I just ripped two Carmelo posters off of my walls and pulled down my Anthony jerseys from the hangers in my closet. You know why.
On June 26, 2003 the Denver Nuggets selected Syracuse forward Carmelo Anthony with the third overall draft pick. Coming off of an NCAA National Title Championship, Anthony seemed to be the perfect player to restore an ailing Denver Nuggets organization. After eight consecutive playoff seasons with the Nuggets, Anthony’s time in Denver is over. The superstar was traded to the New York Knicks along with Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Reynaldo Balkman, and Anthony Carter before the NBA trade deadline on February 24.
As an avid Denver Nuggets follower, fan, ticket buyer, writer, and even jersey wearer, I was filled with disappointment when the deal went down. How could the star of our franchise quit on the team that gave him his start in the NBA? How could our All-Star forward drag Chauncey Billups to New York, ripping the basketball heart out of the city of Denver? I knew it was a long time coming. But as reality set in, that didn’t matter. Our dynamic duo of Billups and Anthony will now play home games at Madison Square Garden. Our duo will now wear the blue, orange and white jerseys of the New York Knicks.
I decided to come to terms with the opportunity for a fresh start for the organization I hold so dearly. My level of disappointment started to fizzle out. I was determined to see the trade in a positive light as losing two All-Star players is always harsh on a team. Adversity can lead to greatness; I am hoping this is something Nuggets fans will see quickly.
I pulled up the career statistics of all of the newest Denver players: Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov, and Kosta Koufus (all players came from New York except Koufus who joins the Nuggets from the Minnesota Timberwolves). After being impressed with the numbers on the screen, I turned to YouTube for more satisfaction.
Gallinari, Chandler, and Felton all have energized highlight clips. They provide a fast-paced scoring effort, which fits perfect into the playbook of coach George Karl. Tie that to the thin-aired elevation of 5,280 feet in Denver, and visiting teams will have a tough time keeping up with the pace.
More importantly, our newest assets play defense. There shouldn’t be a single NBA-follower who will tell you that the Denver Nuggets of the Anthony-era played with any defensive consistency. The New York Knicks were a playoff team before the trade because of their defensive ability. Now that four former Knicks starters are Nuggets, look for that trend to carry over in the city of Denver. Karl’s defensive mindset will finally be able to be utilized.
I am excited to see how effective the North Carolina-bred backcourt can be in Denver. With Ty Lawson and Raymond Felton winning NCAA National Championships as members of the Tar Heels, both know what it takes to win. Now that Billups is gone, Lawson is no longer in the shadow of a future Hall of Fame player. Both Felton and Lawson have a chance to step up and lead this team in a positive direction from the point-guard position.
The Nuggets now have a young roster of players that play for the love of the game of basketball and the city of Denver, not a love for their own drama (Carmelo). Potential and expectations are high in my books. There’s no need for a rebuilding phase in Denver; we have the players to carry us into to the playoffs now. The new Nuggets take pride in sharing the ball as much as scoring. At the end of the day, there is an abundance of talent, youth, and potential on this new roster.
Anthony received his wish to go home. No one can truly blame him. Of course it’s sad and disappointing, but that’s the business aspect of professional sports. The Denver Nuggets are done with Melodrama. Even I can be thankful for that.

aweis@mesastate.edu