Carmelo Anthony: THE ROY

MELO DUNK 56k | 300k Carmelo rocks the rim against the Lakers.

THREEEE avi | mov Melo shows his range early on in the season.

BREAKING AWAY 56k | 300k Melo breaking away from the pack.

Marty Burns, Sports Illustrated – “LeBron James might be “The Chosen One”, but when it comes to predicting this year’s Rookie of the Year, I can’t be yellow. I’m going with ‘Melo.”

McGrady

Tracy McGrady, Orlando Magic - "In my opinion its got to be Carmelo (for Rookie of the Year). I was watching him playing the Lakers and he’s just the better basketball player. Carmelo is the better basketball player, and LeBron is the better athlete. Carmelo can score in many more ways.

Reggie Miller, Indiana Pacers - "Everyone had trouble with (Anthony). He's a special player. Him and LeBron, if it was up to me, they'd share Rookie of the Year. I know everyone is talking about LeBron, but I think Carmelo is right up there with him. He has an unbelievable game.”

Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics – “It took me about eight years - three in college and five in the pros - to get to some of the things he's already doing,'' Pierce said. ``I mean, he was only a freshman in college last year - unbelievable. He's gonna be unbelievable. He's scoring 20 points a game, he has a chance of making the playoffs, and he's only a rookie. I don’t even know if he knows what he’s doing out there. But once he understands what kind of presence he can have on the court, he’ll be phenomenal.”

Eric Musselman, head coach, Golden State Warriors – “I think Carmelo is a franchise-changer. If you believe a guy is a franchise-changer, you obviously believe he’s going to be an All-Star for many years.”

“It shows you the infusion of a guy, what he can do to a ballclub, how he can change a franchise around with the snap of fingers. He’s done that. Obviously he has a nice supporting cast, but that’s a draft pick that has a significant impact on a franchise for today, and it’s going to be that way for a while because he’s a special, special player.”

Rick Carlisle, head coach, Indiana Pacers – “Seeing him in person, in an NBA uniform, you realize he’s a little bigger than you think, a little quicker, a little more under control. He has a real grasp of all his abilities. More than anything else, though, is that he seems to have the respect of all his teammates. And for a player to be in that position at such a young stage of his career is pretty special.”

Artest

Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers – “He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve had to guard in a long time. He’s up there with the best. I don’t think a lot of people are going to be able to stop him. He played like an All-Star.”

Michael Wilbon, Washington Post - “It's fine because this 20-year-old is the best rookie in the NBA. That's right, if I was voting for rookie of the year right now, today, I'd cast my vote for Anthony over LeBron James and not spend a whole lot of time agonizing over the decision.”

Mike Preston, Baltimore Sun - “That's because Anthony, an alum of Towson Catholic who played his recreation ball at Mount Royal, is so cool. He's got that great, warm, Magic Johnson smile and an all-around game of being able to handle the ball under pressure, post up bigger players and hit mid-range jump shots. And though Cleveland Cavaliers rookie LeBron James has a more explosive game, sells more sneakers and jerseys and has the potential to become the league's most dominant player, the NBA Rookie of the Year should be Anthony.”

Lawrence Frank, head coach, New Jersey Nets - "He's tremendous. He's got a chance to be very, very, very special. He is very versatile. He's talented. He's got a great frame. He's got a great approach to the game. He's got great ballhandling skills. Combine that with his strength and his athleticism; he's a special player."

Richard Jefferson, forward, New Jersey Nets - "He's right there with every other scorer in this league, where as he goes, so does his team." Andre Miller, Denver Nuggets – “He’s a player. He can go out there and play. He knows how to adjust. The thing that gives him an edge is that he understands how to play. Mentally he prepares himself. He just doesn’t go out there and play. He understands how to play.”

Davis

Baron Davis, New Orleans Hornets – “He’s a guy who understands this game and knows how to score and be effective. I’m not surprised by what he’s doing, because you can see in his skills and talent just how good of a player he is. And it’s going to be scary, because he’s going to be one of the best scorers in this league.”

Tim Floyd, head coach, New Orleans Hornets – He has all the tools, and he’s very unselfish. He has the one intangible that a lot of players don’t have. He’s won at a high level in college, and he doesn’t understand the mechanics of losing.”

Jack Ramsey, NBA analyst – “Carmelo is just quick, so agile. He drives it to the basket, takes it under, then dunks coming back the other way.”

Billy Knight, general manager, Atlanta Hawks – “He’s lived up to his billing. There’s no way to describe his game. He’s not just a scorer, not just a rebounder, not just a defender. He’s an all-around player. He’s looking good.”

Van Gundy

Jeff Van Gundy, head coach, Houston Rockets – “He’s a star. He gets to the offensive boards. He makes open shots. He drives hard, posts well and rebounds it.”

Nick Van Exel, Golden State Warriors – “Carmelo’s the truth, and he’s going to be the truth for a while.”

Aaron McKie, Philadelphia 76ers – “I think he’s the real deal. He can do just about anything on the court, and he’s got some size. He knows how to play the game.”