Can Carmelo be THE Guy?

For years, we as fans have had the benefit of watching the greatest players on the planet play.  While some are slated for the lower division of talent, there are a select few who belong to the upper echelon of the league in terms of talent, leadership and results.

LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal. Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki. These guys are perennial all-stars.  They all have at least one ring on their finger. They have all played an integral role in their respective team's championship runs and have continued to display their unique play even after winning their first (or second or third, etc.).

But one who constantly remains an outlier to this conversation is Carmelo Anthony, and some believe this may be unwarranted. However, Melo has yet to make a legitimate run at a championship throughout his first 9 seasons and it could be seen by many as a direct result of his style of play. 

Anthony thrives in isolation sets on the perimeter and that typically slows the progression of an offenses fluidity.  Teams who rely on one sole contributor and other spare parts have trouble finding their way in the playoffs because they have no variety to catch their opponent off-guard. 

On the other hand, Carmelo has averaged well above 20 points for his career and has stormed out of the gates this season surrounded by a bevy of veterans including Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby and Tyson Chandler. The supporting cast around Melo benefits his game and overall basketball IQ and it has showed, especially as he has manned the power forward position with Amare Stoudemire still recovering from injury. 

Can Melo climb the ladder and put his name in the ring? Or will he forever be an outlier?