Scoring Title First of Few Individual Awards for Melo

Before I get into this topic, I would like to yet again say that my thoughts and prayers are still with those in Boston and those who were affected by the life-changing incident this past Monday. My last blog covered a little bit about how the marathon affected the nation and the sports we all love and in no way, shape, or form are we all ready to return to normalcy. The images we saw on the news still stick in our minds and we grieve for those who are hurt. With that being said, I wish to discuss the latest news that Carmelo Anthony has won his first scoring title.

Melo has been all smiles all season, and deservedly so.

It was announced this morning that Kevin Durant would not play in the Thunder's final game, leaving him what would have had to have been a 70-point performance away from his fourth straight scoring title. Carmelo Anthony absolutely dominated the month of April and averaged 36 points per game since the first of the month, and that's no April Fool's joke. In a word, Melo was absolutely dominant this year. It didn't matter how you guarded him, who guarded him, or where you guarded him. The bottom line was that Melo had a Hall of Fame season and will gladly accept the first scoring title to be presented to a New York Knick since Bernard King in the 1984-1985 season.While shooting his way to the league's best 29 points per game accompanied by an impressive 45% field goal percentage, Carmelo Anthony will make his way into Knicks history with this incredible season.

But what about Melo's career as a whole? Is it really that admirable? Sure he's a six-time All-Star and Olympic Gold Medalist, but has Carmelo Anthony's career really been that extraordinary? If you look at the statistics, his career is definitely above average, but he hasn't done anything that will make future generations remember him for.

The road to Melo's first Finals appearance runs through Miami.

So what makes Melo worth remembering? It certainly won't be his 33% three point percentage, nor is it his three assists per game. Melo's teams have also been a non-factor in the playoffs with Melo only seeing second round play once in ten years. While with the Nuggets, Melo only won the Northwestern Division three times out of his eight seasons in the Mile High City. Needless to say he never won the conference championship and never even sniffed the Finals.

That carries right over to the City that Never Sleeps when he joined the Knicks in 2011. This year was the first year Melo's team won a division title and they boast the two seed in the East. With the playoffs looming, this brings us to Carmelo's playoff statistics. Essentially, Melo's statistics don't differ from his regular season averages which you could say is good because that means he doesn't disappear. On the other side of that, however, it doesn't appear that he elevates his game either. Players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Derrick Rose all have seen an increase in the point production when it comes time to chase a title, Melo has not.

With the postseason comes postseason awards which Melo has basically been nonexistent, he has been named to the All-NBA team five times: once to the second team and four times to the third team. He has never been an MVP finalist until possibly this year and as a whole his name just simply hasn't been in discussion for postseason awards. We won't even get into defensive awards because Melo doesn't exactly overexert himself on the defensive end. All in all, Melo will be a player people look back on and remember but my guess is very few people will say "Man I wish I could go back and watch Carmelo Anthony play." He's a top ten player of the generation but not one that will be as big of a name down the road if his career continues down the road it's going. No disrespect to the phenomenal half-court offensive player that Carmelo Anthony clearly and honestly is, but the hype is backed up by very, very few accolades.