Melo's focus on U.S. team, Nuggets as well
Special to the Rocky
Published July 21, 2008 at 7:55 p.m.
Photo by Glenn Pinkerton/Associated Press
Carmelo Anthony shoots during a practice session at Valley High School in Las Vegas.
Now that Carmelo Anthony is at peace with his situation, he faces a changing Nuggets roster.
Anthony, who rejoined his U.S. Olympic teammates on Monday, said he doesn't "know what direction the Nuggets are going in. I don't want to harp on it. I want to focus on what's going on here."
That would be the U.S. Olympic basketball team's training camp, an exhibition game here Friday against Canada, then a trip to China for four exhibition games before beginning Olympic play Aug. 10 in Beijing.
But one can't blame Anthony if he's a bit distracted.
In recent weeks, the Nuggets:
* Traded center Marcus Camby to the Los Angeles Clippers in a salary dump that gave them the option of trading second-round draft picks in 2010.
* Lost forward Eduardo Najera to the New Jersey Nets in free agency.
* Made a $3.04 million qualifying offer for next season to guard J.R. Smith, who said last week he had not had any further talks with the team.
None of that, however, tempers the fact Anthony feels "more comfortable than a month ago."
"Denver reassured me that they want me as part of the organization," he said. "I know I have to assume more of a leadership role. When A.I. (Allen Iverson) arrived, I sort of took a little bit of a back seat, but I know now that it's time to step up."
Jim Boeheim, a Team USA assistant and Anthony's coach at Syracuse University, believes his former star is up to the task.
"I'm going to speak to him about it," Boeheim said.
"He knows he's a professional. He's been a leader. He was a leader at Syracuse, so it's not new to him."
Anthony admitted he got a bit nervous the day of the Camby trade.
"I was in my hotel room and the phone started to ring off the hook," Anthony said in his first public comments about the deal. "Calls were coming from my teammates and members of the Denver basketball family. When I answered, I said, 'OK, so where am I going?'
"When they said it was Camby, I said, 'There goes a five-year teammate and (2006-07) Defensive Player of the Year.' Losing Camby and (Ed) Najera, there goes about 20 rebounds a game."
Anthony was icing his left calf muscle after practice and scheduled a massage treatment, but he said, "It's nothing out of the ordinary, just some tightness."
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July 21, 2008
8:26 p.m.
Suggest removal
cruz3d writes:
"When they said it was Camby, I said, 'There goes a five-year teammate and (2006-07) Defensive Player of the Year.' Losing Camby and (Ed) Najera, there goes about 20 rebounds a game."
Well Melo, now is the time to start showing what you are capable of doing. You've got the ability to at least double your rebounding average; I've seen it but not consistantly. So make it a goal to pick up a big part of the loss of 20 rebounds per game.
July 21, 2008
10:08 p.m.
Suggest removal
reddog writes:
Mello play defense? Are you kidding?
July 21, 2008
10:55 p.m.
Suggest removal
forrest_viv writes:
#1......I'm sure he's going to read this and take your advice
#2......Who the hell is Mello??????
July 22, 2008
12:33 a.m.
Suggest removal
reddog writes:
forrest_viv, #1......I'm sure he's going to read this and take your advice. you are so right! Remember "Mello play defense? Are you kidding?
July 22, 2008
8:09 a.m.
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jmdeshazer writes:
Q: Who holds the NCAA Basketball record for most rebounds in their freshman year of college?
A: Carmelo Anthony
Having Camby and Najera gone might help Carmelo in this way, just for the same reason his scoring dipped a little when AI arrived. He could be a 25 and 10 player this next season. If they win gold in Beijing, I think Carmelo will take that with him into the next NBA season.
July 22, 2008
12:28 p.m.
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aman writes:
The reason Melo doesn't get more rebounds is that coach Karl teaches him to run the floor as soon as a shot goes up. Melo will not start doing the fundamental things until his coach teaches them.
Coach K has stood by his claim that Melo is a very good defensive player, but he certainly isn't when he and the rest of the team are out of position. Even when the team is working hard, nobody knows what they are doing.
It's interesting that three Nuggets players in last year's starting lineup played in the NBA finals because their team's were incredible defensively (AI - Sixers, Camby - Knicks, K-Mart - Nets), yet last year they were a part of one of the worst defensive teams in the league. Who is accountable for this?
July 22, 2008
9:45 p.m.
Suggest removal
jsppro1 writes:
So Marcus Williams(Nets) was traded to Golden State. Watch, Denver will kick themselves for letting him get away. Just remember the name if the Nuggets do not trade for a point, soon!!!!!!!