So as much as we like to say how much talent the Clippers have--which Gordon and Griffin prove is true‒it's not translating to a whole lot of wins.
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