The countdown to the 83rd Academy Awards is on, with the official nomination press conference set for the early hours of tomorrow morning. As is the custom, bloggers and critics have been hypothesizing for weeks now as to which movies and actors will be recognized by the Academy. Everyone seems to agree that 'The Kids Are Alright,' 'The Fighter,' 'Black Swan,' 'Toy Story 3,' 'The King's Speech' and 'The Social Network' will pick up several nominations, including Best Picture. Nods for 'True Grit,' '127 Hours' and 'Inception' are also on the table.
But what about the many standout films and performances that are likely to be overlooked by Oscar this year?
"This year, there just aren't that many studio projects aside from 'Inception' and 'Toy Story 3' -- there's no 'Avatar' like last year or 'Wall-E' from the previous year," says Lucas Carter, vice president of LA-based production company Intrigue Entertainment and a former VP at The Weinstein Company, where he worked on the Oscar campaigns for 'The Reader,' 'Vicki Cristina Barcelona' and 'A Single Man.' "The surprise could be 'Winter's Bone.' 'True Grit,' which was snubbed by the HFPA [Golden Globes], will be nominated, possibly 'Blue Valentine.'"
"The 10th slot is always up in the air," Carter continued. "[But] the big titles are 'Kings Speech,' 'Social Network,' 'Black Swan,' 'Fighter,' 'The Kids Are Alright,' 'Inception' and 'Toy Story 3.'"
A quick look at this year's Golden Globe nominations -- which have historically served as a reliable predictor for the Oscars -- would suggest there were no such movies. After all, how dreadful must the other contenders be for a critical (and box office) bomb like 'The Tourist' to pick up three nominations? But in reality there were many films and performances that are every bit as worthy of Oscar gold as this year's predicted nominees, despite the fact that they probably won't receive any nominations.
Here are eight of them.
'Harry Brown':
Michael Caine's role as a badass British vigilante who takes down a gang of local hoodlums was one of the year's best performances.
'Mother and Child':
Sure, Annette Bening's role in 'The Kids Are Alright' was great, but her performance in Rodrigo Garcia's thoughtful (though shamefully underpublicized) drama was positively spectacular.
'Casino Jack':
Who but Kevin Spacey could make corrupt lobbyist and businessman Jack Abramoff seem lovable?
'The Ghost Writer':
Both Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan delivered excellent performances in Roman Polanski's intelligent thriller. If only Kim Cattrall had left her dreadful British accent at home, 'The Ghost Writer' might be a serious contender for Best Picture.
'Conviction':
While Hilary Swank is no slouch as the female lead in this under-hyped film, it is Sam Rockwell, as a man wrongfully convicted of murder, whose performance is truly remarkable.
'Greenberg':
The only consolation in knowing that neither Ben Stiller nor Greta Gerwig are likely to be nominated for 'Greenberg' is the thought of how much Greenberg himself would abhor everything about awards season altogether.
'Catfish':
With any luck, 'Exit Through the Gift Shop' and 'Inside Job' will receive nominations for Best Documentary, and they deserve to. But this low-budget documentary -- which has all the complexity and intrigue of a scripted film -- would be a welcome, if unlikely, addition to the category.
'I Love You Phillip Morris':
Jim Carrey's depiction of real-life gay con artist Steven Russell proves the actor has come a long way since 'Ace Ventura.' But, sadly (if as always), it seems there may only be room for one nomination for a gay performance, and this year it's going to lesbians.
Showing posts with label Should. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Should. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Neil Patrick Harris, Helen Mirren or Lindsay Lohan: Who Should Play Julian Assange?
Not since David Fincher began sniffing for his American Lisbeth Salander has speculation over which actor would portray a creepy foreigner on-screen been as interesting as this week when Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's life story was optioned for a biopic.
While the project remains in its prenatal stages, now is the time to speculate on who could possibly portray Assange, including Neil Patrick Harris and surprise picks Helen Mirren or Lindsay Lohan.
