I know that the Disney in all their Nazi evilness is trying to conspire with David Stern to assure us that there will be a Kobe/LeBron NBA Finals. But, the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic are doing all they can to prevent it, and they might just succeed.  Obviously, we already know about the Game 1 choke job by the Cavs.  Now comes last night’s game out of the Staples Center, in which we saw the Nuggets claw back from a double-digit deficit to get the win over Kobe and his mates.  They say a series doesn’t really start until the road team wins; well, we have ourselves a couple of series already.

Lost in all the hoopla of the playoff hysterics is Carmelo Anthony.  He remains one of the premier scorers in the game.  Remember, this was supposed to be LeBron’s future Finals opponent for years to come when they were both drafted in 2003.  Melo was only a year ahead of LeBron, carried Syracuse to a National Title before becoming the #2 #3 pick in the draft. LeBron and Melo were supposed to bring the NBA back all by themselves, like Bird/Magic…except without the having already played each other part.

Oddly enough, it was Carmelo who led his team to the playoffs as a rookie – and there were whispers that maybe he was the better pick – even though LeBron won the Rookie of the Year award (but so have Steve Francis and Chuck Person, so…). He was more polished and NBA-ready because of his one year in college, which allowed him to mature his game against more difficult competition each night.  He was more ready for the high pressure situations.  It was difficult to not believe this to be true: the Cavs and the Nuggets had the same record the year before, and the Nuggets won more games (in the harder conference) and went to the playoffs.

Denver would win more games the following year as well, and make the playoffs again.  LeBron would not.  Then came the 2005-2006 season, where LeBron made the leap to the best player in The Association (along wtih Kobe Bryant).  The Cavs would win 50 games, make the playoffs, and push the 64-win Pistons to 7 games in the East Semifinals.  The Nuggets would make the playoffs again, and they even won their division. Carmelo was coming to play each night and would score 26 each time on the court, but they again would lose in the 1st round.  Carmelo was walking the path that Kevin Garnett once did; superstar who couldn’t get the job done in the postseason.  The Cavs would reach the NBA Finals the next season, while the Nuggets would lose again in the 1st round.  The following season would be no different for Carmelo and the Nuggets, while LeBron and the Cavs would push the Celtics to the brink of elimination.

This brings us to where we are today.  Carmelo needed help to get him further in the playoffs, and that player was Chauncey Billups – who was gift wrapped by Joe Dumars and the Pistons.  Ironically enough, Dumars could have had these two playing together the previous 5 years.  Because Carmelo needed a running mate, does that make him any less of a superstar? Of course not. Many think Kevin Garnett is the an all-time top 5 PF, but the only two years he made it out of the first round, he had a couple high scoring cats playing alongside him.  2004 he had Latrell Spreewell and Sam Cassell, and last year he had Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.  People still consider KG to be a superstar.  Carmelo Anthony is in the same mold.  Whereas Kobe and LeBron are 1A and 1B, there is a 2nd tier of superstars in which Melo is right at the top of.

The Nuggets can win this series; in fact, I think they will. I am not exactly sure what to think is going to happen in the East Finals, but I expect the Cavs to pull it out.  Then, we can have that Carmelo/LeBron Finals we all talked about during that night in late June of 2003.

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