8. Carmelo Anthony
Over the past few months, we’ve been running down the 50 guys that we think are the 50 best players, right here, right now. With the season starting, the list is almost complete. Today, Sam Rubenstein takes a look at Carmelo Anthony…
With summer dragging on and on and on before the NBA tips off, we’ve decided to initiate a multipart series that will be the definitive look at the best players in the NBA today.
Over lunch at the Outback Steakhouse (word to Steve Irwin), your crack SLAMonline.com staff sat down and ranked the 50 best players in the NBA today. We realize that’s kind of ambiguous, but that’s how basketball is and that’s how we like it. Basically, though, we tried to list the 50 guys we think have the most value to their teams, right now, at this moment. This doesn’t mean they’ll never be traded, and it doesn’t mean they’re due tremendous contract extensions, but it does mean — since value is king in the NBA — that over the next month or so we’ll run down the 50 guys that we think are the 50 best players, right here, right now.
Before long it’ll be time for our annual NBA team previews. Right now it’s time for some law and order…
8. Carmelo Anthony
By Sam Rubenstein
Carmelo is at an interesting place in his career. The natural rivalry was supposed to be him and LeBron until the end of time, and Melo was actually a bigger winner than Bron at first, getting to the playoffs his rookie year and both years after that. But as you know, Dwyane Wade goes to the playoffs every year and already has the ring and LeBron has already won more playoff series than Melo. The stories we have been told all summer lead us to expect and ultra-motivated Carmelo Anthony, who will have to step up to share the light with the WadeLeBron machine.
Here’s why Melo is so great or valuable as a player. Even though he’s more of a scorer than all around force like some of his peers, Carmelo is dominant as an offensive force. How many game winning shots did he hit night after night for the Nuggets last year, carrying an injury ravaged squad to the playoffs? He’s still only 22 years old, and as evidenced by last season and this summer, he’s still getting better. In college he did what no Freshman should be able to, leading a team to the National Championship, and leading the way with his scoring pretty much since he first stepped on the Syracuse campus. That continued when he got to Denver. People sometimes make him out to be this trouble maker for some minor scrapes with the law, or they say that he’s more flash than substance, but the bottom line is that he’s a winner and he is still getting better. As long as he doesn’t pick up totally uncalled for technicals under this zero tolerance regime.
109 Responses to “8. Carmelo Anthony”
Nov.6 at 3:35 pm
Portland Dankblazers Carlos says:
they call me Carmelos Anthony
Nov.6 at 3:37 pm
Noah Doucette says:
2nd
Nov.6 at 3:38 pm
Portland Dankblazers Carlos says:
I’m Carmelo Anthony im so butter and overhyped that some fans actually put me in the same praise as lebron and dwade!
Nov.6 at 3:38 pm
Timbo says:
This was sooooo obvious!
Nov.6 at 3:41 pm
Portland Dankblazers Carlos says:
hey slam, good job mentioning melo’s sweet post game, improving 3 pt stroke, the leadership he demonstrated in the world championships, and the fact that some casual fans confuse him for a wnba player.
Nov.6 at 3:48 pm
daveoh says:
too high. this isn’t the “best players” list. this should be called “most potential” list. carmelo has never made an all-star team and never won a playoff series. This ranking is based on one summer at the world championships.
Nov.6 at 3:52 pm
Mike says:
I still cant put him ahead of Ray-Ray, VC and
T-Mac. Id say between 13-15 would be a good spot for him.
Nov.6 at 3:52 pm
rdp says:
i like melo but hes not no.8 in the league good
Nov.6 at 4:00 pm
wassup says:
to high
Nov.6 at 4:01 pm
Frank says:
Not too impressed. He’s great offensively, but doesn’t play any defense and always requires the ball in his hands. His refusal to come on the court with a few seconds left in a game a few years back is another indication of his attitude.
Nov.6 at 4:02 pm
rob stewart says:
I agree with Mike. Melo is good but he is overated. He is Paul Pierce minus 8%.