The Gloss Editor-in-Chief Lilit Marcus votes for a combination of Neil Patrick Harris in the 'Harold and Kumar' franchise and Matt Damon in 'The Talented Mr. Ripley.' It could possible be portioned out into a duel role to accommodate both actors, like Hayley Mills in 'The Parent Trap,' but in reverse.
"It needs to be someone who can dance the fine line of charming and total skeeze," Marcus says.
Mediaite Editor-at-Large Rachel Sklar also champions Harris.
"If the movie is written in the 'Social Network' style, i.e. huge liberties taken with plot and character, then Harris could imbue the screen Assange [pictured at right] with passion and fire but also with the earnestness and vulnerability necessary to sympathize with a rogue freedom fighter, although Assange himself rather lacks that quality," Sklar says.
Our own Naughty But Nice Rob Shuter thinks that after getting the boot from the Linda Lovelace biopic this role would be the perfect vehicle for Lindsay Lohan's comeback.
"When it comes to leaks no one is better than la Lohan. Plus, she needs a break, and often cross-dressing celebrities get nominated for an Oscar; for example, Dustin Hoffman, Hillary Swank, Liza Minnelli -- no wait, I think that one was really her and not a drag queen," Shuter said, with a hint of confusion.
The cross-dressing thing seems to be on everyone's minds. Radio host and 'Cult of Celebrity' author Cooper Lawrence suggested Helen Mirren, who, as photographic evidence proves, is a fantastic choice for Assange in his shoulder-length hair phase.
"Helen Mirren for sure! The gender-bender thing is always attention-getting, just the way Cate Blanchett did it in 'I'm Not There' ... which reminds me, she should play the younger Julian Assange. It's always a good idea to have likable actors play unlikable people. Otherwise, nobody will go to the movie," Lawrence says.
Of course, because of Assange's pale skin tone, the name Paul Bettany has already been bandied about, probably to his dismay. Word to the wise: Don't ask Bettany at a party why he always seems to play creepy albinos unless you want to talk to his hand.
The tough thing about casting Assange is that in reality he seems to have been plucked right out of central casting.
"Julian Assange already looks like the kind of person who would play Julian Assange in the movie. Alas, there is a shortage of mysterious oily-yet-dashing albinos on the scene," Sklar says.
We couldn't agree more. But that doesn't mean we will stop guessing.
While the project remains in its prenatal stages, now is the time to speculate on who could possibly portray Assange, including Neil Patrick Harris and surprise picks Helen Mirren or Lindsay Lohan.
The Gloss Editor-in-Chief Lilit Marcus votes for a combination of Neil Patrick Harris in the 'Harold and Kumar' franchise and Matt Damon in 'The Talented Mr. Ripley.' It could possible be portioned out into a duel role to accommodate both actors, like Hayley Mills in 'The Parent Trap,' but in reverse.
"It needs to be someone who can dance the fine line of charming and total skeeze," Marcus says.
Mediaite Editor-at-Large Rachel Sklar also champions Harris.
"If the movie is written in the 'Social Network' style, i.e. huge liberties taken with plot and character, then Harris could imbue the screen Assange [pictured at right] with passion and fire but also with the earnestness and vulnerability necessary to sympathize with a rogue freedom fighter, although Assange himself rather lacks that quality," Sklar says.
Our own Naughty But Nice Rob Shuter thinks that after getting the boot from the Linda Lovelace biopic this role would be the perfect vehicle for Lindsay Lohan's comeback.
"When it comes to leaks no one is better than la Lohan. Plus, she needs a break, and often cross-dressing celebrities get nominated for an Oscar; for example, Dustin Hoffman, Hillary Swank, Liza Minnelli -- no wait, I think that one was really her and not a drag queen," Shuter said, with a hint of confusion.
The cross-dressing thing seems to be on everyone's minds. Radio host and 'Cult of Celebrity' author Cooper Lawrence suggested Helen Mirren, who, as photographic evidence proves, is a fantastic choice for Assange in his shoulder-length hair phase.
