Carmelo Anthony: Is This the End of His 16-year NBA Career?

Carmelo Anthony

Say it ain’t so, Melo.

After 10 games with the Rockets, Houston and Carmelo Anthony have decided to part ways.

In his 10 games with the Rockets, Anthony averaged 13.4 ppg and 5.4 rpg. The word out of Houston is that Melo did not “fit” with the way the Rockets want to play, which is an extremely fair take. Melo makes a living on the elbow, taking his man one-on-one to the basket. The Rockets want to run up and down the floor and take as many shots as possible. Frankly, most fans are not surprised with the decision.

I want to stress the fact that Mike D’Antoni called Melo a Hall of Famer. Carmelo Anthony is going to the Hall of Fame. I don’t care whether you like or hate Melo. That is a stone cold fact. Melo won a title as a freshman at Syracuse. Melo is arguably the greatest Olympian basketball player of all-time with three gold medals and the most points, rebounds, and games played. Over 25,000 points, 10x NBA All-star, and 6x All-NBA player punches Melo’s ticket to the Hall of Fame.

We know the end game for Melo, but what about the present game? What does Melo do now?

For starters, Melo has to play the waiting game. Anthony is not eligible to be traded until after the Dec. 15 trade restriction. In all actuality, waiting is the best thing that Melo can do. The NBA regular season is 82 games. It’s only November. Rosters change, injuries occur, and teams’ wants and needs will alter throughout the course of a season. Melo should not be in a rush to force the Rockets hand nor should the Rockets be quick to trade him. So far, the Lakers, Heat, Blazers, Pelicans, and 76ers have all expressed interest in making a move for Melo. Whether that interest will come to fruition remains to be seen, but there should be a small market for Melo come December.

Although Melo has expressed interest in playing, should he? Former NBA superstar Tracy McGrady believes that Melo should call it a career and retire. McGrady was in a similar situation as Melo. T-mac was a dominant scorer throughout his 20s, but after a few injuries, McGrady was relegated from the starting lineup to the end of the bench. It’s worth noting that Tracy McGrady is in the Hall of Fame. The end of his career, when he was barely dressing for games, did not outweigh his prolific runs with the Raptors, Magic, and Rockets. The same principles should be applied to Melo’s career. His tenure with the Nuggets and Knicks will outweigh his tumultuous seasons with the Thunder and Rockets.

I understand McGrady’s viewpoint because of the similarities between the two, but I still believe that Melo can be an asset to an NBA team. Back in July, I wrote that Carmelo Anthony needed to come off the bench and reinvent himself. If he succeeded, Melo could prolong his career and become an excellent 6th man.

It might have been a stretch when I stated that Melo could become the best 6th man in the NBA. However, the same principles still apply today. There is still a 15 point scorer in Melo if he lands in the right situation. In 2018, the NBA is all about versatility and unfortunately for Melo, he’s a one-trick pony, but that doesn’t mean he’s useless. Melo will have to shoot the 3 at a more consistent level and *attempt* to play defense. Plus, his minutes will probably decrease as well. If Melo wants to continue playing, and all reports claim he does, Anthony will have to reinvent himself even more than before.

Carmelo Anthony can still find success in the NBA, but it’s going to take the perfect situation for that to happen. For now, all Melo can do is wait.

P.S. If you ever feel bad for Melo, remember this tweet.

It’s Time For Carmelo Anthony To Come Off The Bench

carmelo Anthony

When all is said and done, Carmelo Anthony will go down as one of the most polarizing players of his generation.

Let’s start with the good. Carmelo Anthony is going to the NBA Hall of Fame. This is not up for debate. 10-time all-star, 6-time All-NBA member, and one of 6 players ever to record at least 24,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, 2,500 assists, 1,000 steals and 1,000 3-point field goals. Anthony is also the greatest USA Olympic basketball player ever, having been a member of the team a record four times with 3 golds and one bronze to his name. Add in the fact that he’s the USA Basketball all-time leading scorer, leading rebounder, and leader of games and that’s quite an impressive resume.

Did I forget to mention that as a freshman at Syracuse, he lead the Orange to Jim Boeheim’s only National Championship win in 2003?

Carmel Anthony not only belongs in the Hall of Fame, but he deserves that honor. That’s a fact that should not go unnoticed.

Ok, now it’s time for the bad. Last year, expectations were high for the Oklahoma City Thunder as they formed their own version of a “Big 3” with Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony. The team showed signs of promise throughout the regular season, but the Thunder faltered in the playoffs, losing to the Utah Jazz in the first round. Melo played very poorly in that series, averaging just only 11 PPG as well as playing significantly fewer minutes in the final two games. That’s a long ways away from a career 24 PPG scorer.

The playoff series was only a reflection of a disappointing season. Last year marked career lows in scoring, assists, and win shares per 48 minutes. It’s clear that Melo lacks the explosion that once made him unguardable on the offensive end. Seriously, during his prime, one could argue that Melo was the best scoring threat in the NBA even with LeBron James and Kobe Bryant still in the league. His pull up jumper was automatic, he could bully you down low, and had the strength to finish at the rim. Now, it seems that Melo hangs around the key and will primarily take catch-and-shoot 3s.

Now, the Oklahoma City experiment is over as Melo was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, who then bought him out of his contract. The Houston Rockets were the favorite to sign him, and that’s exactly what happened.

So here we are. Carmelo Anthony is now a Rocket. Houston is coming off of their best regular season in history, finishing with a record of 65-17. The Rockets pushed Golden State to their brink with a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference Finals before ultimately losing the series. If Chris Paul does not get injured, who knows what happens. The Rockets might have won the NBA Title over the Cavs. Does Melo get the Rockets over the problem that is known as the Warriors?

Side note: It’s crazy that Melo and Mike D’Antoni are reuniting after their rocky relationship in New York. D’Antoni wanted Melo to move the ball more and play power forward, which Melo refused to do and essentially, ran D’Antoni out of town. It’s crazy how things have changed.

The elephant in the room is Melo. Why would a 65 win team take on a player that has been known to command the rock and struggle off the ball? For starters, Melo fits a need at the 3 / stretch 4. The Rockets lost two of their wings, Trevor Ariza and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who happen to be their best defenders, to free agency. Melo can hit an open 3 pointer, which the Rockets shoot at will. If Melo can learn to play third fiddle behind Chris Paul and James Harden, this relationship might work. However, there is one scenario where I see Melo panning out in Houston.

Carmelo Anthony should come off the bench and become the best 6th man in the NBA. I understand that Melo immediately struck the idea of coming off the bench right down after the Thunder lost to the Jazz, but think about it. What is the job of the 6th man? It’s to score the ball. The 6th man is the leader of the second unit, who must put the ball in the basket when the starters need a break. Tell me this is not the perfect job for Melo at this stage in his career. I understand that Eric Gordon is an excellent 6th man for the Rockets, but with the losses of Ariza and Mbah a Moute, Gordon should start at the 3. Melo takes Gordon’s spot as the 6th man and honestly, he can thrive there. Melo can play iso-ball on the elbow and corner and not have to worry about keeping the middle open with CP3 and Harden on the bench. Plus, coming off the bench would put less pressure on Melo to play defense, which is a major weakness, and more emphasis on his offense.

As Carmelo Anthony enters the final chapter of his career, how will this saga end? Will he be able to make it work in Houston? The time has come to reinvent yourself as a 6th man because your ability to score can keep you in the league for years to come.