Nov.6 at 4:11 pm
oliver says:
he doesn’t do enough to be this high i dont think-
and for a ‘winner’ he sure aint won much
Nov.6 at 4:14 pm
oliver says:
and b4 ppl start bitchin…. this is the NBA- what somebody did in college means jack when it comes to giving value to a guy in the pros- otherwise we would have Omeka Okafor up here as one of the best-
Carmelo is sick- but not that sick
Nov.6 at 4:18 pm
J-Bird says:
I think Vince and Paul are still better players than Carmelo, but I see him becoming that kind of a player. Its become obvious by now that he’s not in the class of LeBron and DWade as far as being a complete player. P.S. That WNBA diss was cold, haha
Nov.6 at 4:22 pm
Shiz says:
I hope Melo actually does play some D this year. he made great strides during the world games. He’s still no stopper by any means. But he can score in buckets. I just hope he doesn’t turn into this generation’s Glen Robinson, all unable to bend at the waiste and whatnot. I guess this is a good spot for him, considering he’s the main go-to guy and helped them turn their franchise around, seemingly for good. Does have his faults on D, which slide him down some. But the best thing to happen to him was the LeBron/Carmelo as the new Magic/Bird thing stopped. Well, that and “Stop snitchin”…
Nov.6 at 4:28 pm
PIMPN says:
of course there are haters. lots that hate on his d. but do bronze or wade play any? no. melo will show up and po up
Nov.6 at 4:30 pm
Fred says:
8 it’s a good spot for Melo, he’s a top 10 player for sure!
Nov.6 at 4:33 pm
Howard says:
and we make fun of espn. Melo ahead of Paul ahead of Yao?
Nov.6 at 4:35 pm
Bryant Reeves says:
Response to Oliver:
“he doesn’t do enough to be this high i dont think-
and for a ‘winner’ he sure aint won much” How about an NCAA championship dumbass Melo is one of the top offensive forces in the league. 8th is going to be too low in a few years
Nov.6 at 4:37 pm
Bryant Reeves says:
Just read the other Oliver post… oops. Seriously though, Okafor won a ring, but Melo absolutely dominated in college and was the number 1,2,3,4 and 5 reasons Cuse won.
Nov.6 at 4:41 pm
Shiz says:
Definitely NOT in the same class as Wade or LeBronze, though he could elevate his game if he concentrated on D instead of touches. Pimpn: Good call on the lack of D played by both LeBronze and Wade , but it seems that they know how to turn up their defensive intensity when their offense isn’t cookin…Melo tends to try to shoot his way outta slumps and becomes more and more non-committal to defense with every missed shot.
Nov.6 at 4:59 pm
Portland Dankblazers Carlos says:
Melo Man doesnt like to dress up on halloween but come playoff time he’ll be a ghost once again and pull a disappearing act.
Nov.6 at 5:03 pm
Portland Dankblazers Carlos says:
speaking of halloween did you guys check how scary mike james and his daughter(evil doll) looked in this pic. Im sure deadspinners saw it but heres a late halloween treat for the rest of you all: http://www.deadspin.com/sports/nba/yep-the-costume-works-were-scared-211936.php Its worthwhile
Nov.6 at 5:05 pm
albie1kenobi says:
i think melo can definitely lead the league in scoring. his offensive power is awesome. his lack of D isn’t as exposed in denver because of the giant athletic frontline that they have. i believe he can be (and is working on being) a more than adequate defender. i never understand why great offensive player can’t be just as good defensively. if you can make the play, you should be able to stop the play from the other end. i.e. instead of finding the passing lane to make a pass, it’s finding it to steal a pass. but what do i know.
Nov.6 at 5:13 pm
ron mexico says:
so long as he’s in the west, he’s not getting a ring before Bron, wade, ….Jrose might get one before him too!
Nov.6 at 5:20 pm
snoir says:
All Melo needs to start winning are less injuries on his teammates (a team with Camby and Martin sure wins a lot more than a team without’em) and, well yeah, he has to improve his defensive game I guess. But I don’t think Anthony is worth less than LeBron and Wade, who are both great players, Melo led Syracuse to a National Championship after all so hell yeah he’s a winner.
Appearing in the media more often doesn’t make Dwyane Wade and LeBron better players does it? Ow, and another thing Melo might need in order to start winning: the Nuggets have to start rocking the old ’skyline’ jerseys again!
Check SLAM 49, they went no.3…
Nov.6 at 5:22 pm
snoir says:
‘media’ might have to be replaced by ‘commercials’ which is what I meant, but then, maybe it doesn’t.