"Helen Mirren for sure! The gender-bender thing is always attention-getting, just the way Cate Blanchett did it in 'I'm Not There' ... which reminds me, she should play the younger Julian Assange. It's always a good idea to have likable actors play unlikable people. Otherwise, nobody will go to the movie," Lawrence says.
Of course, because of Assange's pale skin tone, the name Paul Bettany has already been bandied about, probably to his dismay. Word to the wise: Don't ask Bettany at a party why he always seems to play creepy albinos unless you want to talk to his hand.
The tough thing about casting Assange is that in reality he seems to have been plucked right out of central casting.
"Julian Assange already looks like the kind of person who would play Julian Assange in the movie. Alas, there is a shortage of mysterious oily-yet-dashing albinos on the scene," Sklar says.
We couldn't agree more. But that doesn't mean we will stop guessing.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Donald Driver: Why We Should All Be Green Bay Packer Fans This February
If I was given the ability to select one man in the history of any sport and put him into that sport's Hall of Fame, I wouldn't choose Pete Rose, Dennis Rodman or Don Mattingly—heck, not even Jerry Kramer.
I would pick Donald Driver. No man in the history of sports stands for what an athlete should be more than him.
The story of this man is a fascinating one. It's also one that few people know.
Driver grew up in the slums. The kid was dirt poor. He lived out of the trunk of his car.
When he was in seventh grade, his older brother noticed Driver's incredible speed, agility and hands—so he put it to use.
Things were so bad for the Drivers that Donald, dubbed "Quickie" by his brothers, was using his God-given talents to steal cars.
Those cars he would sell for drugs, drugs he claims he never used, but rather resold for more money.
Hey, when things are bad, they're bad. Driver says he probably stole 20 or 30 cars, and he was only caught once.
But that once changed everything.
Just as he was starting the car, he heard sirens, so he did what anybody would do—stepped on the gas and got away as fast as possible.
However, just as he was making his escape, he hit an old woman's car as she was backing out of her driveway. He hopped out of the car and sprinted away, and he was in the clear.
He had the cops beat by a few blocks, but something made him turn back.
It was the old lady. He went back to make sure she was okay.
That's right. Driver, who was in the midst of literally running for his life, the same kid who had just been caught stealing a car, turned back to check on the well-being of a woman that he had no affiliation with whatsoever, a woman he had never met in his life.
She was fine, but by the time he got back the police were rounding the corner, so she said to him, "Go sit on my porch."
For some reason he trusted her, and he took a seat on her porch.
By the time the cops got there she told them the lowlife had run off. "So who's that sitting on your porch?" one cop said to her.
The five words that followed would go on to change Driver's life as he knew it: "Oh, that's just my grandson."
Donald was mesmerized. He couldn't believe what had just happened—until the woman walked over to him and said, "Get in this house!" Inside, she went off on him. "Why do you do this?!" she said.
Now, this is no movie. He still stole another car or two because things were that bad. But one year later his mom sent him to live with his grandmother.
He joined the drill team at his grandmother's church and played organized football for the first time at Milby High School, where he found out Olympic speed and great hands can do more than just steal cars.
It then occurred to him what the lady was trying to tell him that day: "You could be doing so much more!"
And he did. Driver starred in track and football at Alcorn State, where he also got his accounting degree.
Isn't it funny how one good deed can mean so much?
After he finished college, Driver had a choice to make: He could either compete in the 2000 Sydney Olympics or join the Green Bay Packers, who had used the 213th overall pick to draft him in 1999.
With his family still in poverty, Driver needed an NFL paycheck desperately, so he chose the Packers.
Good choice.
For two years Driver played every practice as if he would have been arrested for taking a play off, and in 2002, when the Packers were about as desperate for a wide receiver as Driver himself was for money as a kid, guess who came out of nowhere to become a Pro Bowl receiver?
Driver didn't disappear after that 2002 season either. The guy has become a Packers legend, the second greatest receiver in team history.
However, talking to Driver, you wouldn't know it. He's never been a "look at me"-type guy, which is why he's flown so wildly under the radar in the same era as guys like Terrell Owens and Randy Moss.
