Here we are, just a scant few days into the season, and unlike those infuriatingly relentless campaign ads, I promise not to go negative.
No need; so many others have beaten me to it … starting with Carmelo Anthony.
Here are the McNuggets in their home opener, welcoming back their cancer-recovering coach (George Karl) with a feisty spanking of the flat Jazz, feeling pretty, pretty good, and Anthony spoils the afterparty by airing a longing to leave.
“Enough about me, let’s talk about me.”
Not that Anthony’s content in his blunt quotes to Yahoo! comes as a surprise to management, Karl, teammates or even casual NBA fans. For months, the Nuggets have known he has no intent to extend his stay past this season when he has the right to opt out.
Hence, the recent near deal to the Nets that continues to be a genuine possibility, one they are reasonably “confident he’ll sign off on.”
Though there’s no doubt Anthony’s preference is to start fresh with the Knicks, urgently trying to maneuver every which way to satisfy the Nuggets’ demand for multi first-rounders and quality talent, or the Bulls, whose refusal to surrender Joakim Noah ostensibly disqualified them from the auction.
Yet, this was the first time ‘Melo went public with his career change of direction, stressing it has nothing to do with the new people running the front office or his teammates.
For Anthony to demonstrate such terrible timing — not to allow the team, Karl, the Pepsi posse and, yeah, even himself, to enjoy the commanding victory — accentuates his dispirit. But, in no way, did it detract from his game vs. Utah — 23 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in 36 minutes.
If it does, if his frustration carries over onto the court, then maybe owners E. Stanley and Josh Kroenke would feel somewhat pressured to trade Anthony without getting fair value in exchange. But that’s unlikely. I don’t know the elder Kroenke all that well, but I do know he likes people to use his initial when referring to him in print, his wife is heavy into dog rescue (same as my wife) and he can be exceptionally stubborn.
Especially if E. Stanley believes he’s being pushed, betrayed or disrespected.
Sources say when Anthony and his people met with the Kroenkes and their people a while back in an attempt by management to convince their franchise player to re-enlist, E. Stanley said he felt insulted by Chris Paul’s toast and talk at ‘Melo’s summer wedding of the two joining Amar’e Stoudemire in New York.
When it became obvious Anthony had made up his mind to move on, I’m told E. Stanley made it clear there would be no trade unless the Nuggets benefited, that he’d rather lose his All-Star forward for no compensation than accept less than he is worth.
Kroenke, of course, can afford to play hardball. Anthony, on the other hand, would be taking a great risk not to sign an extension with the Nuggets should they choose not to trade him due to the looming lockout and probability the collective bargaining agreement will be radically revised.
“Well, we have to see what happens,” Anthony told Yahoo! “I’m keeping my options open.”
In the meantime, I keep hoping one of these days ‘Melo clues us in why he’s so adamant to get out of Denver.
*
That brings us to Kevin Love
. Despite averaging 14 points and 11 rebounds, he saw less daylight last season than the Chilean miners.
Playing only nine minutes a game behind Lamar Odom
for Team USA’s gold-medal winners in Turkey is no dishonor. Subbing for Minnesota’s soup kitchen tends to be a bit demeaning.
Minny Ha Ha malfunctioned successfully 67 times last season under Kurt Rambis
, who saw fit to start non-rebounding Ryan Gomes
at macho forward. The Timberwolves finished particularly strong at 2-29. In the final game, Love indelicately expressed his sentiment for his coach.
Seemingly that conflict was resolved during the off-season. The two hung out a little bit in LA and supposedly bonded. Everything went beautifully during the exhibition season. Love was dominating as a starter and appeared to be emerging as the team’s leader.
It took less than one game for things to return to yesteryear. Rambis played Love his customary 23.5 minutes (11 points, 10 boards), fewer than nine in the second half and none in the final 8:39 (Kings up four) of a one-point home loss to the Tyreke Evans
-less Kings.
Rambis claimed his decision to use Anthony Tolliver
, who came into the league unannounced three seasons ago and played for four teams before this one, had more to do with his outstanding defensive effort (4 blocks, 7 boards and a steal) than anything Love did wrong.
Untrue. When the two met for 30 minutes yesterday, I’m informed, Rambis told Love he benched him for “defensive” reasons, not realizing, I guess, that games sometimes can be won at the end other, too.
There were numerous times in the meat of the matter where it might have been nice to have Love’s intelligence, screen-setting, offensive rebounding tracking device, and 3-point, floor-spreading ability out there.
If Rambis doesn’t believe in Love by this time, if he perceives him as a defensive liability, in close games, this early, vs. an ordinary opponent, it might be overtime for team president David Kahn
to choose between the two.
This just in: At practice yesterday, Love and Rambis declared they’re on the same page regarding playing time.
Yeah, right!