Nov.6 at 5:30 pm
A_B says:
hey glenn robinson got a ring to remember 2 years ago with the spurs as a backup haha. And how do wade an lebron turn it up a notch on defense? they tend to go for steals yeah but that ain’t defense that’s having bad fundamentals… for example vs greece… Carmelo’s good and the leader of his team’n all but he better turn it up a notch now or mike miller will take his spot on the all star team haha. but back to melo kobe didn’t call him the hardest guy in the leauge to guard for nothing the dude can put the ball in the basket if he’d just stop caring about how many points he got at that moment and time and let the game just come to him he’ll be a great great player
Nov.6 at 5:36 pm
Shiz says:
Albie: You’d think that, but look at guys like Rick Barry, Pete Maravich, and George Gervin. Guys that could fill it up in their sleep but avoided playing D like it was the plague. lol. Not that they avoided playing D (well…Iceman did), just that they were so confident that they could “even it up” with a bucket of their own that it wouldn’t really cause em to loose much sleep. I will say, though, that being considered all O and no D will take a little luster off your legacy as it did the three scoring machined previously mentioned.
Nov.6 at 5:39 pm
rob stewart says:
Bryant Reeves please don’t forget about McNamara and Warrick, they had a little to do with that championship ring also.
Nov.6 at 5:41 pm
Shiz says:
And A_B: Oh, your definitely accurate. They do just kinda reach a lot more and fundamentally speaking, both their defense is atrocious, but it just seems more likely that Bron or Wade will come up with that “Big” steal. Not saying at all whether they hacked the shit outta their man to get it or if the ref turned a blind eye to said foul or not…Its a safe bet that none of the three will gain the moniker “Glove3000″ any time soon.
Nov.6 at 5:42 pm
serbia23 says:
hes aight but too high
kobe #1
kobe for MVP
Nov.6 at 5:42 pm
Shiz says:
And in Melo’s defense, he doesn’t get the same calls that Bron and Wade do (offensively or defensively). Its a damn shame, really…
Nov.6 at 6:00 pm
Timbo says:
Dirk will be #7 on the list. Mark my words!
Nov.6 at 6:11 pm
albie1kenobi says:
you are right Shiz. that’s why if it was lebron who took off his headband and threw it at the equipment manager, he wouldn’t have been ejected.
those magic/bird rivalry comparison’s long gone. that analogy is stolen by wade. and now the nba (at least NBAtv) acts like that rivalry analogy has been the case all along.
Nov.6 at 6:12 pm
Portland Dankblazers Carlos says:
AI #7 any higher is crazy 1. Kobe
2. Lebron
3. Nash
4. Dirk
5. Duncan
Nov.6 at 6:18 pm
Portland Dankblazers Carlos says:
opps i forgot wade
1. Kobe
2. Lebron/Wade toss up-wade has ring and miami will soon be shaqless, lebron is a triple dub threat every night and capable of carrying his team to the promised land but his supporting cast isnt as weak sauce as espn analysts make it out to be-(i still dont think lebron will win a championship in a cavs uni)
3. Nash
4. Dirk/Duncan toss up as well-depends on Duncan’s health, but no one can deny how hungry dirk looks in the post season-he’s even quietly transformed his game from outside inside to inside outside
Nov.6 at 6:21 pm
DVLb0y613 says:
I think they gonna give 7 and 6 to AI or duncan…
Nov.6 at 6:23 pm
Portland Dankblazers Carlos says:
Duncan easily gets it over AI, his health will ultimately be the difference btween losing in the conf finals and winning it all, AI can be healthy and go for 30 and 8 assists and the 76ers are still a borderline playoff team, granted they are off to a hot start
Nov.6 at 6:28 pm
Emilio says:
MELO is the man
i think 8 is fitting n soon well see him in the top 5, this kid is my fave n hes gettin better n better every game he plays, learning lessons along the way. Cant wait to see him in the playoffz this year , how far will they go??? we can only wait to find out. PEACE OUT
Nov.6 at 6:38 pm
Portland Dankblazers Carlos says:
cant wait to see melo choke in the playoffs again either! id take my wizards’ Arenas over Melo any day. Now if anyone brings up the two painful missed free throws ill quickly refute by saying that the wiz wouldnt have even gotten to that OT if it wasnt for Arenas’ clutchness aka the 30 footer.