From 2005 to 2008 he was, aside from Marvin Harrison, perhaps the best and most consistent wide receiver in all of football.
Driver holds Packers franchise records for career receiving yards, receptions, 1,000-yard receiving seasons, consecutive games with a reception and 50-plus-catch seasons.
However, that is not why Donald Driver deserves your utmost respect. He deserves it not because of who he is on the field, but rather who he is off it.
He has his own charity, the Donald Driver Foundation, which offers assistance to ill children with unmanageable hospital bills, provides housing for the homeless and donates to a variety of local charities. He is also said to make more charity appearances than any other player on the team by a wide margin.
"He's a wonderful man," says Cathy Dworak, the team's manager of community relations. "He's always smiling, fun, positive. He calls me up and asks if there are any appearances I need done. Can you imagine?"
Earlier this season, with the Packers playing for their playoff lives against the Detroit Lions, Driver noticed his quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't look right after taking a brutal hit on a scramble on the last series.
He told him that he should leave the game, that his future as a human being was more important than a stupid game. Keep in mind that's coming from a 36-year-old veteran in perhaps his last chance to win a Super Bowl, risking a shot at the playoffs to do something that I guarantee you 99 percent of other NFL players wouldn't have done.
It turned out Rodgers had his second concussion of the season. Driver very well may have saved his career.
That is why I root for the little engine that could from Alcorn State—because he cares about the people.
He cares about the fans, the kids, his teammates and even people he's never met (remember that old lady).
Which is why I will pray to God that if there is one great game left in Donald Driver's 36-year-old body, we see it on Super Bowl Sunday.
Nobody deserves a ring more.
I would pick Donald Driver. No man in the history of sports stands for what an athlete should be more than him.
The story of this man is a fascinating one. It's also one that few people know.
Driver grew up in the slums. The kid was dirt poor. He lived out of the trunk of his car.
When he was in seventh grade, his older brother noticed Driver's incredible speed, agility and hands—so he put it to use.
Things were so bad for the Drivers that Donald, dubbed "Quickie" by his brothers, was using his God-given talents to steal cars.
Those cars he would sell for drugs, drugs he claims he never used, but rather resold for more money.
Hey, when things are bad, they're bad. Driver says he probably stole 20 or 30 cars, and he was only caught once.
But that once changed everything.
Just as he was starting the car, he heard sirens, so he did what anybody would do—stepped on the gas and got away as fast as possible.
However, just as he was making his escape, he hit an old woman's car as she was backing out of her driveway. He hopped out of the car and sprinted away, and he was in the clear.
He had the cops beat by a few blocks, but something made him turn back.
It was the old lady. He went back to make sure she was okay.
That's right. Driver, who was in the midst of literally running for his life, the same kid who had just been caught stealing a car, turned back to check on the well-being of a woman that he had no affiliation with whatsoever, a woman he had never met in his life.
She was fine, but by the time he got back the police were rounding the corner, so she said to him, "Go sit on my porch."
For some reason he trusted her, and he took a seat on her porch.
By the time the cops got there she told them the lowlife had run off. "So who's that sitting on your porch?" one cop said to her.
The five words that followed would go on to change Driver's life as he knew it: "Oh, that's just my grandson."
Donald was mesmerized. He couldn't believe what had just happened—until the woman walked over to him and said, "Get in this house!" Inside, she went off on him. "Why do you do this?!" she said.
Now, this is no movie. He still stole another car or two because things were that bad. But one year later his mom sent him to live with his grandmother.
He joined the drill team at his grandmother's church and played organized football for the first time at Milby High School, where he found out Olympic speed and great hands can do more than just steal cars.
It then occurred to him what the lady was trying to tell him that day: "You could be doing so much more!"
And he did. Driver starred in track and football at Alcorn State, where he also got his accounting degree.
Isn't it funny how one good deed can mean so much?
