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Denver Nuggets: Alex English vs. Carmelo Anthony

By Grayson Moore

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 19: a general view of the 50 year logo during the game between the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns on January 19, 2018 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 19: a general view of the 50 year logo during the game between the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns on January 19, 2018 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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DENVER – APRIL 19: Carmelo Anthony #15 of the Denver Nuggets grabs a rebound against the New Orleans Hornets in Game One of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Pepsi Center on April 19, 2009, in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets defeated the Hornets 113-84. . (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER – APRIL 19: Carmelo Anthony #15 of the Denver Nuggets grabs a rebound against the New Orleans Hornets in Game One of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Pepsi Center on April 19, 2009, in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets defeated the Hornets 113-84. . (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

Rebounding

Both of these players primarily played at small forward throughout their Nuggets careers, which meant their number one job was not to rebound the ball. However, it is still an important part of their individual games.

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Just looking at physical characteristics, Melo already has an edge. English stood at 6’7 and weighed around 190 pounds for most of his career. Anthony clocks in at 6’8 and about 240 pounds. So while Anthony was able to out jump, outreach, and out muscle his opponents, English could easily get bodied around by taller and heavier players. That’s one point to Anthony.

Let’s look at who they had to grab boards over on their teams. For much of his Nuggets career, Melo played with Marcus Camby, Nene Hilario, and Kenyon Martin. Those players had a career average RPG total of 7.6. The main threats to grab boards on the 80’s Nuggets teams were Dan Issel, Wayne Cooper, Calvin Natt, and T.R. Dunn(in the early 80’s). All of these players have a career RPG average of 6.6. So the fact that English grabbed 0.7 fewer rebounds per game than Anthony is a little less excusable, even if he did also play 0.7 less average minutes per game than Melo.

During his career with Denver, English had a total rebound percentage of 8.2%, meaning he grabbed 8.2% of available rebounds. Anthony had a TRB% of 9.9%, edging English by 1.7%. However, English did have a slightly higher offensive rebound percentage, coming in with a 6.9% compared to Anthony’s 6.2%.

Despite this, Anthony certainly has an advantage in the rebounding portion of the game, and it really isn’t that close.