Nov.6 at 7:11 pm
Aaron says:
Carmelo did well in the world championships because mid-range jump shooters can fill it up against a zone. He doesn’t D up, doesn’t board well for his size and doesn’t have great range on his shot. I agree with the Glenn Robinson comparisons and beyond all the hype, that is exactly what he is.
Nov.6 at 7:14 pm
Justin H says:
well carmelo is a GREAT PLAYER and is UNDERRATED IN THE NBA. A LITTLE OVERRATED ON THE LIST BUT HELL WHO ISNT.
Nov.6 at 7:29 pm
fashiz says:
My prediction: 1. Lebron james
2. kobe
3. wade
4. duncan
5. nash
Nov.6 at 8:27 pm
Frodo says:
Kevin Garnett should be ahead of Melo.Molo should have been farther back, KG should be top five. Can’t imagine how many awards The Big Ticket would have had he been on a talented roster his whole career.
Nov.6 at 8:32 pm
Vince Fan says:
wtf wtf kobe melo should be at 19 not vince what the hell did he do he wasnt even an all star this person muust be high.
Nov.6 at 8:33 pm
Vince Fan says:
i have no idea how kobe got in my last post sorry
Nov.6 at 8:38 pm
IllyPhilly6 says:
Simply put: Carmelo Anthony is not a top ten player.
No D.
No W’s. (To be put in the elite class)
And he’s always whining about this and that.
Nov.6 at 8:39 pm
IllyPhilly6 says:
He’s an outstanding offensive player, and becoming Kobe-esque in the clutch situation, but not top 10.
Nov.6 at 8:55 pm
Pinoy! says:
no never will not ever take Melo over Arenas… #8 is giving the guy too much props. he never won a playoff series, not in the league of the next top 7.
Nov.6 at 9:03 pm
scott says:
Hahaha…Anthony over Tracy McGrady, Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, Elton Brand, Gilbert Arenas, Yao Ming that is rich. If AI is ahead of T-Robot this list will be even richer.
Nov.6 at 9:08 pm
scott says:
Here is the real top 15 players in the nba. This list was made while Scott sat bored out of his mind at work. This list is a look at the top 15 players right here right now. There is no sense debating this list because it is correct:
15) Paul Pierce
14) Chris Paul
13) Carmelo Anthony
12) Tracy McGrady
11) Dwight Howard
10) Vince Carter
9) Elton Brand
8) Gilbert Arenas
7) Kobe Bryant
6) Yao Ming
5) Steve Nash
4) Dirk Nowitzki
3) Tim Duncan
2) Dwyane Wade
1) LeBron James
Nov.6 at 9:39 pm
Ang says:
put P dub with the same players as Melo, and P dub will get out of the first round. Melo’s aight, but not top 10. and definitely not higher than KG.
Nov.6 at 9:55 pm
me says:
the melo pick makes sense, he projects to hav a strong season on a good team, hes still playin on his rookie contract and hes only 22 yrs old
based on slams definition of “value” i think the list will play out as follows:
7. AI
6. Duncan
5. Dirk
4. Nash
3. Kobe
2. DWade
1. LeBron no way kobes over dwade/bron cuz they younger and still playin on rookie contracts this season, brons over dwade cuz hes younger w/ about equal talent, nash could be over kobe cuz hes got a smaller contract i think plus hes on a better team but kobes younger w/ more overall talent, duncan trumps AI cuz his team is always a contender, duncan could be higher than dirk but again dirk is younger and on the rise while timmys on the tail end of his prime, dirk could even be higher than nash cuz hes younger and his team made the finals but thats slams call
if u consider everything slam did, u could make an argument supporting every pick thats been made so far except for really the high 30s and 40s (and i think 1 slam staff member was quick to point out that he nothing to do with those picks) and maybe the shawn marion pick (that guy does everything - shoulda been higher)
Nov.6 at 9:57 pm
timduncan_rocks100 says:
wow chris paul and carmelo in the top 10
neither have made allstar teams
yet they’re ahead of hall of famers and allstars till the end of time
cann you say bias
cus i sure can, you guys are so fucking biased its crazy
Nov.6 at 10:14 pm
TrippleX says:
im no homer, but seriously, bosh is better than melo right now. bosh and melo are not elite like wade and bron, but theyre not almost allstars like diaw, hinrich and j-howard. bosh was at least an allstar last yr. was dwight howard, chris paul, or melo an allstar? bosh shud be at least the top 15-18. the guy is so underrated. im sorry slam, but u should re-do this whole list man. way too many errors…
Nov.6 at 10:20 pm
scott says:
Maybe Howard, Paul, and Anthony were not allstars last year but all three will be this year and all three are better then Bosh. Toronto would trade Bosh for any of those three palyers in a second.