After he finished college, Driver had a choice to make: He could either compete in the 2000 Sydney Olympics or join the Green Bay Packers, who had used the 213th overall pick to draft him in 1999.
With his family still in poverty, Driver needed an NFL paycheck desperately, so he chose the Packers.
Good choice.
For two years Driver played every practice as if he would have been arrested for taking a play off, and in 2002, when the Packers were about as desperate for a wide receiver as Driver himself was for money as a kid, guess who came out of nowhere to become a Pro Bowl receiver?
Driver didn't disappear after that 2002 season either. The guy has become a Packers legend, the second greatest receiver in team history.
However, talking to Driver, you wouldn't know it. He's never been a "look at me"-type guy, which is why he's flown so wildly under the radar in the same era as guys like Terrell Owens and Randy Moss.
From 2005 to 2008 he was, aside from Marvin Harrison, perhaps the best and most consistent wide receiver in all of football.
Driver holds Packers franchise records for career receiving yards, receptions, 1,000-yard receiving seasons, consecutive games with a reception and 50-plus-catch seasons.
However, that is not why Donald Driver deserves your utmost respect. He deserves it not because of who he is on the field, but rather who he is off it.
He has his own charity, the Donald Driver Foundation, which offers assistance to ill children with unmanageable hospital bills, provides housing for the homeless and donates to a variety of local charities. He is also said to make more charity appearances than any other player on the team by a wide margin.
"He's a wonderful man," says Cathy Dworak, the team's manager of community relations. "He's always smiling, fun, positive. He calls me up and asks if there are any appearances I need done. Can you imagine?"
Earlier this season, with the Packers playing for their playoff lives against the Detroit Lions, Driver noticed his quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't look right after taking a brutal hit on a scramble on the last series.
He told him that he should leave the game, that his future as a human being was more important than a stupid game. Keep in mind that's coming from a 36-year-old veteran in perhaps his last chance to win a Super Bowl, risking a shot at the playoffs to do something that I guarantee you 99 percent of other NFL players wouldn't have done.
It turned out Rodgers had his second concussion of the season. Driver very well may have saved his career.
That is why I root for the little engine that could from Alcorn State—because he cares about the people.
He cares about the fans, the kids, his teammates and even people he's never met (remember that old lady).
Which is why I will pray to God that if there is one great game left in Donald Driver's 36-year-old body, we see it on Super Bowl Sunday.
Nobody deserves a ring more.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Carmelo Anthony Trade Rumors: Should New Jersey Nets Give Up and Go Draft Route?
Carmelo Anthony, the Denver Nuggets star forward, is going to be playing somewhere else next year.
There's no question about that. If he wanted to stay in Denver he would have signed their extension offer long ago and put all this drama to rest.
It's been well known for months now that Anthony's preferred destination would be the New York Knicks, but the New Jersey Nets have been trying hard to get their hands on the superstar.
The problem is that Anthony doesn't seem all that enthused about playing for New Jersey, and he basically holds all the power as no team would be in their right mind to give up the bounty required to attain 'Melo without the guarantee of him signing an extension.
At different points this season, and stretching back to this summer, the Nets have had multi-team deals in place only to see them fall apart.
Most recently, the Nets, Nuggets and Detroit Pistons had a 15-player deal in the works that was headlined by Anthony, Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton going to New Jersey, Devin Harris, Derrick Favors and multiple first-round picks going to Denver and Troy Murphy's expiring contract going to Detroit.
There would obviously have been other players involved, but those were the most notable.
Like all the others, that deal fell through and the Nuggets are now threatening to trade Anthony to the Knicks if New Jersey does not keep trade talks out of the press.
For their part, the Nets called the Nuggets front office "inexperienced" and talks are now at a standstill.
Denver is clearly frustrated with New Jersey for leaking information and allowing this to become such a distraction to the teams, but to sell off your best player to a team with a lesser offer just to spite the Nets doesn't make much sense.
To be honest, that does reek of a management team in Denver that is not well-seasoned. General Manager Masai Ujiri is in his first year on the job after all.
