Carmelo Anthony is feeling good where he is, in the crisp, clean Rocky Mountain Air. After reaching the NBA West Finals, do the Nuggets have a chance at the ultimate prize?
Melo is happy to have signed a longer contract. He is the only one of the his high-profile draft brethren to do so as LeBron, Wade, and Bosh are all waiting for 2010 free agency. As Yahoo! Sports reports, it made a lot of sense for Carmelo at the time:
Given Anthony’s poor upbringing in Baltimore, his mother, Mary, told her son she didn’t like the idea of leaving nearly $36 million on the table by opting for a shorter contract. Anthony listened and agreed to a four-year deal with an option for a fifth season that totaled $80 million, allowing him to possibly put off free agency until 2012.
Now you’ve got Melo and a stable situation: a top-tier leader at point guard in Chauncey Billups, a somewhat vindicated George Karl at coach, and successful rehabs/rejuvenations/reincarnations Kenyon Martin, Nene Hilario, and Chris Anderson. Factor in a more mature J.R. Smith (he says jail changed him) and you have a pretty solid staring rotation. Anthony must also know that success begets success. Getting to the Western Conference Finals should add confidence to this crew.