Nov.6 at 10:20 pm
me says:
yea but they (paul, melo) both play for less than 10 times the money cuz theyre on rookie contracts, plus this list takes into account how these guys project for the season, not necessarily what theyve already accomplished, and anthony and paul should hav monster seasons this year, many feel anthony could lead the L in scoring while some ppl will tell u that statisticly paul had a better rookie season than magic johnson (and im in no way saying what that implies), so is 8th and 9th really that much of a stretch?
Nov.6 at 10:23 pm
me says:
yea i like bosh over melo but cb4 has yet to play for a winner, just wait a few years and bosh should unanimously crack into the top 3 players from that draft class
Nov.6 at 11:06 pm
Drolfe says:
I normally not like posting this late in the comments because i figure no one is reading them all the way down here anymore, but i feel compelled this time. Funny how most people are complaing Melo is overrated on this list when the fact is dude is way underrated in the real world. People never mention his name in the same breath as LBJ and Wade anymore. Why not? How has he not been an all-star? Its bordering on travesty. He’s had top ten numbers throughout his career, plus this past summer he was the best player on the olympic team, plus dude is coooooold. Super clutch. I say good choice, nay, GRAND choice!
Nov.6 at 11:23 pm
rdp says:
You guys are so insanely idiotic its unbeilevable. How is kobe not number one in the lists you posted? You guys are are all victims of the hype machine. Speak the truth!
Nov.6 at 11:33 pm
scott says:
If you were starting a team and could pick any player in the league James would be picked before Bryant. Bryant could have won as many rings as Jordan but Bryant and O’Neal couldn’t play together. Do you think James would have a problem checking his ego? James will win the MVP this year not Kobe. The Cavs will go much further in the playoffs then the Lakers. When Kobe was LeBron’s age it isn’t even close LeBron is light years ahead of Kobe.
Nov.6 at 11:42 pm
the says:
u guys are crazy i feel like caremlo peirce and matrix are the most underrated superstars in the L.first of all Wade is a good player i agree but tell me something what happens when shaq retires in less than 5 years? secondly carmelo has better one on one defense than lebron lebron is overrated.Melo is just as good as lebron and wade,in my case melo is better than lebron because he has a better jump shot and better defense,all 3 of this guys no doubt need to work on their defense but wade and lebron get more steals bcoz they don’t have alot of fundemenatls in defense.D-wade should enjoy the spot light right now bcoz when Shaq retires they aint goin to be a spotlight for him now dont get me wrong i like him but i feel like much of his success has come from him bein a team mate to shaq same as kobe. now i can’t see why t-mac aint in the top ten who better than him?kobe?those rings he has belong to shaq. tihs is my top ten 1
tracy mcgrady
2
kobe bryant
3
allen iverson
4
kevin garnett
5
tim ducun
6
carmelo anthony
7
dwayne wade
8
lebron james
9
Nov.6 at 11:43 pm
scott says:
The truth Bryant disappeared last year in the playoffs. Nice game seven when he took something like four shots in the second half. Could you see Jordan doing that. Kobe can’t seem to grasp the whole basketball is a team sport concept. Lakers aren’t even the best team in LA anymore. I don’t hate Kobe but James is already better.