The Nets are also getting exasperated with Denver's repeated act of becoming gun shy as soon as a deal appears imminent.
Okay, now that all the back story is out of the way, let's consider the Nets' options here.
There is no way of ignoring the fact that getting Anthony would instantly boost the team. He's a top-five talent in the league, and those guys don't grow on trees.
At what cost is it worth getting a player of his caliber, though?
The deal with Detroit makes sense right now, but would it lead to long-term success?
Billups is 34 years old and on the downside of his career, no matter how much he thinks is left in the tank, and Hamilton will be turning 33 in about a month.
Hamilton's game relies on him exhausting his defender by constantly running through screens, eventually giving him more room to knock down his patented mid-range jump shot.
He has even said in the past that he works extra hard on his conditioning, knowing that if he's tired at the end of a game the guy guarding him is completely spent.
At some point all the wear on his body is going to take its toll and prevent him from doing that. It's probably even started already, since his PPG and shooting percentages have dropped off in recent years.
Sure he's on a bad team, but he's also getting old.
Anthony is in his prime, so would it really benefit him to be surrounded by guys whose careers are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel?
Wouldn't that simply make the Nets the Denver Nuggets 2.0?
Here's another idea for the New Jersey, soon to be Brooklyn, Nets. Build your team the old fashioned way. Do it through the draft.
That's not to say that they shouldn't try to get quality players through trades and free agency, but they need to build their core with younger guys.
They have a good nucleus in Harris and Brook Lopez.
Harris may not be an elite-level point guard, but he's very good. He's been stuck on bad New Jersey teams for the past three years, and is still averaging a career-high seven APG this season.
He also just put up a 15-assist game playing alongside Travis Outlaw, Stephen Graham and Quinton Ross. The guy is good.
Much has been made of Lopez's perceived soft play and lack of rebounding this year, and rightfully so as a 7'0" center should be getting more boards.
What has been downplayed, though, is that Lopez was unable to work out for much of the summer while battling mononucleosis, which caused him to lose a significant amount of weight.
It also cost him a chance to play with Team USA, and there's not a single player who went through that experience and did not greatly benefit from it.
The team also has solid role players in Kris Humphries, who has been a revelation this year, Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar.
Although they are currently nursing injuries, sharpshooter Anthony Morrow and rookie Damion James are good players, and the team was playing much better when they were healthy.
We also cannot overlook Derrick Favors.
The rookie's overall numbers are not great, but that is largely due to his inability to stay on the court due to foul trouble—hardly a rare problem for first-year players.
When Favors has been able to play at least 25 minutes, he's averaging 12 PPG and seven RPG to go along with a 61 percent field-goal percentage.
He can run the floor and finish at the rim and is playing well on defense for a rookie. His shooting stroke is also technically sound, which is an indicator that he could end up being a solid shooter.
To sum all that up for you, the Nets have some good pieces in place in terms of player personnel and also have a good coaching staff, led by Avery Johnson.
General manager Billy King has referenced the Oklahoma City Thunder as a team he views as a model organization.
If that's the case, he should just give up on trying to get Anthony and set his team up for success the way OKC did.
That means making good draft selections and allowing the team to find its way in its own time.
New Jersey has five first-round draft picks in the next two years, as well as some extra second-rounders.
Surely they could find some good players with those picks, or trade up to get a lock stud.
The team's biggest hole is at small forward, where Outlaw has become dead weight. James won over the coaching staff with his effort and work ethic, but it's unknown if he'll be a long-term solution at the position.
He could just be a very good role player, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Small forwards who will likely be available in the 2011 draft include Harrison Barnes, Terrence Jones, Derrick Williams and Chris Singleton.
Barnes has certainly underwhelmed so far, but few doubt his potential. Jones is nearly averaging a 20-10 season right now, Williams leads the country in player efficiency rating while knocking down shots at a 66 percent rate and threes at a 70 percent clip, and Singleton is widely regarded as the best defender in college basketball.
Johnson is a defensive-minded coach who would probably love Singleton.
