Dear Carmelo Anthony,

Your season wrapped up last night at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs for the second year in a row. For the second year in a row, your team went down in 5 not because your team's not good; the Spurs are simply better right now. They're hungrier and Pops is the best coach in the NBA (who isn't getting the respect or notoriety he deserves). In a word, he is to the NBA what Belichick is to the NFL, only Pops is too quiet to attract a ton of attention the way Ole Sweatshirt and Cutoff Sleeves Guy does.

Anyway, there are those who would, and probably will continue, to rank you beneath LeBron on the account that he has been to the second round and you, to this point, have not. Well, if you got to play every postseason in the JV League known as the Leastern Conference, I'm sure we'd be seeing you in the Conference Semis every year as we're starting to see with 'Bron Bron. HOWEVER...there's hope. That hope is in the form of that guy wearing the #3, the world knows as A.I.. There's the "Pippen" to your "Jordan." And here's the other best part about this...Iverson wants a ring just as bad, if not worse, than you do. Right now, you've got something that not Bosh, not Wade or even LBJ can boast. A potent 30-point scorer who can be next to impossible to stop on any given night. You've more than established yourself as a man who will get points whenever you so decide on a night-in, night-out basis. Until your suspension and Kobe Bauer going ballistic, you led the league in scoring. So what I say is this...

You will eventually beat the Spurs. Jordan eventually figured out a way around the Pistons and Celtics, who hounded him at every turn in the playoffs. Much as he did, you will do the same with San Antonio. The pieces are most definitely in place for you to win another title before LBJ closes in on #1 or Wade gets #2. You've got a shot-blocking presence in Marcus Camby, reigning Defensive Player of the Year. You've got a potentially great complimentary player in Iverson, who is NOT a point guard. That, is a problem that management SHOULD be able to fill for you IF they find the right person.

That person's name is Chauncey Billups. Trust me, you get Chauncey, I'm all but guaranteeing you will end up winning the West, and since the East doesn't figure to get any tougher (save for Chicago, these guys are getting scarier by the DAY), more than likely the whole ball of wax. So what I'd strongly suggest you do is get on the horn and stay on the horn with Chauncey, since I don't believe they're going to beat the Baby Bulls in the 2nd round, and convince him that he'd be best served in turning down Detroit's offer because Flip's not going to get them any closer to another title before he's ready to hang it up.

Convince him to come back to Denver, where he was for a short period in his career and help you, along with A.I., get a ring. Iverson moves to the 2 and defers all point guard handling on the primary to Big Shot Billups. Trust me, your team's fine and you should thank management for taking bold steps to ensuring you won't be basically playing for a check every year. In any event, fret not. You will be great for many a year to come. So I suggest you and hell, tell Allen too, get Billups. Big Shot Billups = Title for you and A.I. next season.

Sincerely,

Len Gotti