Nov.6 at 11:52 pm
me says:
even if kobe were better than lebron or wade right now he still wouldnt be number 1 on this list cuz hes older and playin on a maximum contract, slam finally defines what they consider “value” to their respective franchsises and all u guys ignore it, besides, kobe will be hard pressed to repeat last seasons output while lebron and wade will keep getting better and better for like 8 or 9 more years, hmmmmm, tough choice
Nov.6 at 11:54 pm
the_truth says:
last year was the only time lebron has been to the play off carmelo been there 3 time,lets not for get carmelo did it with a injured team lebron did it with argubally one of the best centers in the L illguskus lary huhes a very good defender and a good scorer damon jones we know what he can do (hit big shots)and a long time veteran that has been there.
now carmelo’s team
him him him and andre who?exactly not
but with martin nene and few other players healthy we will go far this year now dwayne wade’s team
who do you need but shaq,ask mr ball hog a.k.a kobe,
alonzo posey walker gary williams shall i carry on.no?i thought so lebron way too overrated
Nov.6 at 11:55 pm
me says:
honestly, if kobe was 4-5 yrs younger with the talent he has now i would still take lebron over him
Nov.7 at 12:02 am
me says:
yea but part of lebrons value, much like shaqs and nashs, is that other players want to play with him, therefore it is easier for his gm to sign better players to play alongside him, ask yourself 1 question: who would u rather play with? kobe, melo, or lebron? i dont know if slam took this into consideration but it is a part of brons value that is often overlooked - can u imagine a player in the nba NOT wanting to play for the cavs in the next few years, when the cavs begin a perennial run a champioship contenders?
Nov.7 at 12:16 am
me says:
the_truth : be_told
lebron vs melo USED to be up 4 debate (personally i thought melo had a better rookie season) but now its ridiculous, bron does SO MUCH MORE for his team than pretty well anyone in the league, plus hes a yr younger than melo, anthony is nothing but an excellent scorer, pure and simple, who doesnt even score as much as lebron)
Nov.7 at 12:18 am
me says:
well im outta here, cant wait 2 read the post on AI tomorrow
Nov.7 at 12:20 am
me says:
ps - i wasnt hatin on melo there, cuz clearin up what the whole world (except the_truth) knows and that is lebron is head and shoulders above melo, not 2 say that melo cant or wont catch up, should be entertaining if he does tho
Nov.7 at 12:23 am
Vanilla Thunder says:
Scott: your list is missing KG and A.I., and kobe is too low.
Nov.7 at 1:15 am
Teddy-the-Bear says:
Carmelo at number 8 sounds about right to me. Next year, if they make a new list, I bet Carmelo will be ranked even higher. Hes gonna have a breakout season! same with Chris Bosh and Yaooooza.
Portland Darkblazers Carlos, AI IS #7 OR ANY HIGHER IS JUST CRAZY??????? HAVE YOU BEEN CHECKING OUT THE NBA IN THE PAST 5 YEARS? Dude, the guy basically gets over 30 points and 10 assists a game. If thats not the type of guy who contains value to a team, then I don’t know who you’re looking for. AI is the man right now, no joke. Hes starting off better than Kobe too. sorry Carlos, just a friendly debate
Nov.7 at 1:59 am
chronically_ill says:
Carmelo’s game is very similar to Glenn Robinson’s, as others have pointed out, though they have differences. Melo is more explosive, but Big Dog had a better jumper. I also see similarities between Melo and Jamal Mashburn.
Nov.7 at 2:32 am
shinobi says:
Kobe all the way. Can Lebron or Dwayne Wade score 81? I dont think so. Lebron and Wade are overated like Scottie Pippen once was. Lebron got the body but he doesn’t have the skills that Kobe has, Wade is garbaged.
1. kobe
2. Who give a f***
Nov.7 at 5:36 am
JG says:
I’m not gunna bitch too too much about this one. I think he should be closer to 15-20, MAYBE top 15. I will say that i hop at least he finally makes an all-star squad. You guys who mentioned that Wade and Bron already have, remember they play in the east. He’s a forward in the west with the likes of Brand, Garnett, Marion, Duncan, Gasol, etc etc. Give him time.
Nov.7 at 5:59 am
JG says:
Give Carmelo a little time…. He’ll be top 5 soon. I think 8 is a good spot for Melo right now, though. I still disagree with Pierce being #18 and CP being better than KG. CP is one of my favorite players but he is way too young to be rated higher than the likes of T-Mac, Pierce, KG, Ray-Ray and others.