Depending on how some other teams finish this year, the Nets could have three first-round picks this summer. They could land two of the aforementioned players at small forward if none of them have clearly separated themselves, could trade up if necessary or completely fill out their roster with the right selections.
What do you think the Nets should do?
There are also guys like Duke's Nolan Smith who are projected to go in the second round, where they could be real steals.
Since 2007, Oklahoma City has gotten Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and James Harden through the draft.
During that time, they also traded for or signed Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, Thabo Sefolosha and Eric Maynor. Green, Krstic and Sefolosha are now starters and Maynor has been solid off the bench.
With all the picks the Nets have in the upcoming years, there's no reason to believe they could not do something similar, provided they take the right guys.
There are also a number of good players who will become free agents over the next few offseasons. If the Nets play their cards right, they should be able to sign some of them.
To add to the possible similarities, the Thunder really took off once they left Seattle and moved to Oklahoma City.
Perhaps the same type of success will ensue for the Nets when they move to Brooklyn in 2012.
It would be hard to turn down a player like Carmelo Anthony. The splashy move is not always the best one, however, and it really does not appear he wants to play for the Nets.
Why sell the farm for a guy who will be unhappy?
It might take longer and be more painful, but making smart draft picks and free agent signings of lesser-known players is starting to look like the best way to go.
There's no question about that. If he wanted to stay in Denver he would have signed their extension offer long ago and put all this drama to rest.
It's been well known for months now that Anthony's preferred destination would be the New York Knicks, but the New Jersey Nets have been trying hard to get their hands on the superstar.
The problem is that Anthony doesn't seem all that enthused about playing for New Jersey, and he basically holds all the power as no team would be in their right mind to give up the bounty required to attain 'Melo without the guarantee of him signing an extension.
At different points this season, and stretching back to this summer, the Nets have had multi-team deals in place only to see them fall apart.
Most recently, the Nets, Nuggets and Detroit Pistons had a 15-player deal in the works that was headlined by Anthony, Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton going to New Jersey, Devin Harris, Derrick Favors and multiple first-round picks going to Denver and Troy Murphy's expiring contract going to Detroit.
There would obviously have been other players involved, but those were the most notable.
Like all the others, that deal fell through and the Nuggets are now threatening to trade Anthony to the Knicks if New Jersey does not keep trade talks out of the press.
For their part, the Nets called the Nuggets front office "inexperienced" and talks are now at a standstill.
Denver is clearly frustrated with New Jersey for leaking information and allowing this to become such a distraction to the teams, but to sell off your best player to a team with a lesser offer just to spite the Nets doesn't make much sense.
To be honest, that does reek of a management team in Denver that is not well-seasoned. General Manager Masai Ujiri is in his first year on the job after all.
The Nets are also getting exasperated with Denver's repeated act of becoming gun shy as soon as a deal appears imminent.
Okay, now that all the back story is out of the way, let's consider the Nets' options here.
There is no way of ignoring the fact that getting Anthony would instantly boost the team. He's a top-five talent in the league, and those guys don't grow on trees.
At what cost is it worth getting a player of his caliber, though?
The deal with Detroit makes sense right now, but would it lead to long-term success?
Billups is 34 years old and on the downside of his career, no matter how much he thinks is left in the tank, and Hamilton will be turning 33 in about a month.
Hamilton's game relies on him exhausting his defender by constantly running through screens, eventually giving him more room to knock down his patented mid-range jump shot.
He has even said in the past that he works extra hard on his conditioning, knowing that if he's tired at the end of a game the guy guarding him is completely spent.
At some point all the wear on his body is going to take its toll and prevent him from doing that. It's probably even started already, since his PPG and shooting percentages have dropped off in recent years.
Sure he's on a bad team, but he's also getting old.
Anthony is in his prime, so would it really benefit him to be surrounded by guys whose careers are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel?
Wouldn't that simply make the Nets the Denver Nuggets 2.0?
Here's another idea for the New Jersey, soon to be Brooklyn, Nets. Build your team the old fashioned way. Do it through the draft.
