As he preps himself for the rigors of another season, Carmelo Anthony moves forward as the Denver Nuggets’ franchise player with perhaps more expectations than he’s ever had as a pro.

Last year, by many a hoops analyst’s opinion, he was recognized as perhaps the most efficient scorer in the league. At times he reminded us of a young George Gervin. Elegant and crafty, he made 30 look as easy as a routine trip to the gas station; especially on December 10th when he netted 33 in a quarter, tying the former Spurs legend for the most points in a quarter – EVER.

On other occasions, he showed a willingness to bang, mixing it up with the bigs and giving smaller guards and forwards hell in a handbag. Unsurprisingly, his efforts produced all star caliber numbers – 23, 7 and 3 – even if he missed the bid to prove it. For his trouble, Melo and his Nuggets reached the Western Conference Finals, where they met and were eventually defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers.

The bittersweet end to his 2008-2009 season unfortunately came on his birthday, but Melo and the Nuggets retooled over the summer adding depth to an already deep squad.

“Hopefully the moves we made in the offseason will pay off,” he says. “I’m just looking forward to competing with the rest of my teammates this year.”

Among the new additions is former UNC standout Ty Lawson, a point guard who has shown the mettle of a seasoned veteran over the summer and in the Nuggets opener last night. Lawson was drafted to learn from Chauncey Billups, arguably the best floor general in the league, which he will most certainly do. Add JR Smith to the mix (when he gets back from suspension) and suddenly the Nuggets now have the makings of a futuristic backcourt.

Billups was clearly recruited home in an effort to repair the Allen Iverson Experiment, which seemed to have taken a toll on team chemistry. Melo insists though, either of them would have had it this way.

“Actually, me and him (Iverson) used to always say that,” he discloses. “We used to sit down and talk about what it would be like to have a guy like Chauncey – someone who could be that general we needed, ‘cause we’re both natural scorers.”

Given his innate ability to get buckets, Anthony’s six year long affiliation with Jordan Brand is something like a rite of passage. In unveiling the Jordan Melo M6, his lightest version yet at 14.2 ounces, Melo went with an even sleeker, more mature design, whose aerodynamic model was born from a sports car.

“It’s great to be a part of the Brand Jordan family,” says the Baltimore native. “Even though I know Mike and he gives his input when he can, I like being able to design my own shoe. It’s every players dream.”

As one of only three athletes with his own signature brand collection in the Jordan family, Anthony is truly living a dream. Moreover, given his willingness to learn and desire to compete, there’s no telling how far his new kicks will take him this season.

“I hope they’ll get us over that hump,” he says, referencing the Western Conference favorite Lakers. “I hope they’ll get us to the Finals.”

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