Big Apple Shockwaves

Carmelo Anthony was finally traded to the Knicks Monday night, ending months of speculation and uncertainty as to where the star small forward would end up. 

For several months now, the Carmelo Anthony saga has hung over the NBA like a perpetual black cloud.

The entire charade began before the season even started. Over the summer, reports surfaced that Anthony wanted out of Denver after rejecting a three-year contract extension from the Nuggets worth a maximum $65 million. Soon, rumors began swirling that the former Oak Hill Academy phenom was destined for New York or New Jersey, either in a blockbuster trade during the season or after the NBA Finals via free agency.

Both cities held widespread appeal for Anthony: New York because of its large market, the opportunity to join forces with fellow superstar Amare Stoudemire and the fact that Anthony went to Syracuse, and New Jersey because the Nets are partially owned by Anthony's good friend Jay-Z and will be relocating to Brooklyn in 2012, the city in which Anthony was born.

However, as the season went on, the Melo-Drama grew so intense and unrelenting that it became intolerable. The games ceased to matter and wins and losses took a back seat to updated trade rumors. Every interview with Anthony revolved around the question of where he was going to land. Less than a month ago, the Lakers reportedly threw their hat in the ring, offering a package to the Nuggets with Andrew Bynum as the centerpiece in exchange for bringing Anthony to Hollywood.

The ordeal finally seemed to reach its tipping point during the All-Star festivities this past weekend in LA. Instead of taking a step back to appreciate watching the best basketball players in the world grace us with their unmatched skills, it was all about Melo as the media fixated on his every move. Anthony the player had become bigger than the game. It was like watching the whole LeBron James fiasco all over again.

Then, seemingly out of the blue, the whole Anthony saga came to a screeching halt late Monday night as word surfaced that the former #3 overall pick in the 2003 draft had finally been traded to the Knicks as part of a three team deal. While New York lands Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman from Denver, they had to send three of their best players to the Nuggets: Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler (along with Russian big man Timofey Mozgov and future draft picks).

Finally, the Melo-drama is over.

Thank god.

However, while we no longer have to deal with the unrelenting media attention on Melo anymore, now Celtics fans must accept the harsh reality that the Eastern Conference just got a lot tougher. With a core of Stoudemire, Anthony, Billups and Landry Fields, the Knicks have enough star power to make a legitimate playoff run this season.

However, the silver lining for Celtics fans is that it could take a while for the new-look Knicks to mesh. In addition, as a result of the trade the Knicks gutted most of their roster and now have very few complimentary pieces to surround their superstars, similar to the position in which Miami finds itself. So while the Knicks remain beatable today, even with Anthony, the real danger for Celtics fans exists in the years to come as Boston continue to age and the Knicks begin to hit their stride.

But honestly, who really cares about next season?

For Celtics fans, it's all about 18 and it's all about right now. And even though the Knicks just got a lot scarier with the addition of Carmelo, they still don't have what it takes to derail Boston's championship or bust train this season.

Sorry, Spike Lee.

Gotham City may be entering a basketball renaissance but, as they say, Rome wasn't built in a day.