That's not to say that they shouldn't try to get quality players through trades and free agency, but they need to build their core with younger guys.
They have a good nucleus in Harris and Brook Lopez.
Harris may not be an elite-level point guard, but he's very good. He's been stuck on bad New Jersey teams for the past three years, and is still averaging a career-high seven APG this season.
He also just put up a 15-assist game playing alongside Travis Outlaw, Stephen Graham and Quinton Ross. The guy is good.
Much has been made of Lopez's perceived soft play and lack of rebounding this year, and rightfully so as a 7'0" center should be getting more boards.
What has been downplayed, though, is that Lopez was unable to work out for much of the summer while battling mononucleosis, which caused him to lose a significant amount of weight.
It also cost him a chance to play with Team USA, and there's not a single player who went through that experience and did not greatly benefit from it.
The team also has solid role players in Kris Humphries, who has been a revelation this year, Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar.
Although they are currently nursing injuries, sharpshooter Anthony Morrow and rookie Damion James are good players, and the team was playing much better when they were healthy.
We also cannot overlook Derrick Favors.
The rookie's overall numbers are not great, but that is largely due to his inability to stay on the court due to foul trouble—hardly a rare problem for first-year players.
When Favors has been able to play at least 25 minutes, he's averaging 12 PPG and seven RPG to go along with a 61 percent field-goal percentage.
He can run the floor and finish at the rim and is playing well on defense for a rookie. His shooting stroke is also technically sound, which is an indicator that he could end up being a solid shooter.
To sum all that up for you, the Nets have some good pieces in place in terms of player personnel and also have a good coaching staff, led by Avery Johnson.
General manager Billy King has referenced the Oklahoma City Thunder as a team he views as a model organization.
If that's the case, he should just give up on trying to get Anthony and set his team up for success the way OKC did.
That means making good draft selections and allowing the team to find its way in its own time.
New Jersey has five first-round draft picks in the next two years, as well as some extra second-rounders.
Surely they could find some good players with those picks, or trade up to get a lock stud.
The team's biggest hole is at small forward, where Outlaw has become dead weight. James won over the coaching staff with his effort and work ethic, but it's unknown if he'll be a long-term solution at the position.
He could just be a very good role player, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Small forwards who will likely be available in the 2011 draft include Harrison Barnes, Terrence Jones, Derrick Williams and Chris Singleton.
Barnes has certainly underwhelmed so far, but few doubt his potential. Jones is nearly averaging a 20-10 season right now, Williams leads the country in player efficiency rating while knocking down shots at a 66 percent rate and threes at a 70 percent clip, and Singleton is widely regarded as the best defender in college basketball.
Johnson is a defensive-minded coach who would probably love Singleton.
Depending on how some other teams finish this year, the Nets could have three first-round picks this summer. They could land two of the aforementioned players at small forward if none of them have clearly separated themselves, could trade up if necessary or completely fill out their roster with the right selections.
What do you think the Nets should do?
There are also guys like Duke's Nolan Smith who are projected to go in the second round, where they could be real steals.
Since 2007, Oklahoma City has gotten Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and James Harden through the draft.
During that time, they also traded for or signed Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, Thabo Sefolosha and Eric Maynor. Green, Krstic and Sefolosha are now starters and Maynor has been solid off the bench.
With all the picks the Nets have in the upcoming years, there's no reason to believe they could not do something similar, provided they take the right guys.
There are also a number of good players who will become free agents over the next few offseasons. If the Nets play their cards right, they should be able to sign some of them.
To add to the possible similarities, the Thunder really took off once they left Seattle and moved to Oklahoma City.
Perhaps the same type of success will ensue for the Nets when they move to Brooklyn in 2012.
It would be hard to turn down a player like Carmelo Anthony. The splashy move is not always the best one, however, and it really does not appear he wants to play for the Nets.
Why sell the farm for a guy who will be unhappy?
It might take longer and be more painful, but making smart draft picks and free agent signings of lesser-known players is starting to look like the best way to go.
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