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Besides Syracuse fans and head coach Jim Boeheim, Carmelo Anthony’s career beyond that point has been tagged as a mediocre star in the NBA. Year after year Carmelo takes the court and continues to put up gaudy numbers on the offensive end of the floor. Lack of passion defensively and the ability to carry his team nightly is almost comparable to an NFL quarterback after a Sunday night loss.

Melo takes the brunt of criticism and continues to play the way he has his whole career. Truthfully there are few forwards in the game that have his combination of his quickness, shooting ability and overall strength. Even Charles Barkley has stated he is the best scorer in the NBA.

Yet no marquee athletes have ever wanted to surround Carmelo like other star athletes are able to attract. They see him like the media does, and not one that you can win championships with. Who knows how the hiring of Phil Jackson as team president will improve Carmelo Anthony.

For all we know Anthony could be on another team after this season as Jackson cleans house and decides to build his style of a team.

It’s not too late for Carmelo Anthony as he comes on the age of 30 but he knows there was definitely a squandered period in his career.

Over in Sacramento I see the same situation unfolding with DeMarcus Cousins. There is not a player in the league that I am more disappointed in watching than Cousins.

You can tell on certain nights that he is playing the Randy Moss factor—taking plays off and giving less than 100 percent effort. It’s a part of his game and one of the reasons why he has clashed with several coaches in the NBA already. Yet even on those lack of effort nights he can seemingly put up a double double.

Pure talent is letting Cousins get by in the league right now. But does he have a care in the world at excelling his game to another level? He could be a top five player in the NBA right now if he wanted to. Instead he trucks up and down the floor on certain possessions in snail speed defensively. On the offensive end he’ll give up position instead of working for it and force up a poor shot.

His lack of effort isn’t what I’m comparing to Carmelo Anthony. What is is the sense of urgency to wake up and transform his game. Maybe Cousins is waiting to leave Sacramento but he should be playing as if he would be a King for life. Earning a top dollar contract and playing host to top free agents could be viable in Sacramento as it turned out to be for the Dallas Mavericks.

But it will take Cousins initiative to step up to the plate or he will one day be like Carmelo Anthony. A one and done athlete that didn’t see the signs of his career needing to change.