All is Not 'Melo in Denver
Saturday Night's Karl-Brawl Costs Nuggets Golden Season
Whether or not one agrees that the Nuggets' late game aerial act against the defeated Knicks was typical Mile High playing style or George Karl's message that Larry Brown was done wrong, the subsequent fracas cost the Nuggets far more than the New Yorkers. Isiah Thomas, for one suspects Karl of ulterior motives, and may have been trying to instill a modicum of pride into his Knicks. If he warned (sone say threatened) league-leading scorer Carmelo Anthony that rough play in the lane was forthcoming, forewarned is forearmed. Whatever the case, it was not Anthony who suffered the flagrant. It was, however, Anthony who was pushed away from the fray, and after tempers appear to have been doused to the verbal level, re-entered it to punch a physically restrained Mardy Collins. More importantly, Anthony then retreated from the angry Knicks, closing out his performance in the Garden by backpedalling away from a fistic challenge by Nate Robinson, who stands all of five-foot-seven.
As a player, Zeke never brooked unhappy endings- his Pistons walked out on the upstart Bulls at the close of one landmark game. Many called that a classless gesture. My sense is, hardcore, demanding New York fans will back Thomas and bash 'Melo. I don't see Spike Lee casting Anthony in a sequel to "He Got Game". Even David Stern saw nothing in Thomas' supposed admonition to Anthony and other Nuggets' starters to warrant reprimand. The Commish fined both teams equally.
Commissioner Stern meted out punishments before today's Nugget-Wizard match. Anthony will miss 15 games, but may appeal the length of his penalty. Robinson will sit for 10 games, as will high flyer J.R. Smith. That's 50 points per game the Nuggets will miss for more than a couple weeks, on a team that lost Kenyon Martin early, and just got Nene Hilario back. The loss of momentum in their Western race, and the damage this does to opponents' opinion of Anthony is irreparable this season. When he and Smith return, what will rivals think of their lobs and dunks? What will the emotional effect be on their season? They were only four games above .500 with their stars. On the other side, the incident may fire up the lowly Knicks in a manner Brown could not have, though we don't advocate fisticuffs. Will Thomas' actions and words ignite Starbury, Francis and Curry, and demonstrate that the MSG Blue will not be punked (at least in their house)?
For some of us, no matter what Carmelo Anthony goes on to accomplish (and lifting Syracuse to a national title as a frosh was huge), he may never erase the image he painted by running from Nate Robinson after he sneaked his teammate. How will fans receive him around the league now, and will he be booed at the NBA All-Star Game in Vegas?
Stay tuned.
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