If you told a basketball fan in New York City three years ago that their star man, Carmelo Anthony, would be struggling to find a career after a disappointing season in Oklahoma City, you would be likely punched in the face and be told to get out of his face in true New Yorker fashion.
However, that is exactly what has become of the former Syracuse star to fall so far from grace? He used to be one of the game’s leading stars, always making the NBA news circles for his feats of athleticism.
He is a part of the legendary 2003 Draft class that saw talented players like LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade drafted into the league with him. He used to wow crowds with his impeccable shooting and his killer instincts. Fans can still remember the havoc he caused while playing for those New York and Denver teams.
However, the 34-year-old New York native hasn’t been in the conversation of the league’s best scorer for quite some time now. While LeBron and D-Wade have still found ways to make themselves relevant, Anthony has failed to adjust his game when the hops started to go away and he began to put on a few extra pounds.
For the long-time basketball fan, it’s painful to see Anthony fall from the game’s good graces. The man has always been the poster boy of what a scorer is and is arguably the most gifted volume scorer the game has ever seen.
Is there is still a chance for Melo to make a return? Or is this it for the former Knicks star? SBOBET checks what happened to his career with this piece.
Father Time caught up
It’s unavoidable that time catches up to everyone. Not even a once-in-a-generation talent like LeBron can carry the Cleveland Cavaliers past the Golden State Warriors during the recently concluded NBA Finals the same way he did when he played his peak years for the Miami Heat.
The same way rings true for Carmelo and the rest of the players in the 2003 Draft or older who are still playing in the league. However, fans expected Melo to age gracefully the same way LeBron and Wade did. After all, all teams need a superb scorer, and Anthony has got that in spades.
However, it’s hard to deny that Father Time has finally caught up with the powerhouse scorer, and the statistics are showing that he is far from the dominant player that he once was.
In his soon-to-be-only season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Melo averaged 16.2 points per game on 15.0 field goal attempts in his 78 starts. Those scoring averages are the lowest of his sixteen-year career so far.
The biggest noticeable dip in his performance is his conversion rate within the three-point line. He has always averaged above 44% for his two-point percentages throughout his career. The fact that he struggled with finding his stroke only means that defenders have limited him from doing whatever he wants on the floor and are forcing him to make a lot of uncomfortable shots inside.
His three-point didn’t take a much of a hit (he shot a decent 44% from deep) and could have been considered a terrific spot-up man off the bench for the Thunder. However, everyone knew that Melo wouldn’t be the type of player to just sit on a corner and wait for a dime his way. He guffawed at the idea of sitting on the bench, instantly killing off any possibility of him making an extended run with Russell Westbrook and Paul George at OKC.
He and Wade have fallen off greatly when it comes to offensive prowess. However, Wade accepted his limits, took the hit and started off the bench for Cleveland and Miami the past season, and is still considered an instant lock in the Hall of Fame discussions. He also showed flashes throughout the season to remind fans who he is.
Melo doesn’t have the same legacy as his Banana Boat buddy.
The game isn’t for him
The game of basketball has evolved from the time he entered the league too. When he entered the league in 2003, the game was all about hero ball and isolation. Jordan made a final farewell tour with the Washington Wizards. Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant and Tracey McGrady were the poster boys of what offence in the NBA should look, sound and feel like.
Nowadays, the game is almost unrecognisable. Valuable big men in the league are those who can keep up with the opposition and stretch the floor with their long-range shooting. The ball is thriving off of ball movement and three-point shots being taken on the regular.
Moreover, the Golden State Warriors just got reinforced, making the NBA an optional sporting league to watch in the coming season. Melo cannot hope to chase a ring with the Thunder with Westbrook running the show. He needs the ball in his hands to be effective and he won’t get that while running with the Brodie.
Both the OKC front office and Melo realized that this experiment won’t cut it and have decided to part ways with him. He will be sent to Atlanta in a three-team trade, and the Hawks will reportedly buy out the remaining $28,000,000 he is owed for the 2018/19 season.
His career’s twilight is in his destiny. What he does with it, alongside his legacy as a player, will be affected by what he does next.
What’s next for Melo?
There is huge interest coming from the Houston Rockets. They just lost valuable three-and-D defenders in the free agency and could use a serviceable scorer. While his 16.2 points an outing for OKC is a far cry from his usual numbers, he would be a great addition to Houston’s high-octane offence.
Rockets fans will surely be looking for the latest Houston Rockets updates to see if they acquired Anthony, but there is also something that Melo needs to realize for himself.
He needs to accept that he will not be the face of an NBA franchise any longer. He must learn to realize that coming off the bench is good for his career the same way Dwyane Wade did. He needs to become a positive contributor to his team or he will spend another year of frustration with fellow Banana Boat rider Chris Paul and Houston.
The question now is this: Can Melo actually take the hit in his ego in his quest to get a ring?
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