The Melo Man

Carmelo Anthony
Born: May 29, 1984
Height: 6-8 / 2,03
Weight: 230 lbs. / 104,3 kg.
College : Syracuse
Years Pro: 3

These days the "Melo" man is one guy I rate worth the price of admission. After seeing him play live versus the Celtics last year, my friend was shocked. "I didn't know he was THIS good" was his comment to me, as Melo only missed 1 shot in the entire first half, and that was a halfcourt buzzer beater attempt that hit off the rim. Otherwise he looked flawless. Melo won a NCAA title in just his freshman year at Syracuse, propelling his name into top 3 NBA draft discussion. The Pistons, mysteriously (?) passed on Melo to select Darko (it's unknown how Melo would have affected a Pistons title run). If you watch him play these days, it's a thing of beauty. He's leading the league in scoring, as Iverson's team status is in question. Carmelo works harder than anyone to get better, and this was evident durign the 2006 Summer Games, in which the US won a silver medal. Melo has the range to hit 3's. Spot up jumpers, bang. Vicious rim rattling dunks and aerial assaults, all over the place. If you don't see at least 3 Melo dunks during a game, then he must be not well. He also passes the ball well and sees the court with great vision.

Basically Melo's turning into a complete package before our eyes. He's getting the recognition he deserves and might even be stealing the spotlight from D-Wade. He's on pace to have 62 games where he scores 30 or more points this year, surpassing all other Nuggets' legends, including Alex English and Kiki Vandeweigh. He's averaging about 4 assists per game and 5 rebounds per game, while basically carrying a Nuggets team lacking big man Kenyon Martin all year. The Nuggets are quietly mounting a West Coast attack.

During the game I saw last season, Melo was jumping rope out on court prior to the start. I hadn't seen many players do this before, and found it interesting. Later, after he dropped 38 on the C's in a loss, I learned he was unsure if he would even play due to a leg injury. Good thing he did, and just imagine what he's capable of when he's sure he'll play.