Melo's improving ground

Third postseason trip gives Anthony chance to show he's worthy

Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News

Friday, April 21, 2006

Forget for a minute about Magic Johnson stepping in at center and winning an NBA championship as a rookie. OK, so Larry Bird took home a title his second season.

More often than not, though, it takes time.

Michael Jordan, who eventually got six rings, didn't win a playoff

series until his fourth season. In fact, in 10 tries, he was on the winning side in only one playoff game in his first three seasons.

Kobe Bryant's teams may have won three playoff series in his first two seasons, but don't give him a lot of credit. Bryant didn't average 10 points a game in either of his first two playoff seasons.

So it's understandable Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony has not been an immediate playoff sensation. In his first two trips to the postseason, his Nuggets each time were knocked out 4-1 and Anthony has averaged 17.3 points, down from his regular-season average of 20.9 during his first two seasons.

But welcome to year No. 3. Anthony vows it will be different.

"This is the year," Anthony said. "We've been there two years. This is the year we need to get out (of the first round). There won't be any excuses (if the Nuggets don't)."

It's a more mature Anthony who will step on floor Saturday when the Nuggets open a best-of-seven series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Anthony is coming off a season in which he averaged 26.5 points and drilled five last-second game-winning shots.

But the playoffs are what it's all about in the NBA. Denver coach George Karl has been telling Anthony that since his Nuggets business cards were printed in January 2005.

"The basketball world respects winning in the playoffs," Karl said. "You don't have to have the basketball world to be a rich man, with statistics. Thirty teams are always going to sign good players, but the special player usually performs in the playoffs."

Anthony believes it is his time. He's not predicting gaudy numbers, but he does expect matters will change.

"Of course, it's going to be different (than the past two seasons)," he said. "But I'm not going to sit here and say I'm going to average 27 or 30 points in the playoffs. Teams are going to set their defense around me and try to stop me."

Often in the playoffs, teams have done a pretty good job of that.

In 2004, Anthony was hassled by Trenton Hassell of Minnesota. He shot .328 and averaged 15.0 points in the series, down from his seasonal mark of 21.0.

In 2005, Anthony was targeted by San Antonio defensive specialist Bruce Bowen. He shot .422 while averaging 19.2 points in the series, down from his seasonal average of 20.8.

"Minnesota, my first year, I was just happy to be there," Anthony said. "It was my first time in the playoffs. Last year, I kind of picked it up a little bit. For a team to come out and say, 'We need to stop Carmelo before we stop anybody,' that kind of says a lot."

As the series went on last year, Anthony did get better. He averaged just 14.2 points in the first three games before putting up 26.5 a game in the final two.

"I thought he took a big step in last year's playoffs," Karl said. "Even though we didn't win, he got better control of Bruce Bowen (as the series progressed)."

Now Anthony will get all sorts of players thrown at him. Little-known but gritty James Singleton and Quinton Ross were among the players used against Anthony during the regular season by Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy, and they did have periods of success.

But count Nuggets center Marcus Camby as one who doesn't believe it will matter who is guarding Anthony.

"We haven't gotten out of the first round (the past two seasons) and you can't blame him," Camby said. "A team has to get the job done collectively. . . . I think (Anthony) is ready to step out. Hopefully, it will be in (these) playoffs. This will kind of be his coming-out party."

The regular season was a bit of a coronation in itself. Anthony finished eighth in the NBA in scoring.

Anthony got snubbed for the All-Star Game. For the second half of the season, though, Anthony unquestionably played at an All-Star level, averaging 27.6 points after the break.

"He's improved so much over his three-year career already," Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki said. "It's amazing. The sky is the limit."

Anthony, now 227 pounds, has kept his weight in check all season. He has improved his shooting and his shot selection, which is why his field-goal percentage of .481 was up from his career mark of .428 entering the season. He has cut down on his turnovers.

One thing Anthony hasn't improved on is his rebounding, his average of 4.9 being down from his career mark of 5.9 entering the season. Earlier this week, Karl blasted Anthony for going 17 consecutive games without grabbing more than five rebounds.

But few complaints have been heard from other coaches.

"He's maturing and knowing and understanding what he has to do to be successful," Sacramento coach Rick Adelman said of Anthony. "I think he's kind of imposing his will on people rather than just taking what people force him to do. . . . He's just playing with a lot more confidence. . . . I don't see any reason why he wouldn't continue to play at that level in the playoffs."

It will be up to Dunleavy to try to figure out how to slow Anthony, something he was able to do a bit during the regular season. In four games against the Nuggets, the Clippers won three, and Anthony averaged 25.0 points on .458 shooting.

"He's had a great year," said Dunleavy, knowing well that one of Anthony's games against the Clippers was a 35-point explosion Nov. 25, Denver's only win. "His all-around game has improved. Offensively, he's got the low-post game. He's very explosive off the dribble. He's a good finisher. I think his outside shooting is getting better all the time. . . . He's so young, he'll continue to get better and better each year (in the playoffs) with experience."

Anthony has taken a big step just by getting Denver to the postseason. Before his arrival in 2003, the Nuggets had sat home eight consecutive springs.

With Anthony, the Nuggets are 3-for-3 in making the playoffs. But he's not in the mood to go 0-for-3 in advancing.

"Winning in the playoffs says a lot about a player, about an organization," Anthony said. "When you win, it shuts a lot of people up. People can't say nothing at all when you win."