Is Carmelo Anthony as good as gone from Denver?
We’ve seen the story play out a hundred times before. Pro athlete lands in city, becomes superstar beloved by hometown fans, can’t put the team over the top to championship glory, either by his own shortfalls or lack of support, gets restless, strings the franchise and fans along, and finally ends up leaving for the bright lights of a bigger city, while the smaller market is left to pick up the pieces and remember the glory  years.
That fantastic run-on sentence notwithstanding, it’s a storyline that seems to be playing out here in Denver. The man once considered to be the star and the savior of the Nuggets franchise, appears to have one foot out the door while the city hangs desperately onto the other shamelessly pleading for him to stay.
The days of the one team, one city athlete are gone. Guys like Peyton Manning are the exception, while the elite in other sports see nothing wrong with “taking their talents to South Beach”. Let’s face it – the NBA is a player-driven league. It’s about stars, celebrities, personal brands. This transformation was made complete when LeBron chose to go to Miami, and did so on national television. This article isn’t about Lebron, I don’t really care to belabor that issue, but it does figure quite prominently into this issue. Why should Carmelo struggle and labor in Denver, as “big” men cycle in and out, as Kenyon Martin gets yet another knee surgery, as Chauncey gets old, as JR Smith throws yet another temper-tantrum? Carmelo sees the money and the bright lights of a major market, owners willing to spend, and the chance to play alongside Chris Paul, and suddenly, the rarified air of the Rocky Mountains doesn’t seem quite so attractive anymore. Even though the Nuggets have put the correct offer on the table, Melo’s reluctance to sign the deal and proclaim himself a Denver Nugget speaks volumes about his intentions.
Now I’m not going to claim that Carmelo is as good as gone, nor will I claim that it’s simply ego-driven if he does choose to leave. The management has failed time and again to give Carmelo what he needs – the addition of Chauncey was a major step in that direction, but the failure to get a big man to put the hurt on Pau Gasol left the Nuggets playing second fiddle to the Lakers (again) for the past couple years, and Melo likely doesn’t see any end to that pecking order in sight.
My complaint here is as much with the system as it is with the player. But since we’ve all seen this drama unfold before, we can see where it’s going. Carmelo might play one more season in Denver, but unfortunately, the smart money is on trading him now while there is value to be brought back in return, and avoid playing an entire season with a player who has mentally already moved on. Sadly, this relegates the Nuggets to the land of the rebuilding teams – where a conference contender once stood, a team with an uncertain future now resides. I hate to even say it out loud, but as the boys across the way at Dove Valley have taught us, it’s not always the worst thing to trade away a guy who doesn’t want to be here. Trade Melo now, get the best value possible, and let’s move on. I hope I’m wrong – I hope he signs the extension, and happily plays out the next 3 years in powder blue and gold. But I’m a little too old for that kind of optimism.
Besides, what little optimism I have left is currently occupied with Tim Te– er, Kyle Orton and the boys in orange and blue.