Nov.7 at 6:37 am
scott says:
KG and AI should not be top 15. They are both near the end of their hall of fame careers but both of them won’t make the playoffs this year unless they get traded. When comparing Bryant and James teammates they are similar. Don’t forget Hughes missed almost the whole season last year. Plus Bryant plays with Odom who isn’t exactly a scrub. James had more rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, shot a higher percentage, had a higher 3 point percentage. LeBron James was better then Bryant last year and he will be better this year too. James should have won the MVP last year and James will win it this year.
Nov.7 at 8:36 am
ziad bastami says:
welcome to the best player in the hisoty of the game……. dunkes well, shots well, play defence, has heart and balls! for a player in the wnba, this is a rarety, unless……
never mind! melo is a mvp potential and number 8 in the top 50 best players, really is, but in the wnba! a league for ladies, not men! cmon, better than kg? better than SHAQ? better than tmac? better than vince? what are you ?high guys? don t go and tell me that nash is goin to be the number1? i shall burn myself!!!!!
Nov.7 at 11:19 am
Pargo The Gerat says:
Kobe is the best. Bottom line. LeBron might be better in the long run but as of now, its kobe.If he aint #1 on this list w/ carmelo being #8..somthin is wrong. Slam is corrupt!
Nov.7 at 12:57 pm
magicalmonkey@(>. says:
I dont know why people keep on comparing lebron to Michael Jordan when he doesnt even play like him. He aint no Michael jordan and he will never be. THe closest player to Michael Jordan is the one and Only Kobe Bryant. Kobe has to be the best player in this league by far. No one can come close to him. Oh yeah, how the hell carmelo is above mcgrady, kevin garnet. Carmelo is garbaged just like Dwayne Wade is.
Nov.7 at 1:03 pm
CASHVILLE says:
I feel terrible not posting on “Melo” day so here it comes. I like Melo but its as though he doesn’t put in the work to get better. His jumper is inconsistent and the defense has already been spoken for. I argue with my homeboy all the time about the Melo/Lebron comparison becuase we both picked one over the other in that draft with my pick being the King. I love it now becuase I seem to be some kind of basketball prophet. In Melo’s defense I would pick him over any small forward in the association just for his prowless in the post and gansta mentality in the clutch. He also told these boys to stop snitching!! Ha Ha Doesn’t he look like Snoop on the Wire? Hmmmm…..
Nov.7 at 1:38 pm
Wizfan says:
Melo 5 spots above gil and above KG, man you guys love him for some weird, wrong reason
Nov.7 at 4:01 pm
illydiva says:
I don’t know about Carmelo being higher than KG, but he’s much prettier than Snoop on The Wire.
Nov.7 at 4:08 pm
BIGBOUTIT says:
Big ups to Melo! Its funny, becuz at 22 HE STILL has room to improve his game. He is a left(hand) away from being the most dominate scorer in the L! If the J is going, his unstoppable. I love the hate he gets, becuz he just shows you what a kid from B-MORE can do against all odds. And for him to be in the Top 10 of SLAM is great. Even though he didn’t get his own cover until he made it. HINT HINT HINT!! Bt I no another is coming!
Nov.7 at 4:23 pm
CASHVILLE says:
Any relation to Amanda Diva? She’s one of my baby mommas so we might be related.
Nov.7 at 4:29 pm
a.d.i.r.a.b says:
what the hell ! carmelo # 8 thats just absurd day in and day out the standings get crazier . melo is not better than kg , the matrix , and a whole buch of other vets you guys had out in the early stages . sam…your fuckin crazy !!!!!!!
Nov.7 at 4:31 pm
a.d.i.r.a.b says:
carmelo probably has potential to be # 8 in the league but i dont think he’s there now !
Nov.7 at 4:41 pm
a.d.i.r.a.b says:
To all kobe haters: he’s only 28 with 3 rings and alot more season ahead and kobes attitude says: there always room for improvement. hes a work hog and so determined nobody in his league has his drive and maybe his talent (for now)
Nov.7 at 7:29 pm
illydiva says:
@Cashville…I am Amanda Diva. Now where’s my child support!
Nov.8 at 2:40 am
sp says:
he is very valuble but 8 is too high on the list. hes nice tho
Nov.8 at 5:21 am
Miggy says:
anything between 8-12 is just right. and i dont get why people dont consider melo a good basketball player.
Nov.8 at 7:07 pm
Kevin says:
$3 million for a practice facility?
SYRACUSE LOVE BABY
Nov.11 at 8:17 am
Tetet says:
Man, carmelo is a baller. A great post game and a blinding first step puts him up there with the best of em. But only if he could do the “triple double mentality” he said two summers back (as opposed to the “40 point” mindset), will he deserve to crack the top 10.
Nov.11 at 5:00 pm
mr.x says:
# scott Says:
November 6th, 2006 at 10:20 pm Maybe Howard, Paul, and Anthony were not allstars last year but all three will be this year and all three are better then Bosh. Toronto would trade Bosh for any of those three palyers in a second. ROFL. Do you actually think tor would trade bosh for one of them? Try saying that to byran coangleo. I really want to see that. These rankings are rigged. If the raptors were in USA bosh would be in the top 10,no problem. Thanks for the joke though.
Nov.11 at 8:37 pm
mr.x says:
Toronto would never trade bosh for either howard,paul or anthony
Nov.14 at 2:33 am
Paolo says:
Carmelo is a pussy. He can down some jump shots but can he rebound? Can he takeover a game? Can he defend? I thought so, too. He doesn’t deserve a top ten spot. He is not a bad baller but he is not a top ten guy. Above KG, Chris Paul, even Paul Pierce? TMac? Above Dwight howard? he is nothing but a young Glenn Robinson. Again, Carmelo is a pussy.
Nov.14 at 11:46 pm
Kevin says:
carmelo is by far not a pussy, buddy. 10 rebound per game at syracuse when every team was going at him. Baltimore streets dont raise pussies. so i think your comments arent valid, Paolo
Nov.16 at 1:00 am
Ekam says:
b more is the hardest place to live Paolo ur name is pussy u seem like a pussy y u ppl hate melo cas he got cornrows cas he got a deal wit jordan cas he looks cocky cas he not that good at d????????? carmelo will step up this year man trust me this is a good spot
Nov.17 at 5:37 pm
Savage says:
Dont hate
Nov.18 at 12:33 am
Zac says:
He should be at least fifth.
Nov.20 at 12:19 am
Drew says:
Immanuel Kant once said the best are the most phenomenal…so I think this guy is a special player easily could make top 50…he kind of scared me in college because he and warrick could have built a dynasty in three years… He reps michael jordan hard so i want to say that regardless of the off the court stuff he will win the mvp award unless these other guys dont pull an arenas
Dec.13 at 8:07 pm
devonte clark says:
between kobe,melo and tmac one of them are the best. everyone is always hating on melo. the guy and face it.he is the hardest person to guard when his jumper is on to me he has the best jumper in the league!!!!melo should be on the cover of video games he changed his life around
Dec.13 at 8:15 pm
devonte clark says:
1;kobe
2;MELO
3;tmac
4;joe johnson
5;dirk
6;kg
7;gibert
8;AI
9;pierce
10;vince carter
11;nash
12;michael redd
13;lebron
14;dwade
15;marcus camby
Dec.17 at 5:06 pm
carmelo is a pussy says:
dude carmelo anthony is a fcuking pussy guys, he punched the guy and ran away like a bitch, god i hope he goes to hell, what a pussy, PUSSIES DONT DESERVE TO PLAY IN THE NBA
Feb.14 at 11:57 am
Matt says:
you all are idiots. some of you arent….Caremlo is one of the elite players in the nba, 30.8 ppg, increasing rebound and assist number 49% from the field, dwade and lebron arent putting up those stats, and they dont play D either..The only reason that Dwade and Lebron are more popular and you guys like them more is because thyere on tv all the time, how often are the nuggets on TV. Slam great pick Melo deserves to be in the top 10
Mar.14 at 7:52 pm
chris and francis and nick says:
Yea hey. Were 11
Were from australia.
Carmelo is our favourite player.
Leading the league in scoring.
Man in aus we all short.
how did you grow to 6-8.
Gratz on the all star debut.
Put this in slam please!
Out
May.7 at 4:38 pm
2shea says:
tha only reason he aint tha league’s keadin scorer iz cuz kobe snatched it…. damn kobe
Jul.5 at 3:48 am
Paolo says:
Kevin and Ekam, you are both like Carmelo Anthony. You’re both pussies.