NBA Rumors: Carmelo Anthony doesn’t make sense for any contenders

NBA Rumors: If Carmelo Anthony can’t embrace a lesser role at this point in his career, he doesn’t make much sense for any contenders

It’s been reported that Carmelo Anthony and the Oklahoma City Thunder are set to part ways during the offseason. This could be either via trade or buyout.

Of course, based off of those rumors, people are saying he’s targeting the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers to join next – clear contenders, that also host a couple of his best basketball friends (LeBron and Chris Paul).

If this were a couple of years ago, that would be big news.

See, when Carmelo landed in OKC, it was supposed to be the Big Three down there. Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Anthony were supposed to be that monster. However, early in the 2017-18 season, it became clear it was a two man show, and Carmelo was seen as a solid scorer.

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It was a miserable season for the multi-time All-Star. His shooting numbers were down. Probably the lowest point for him was when a reported suggested he’d come off the bench for the Thunder. Carmelo laughed it off, but plenty of people were sort of expecting the Thunder to make that move at some point.

Carmelo has always been a scorer. He gets buckets. In his 20’s, he also had some nice athletic plays. A dunker. But, now-a-days, he’s pretty much a jump shooter that thrives in iso situations. That’s all he really brings to the table.

However, the decline of his game, due mainly to age, has put him in a position that’s not ideal. He’s a one-trick guy that is playing in an increasingly multi-trick league. A scoring punch off of the bench is how most teams would use him now. A solid Sixth Man.

Let’s see here. Carmelo has had an incredible career. He’s been a key figure for Team USA’s gold medals and that counts for something, especially from a Hall of Fame perspective.

For superstars on the decline, especially rapid decline, it’s hard to accept that “mortality”. Younger guys are getting the best of you. You can’t do what you did before. Your mind is sharp, but your body is not keeping up. It’s frustrating.

So now, we look at the current offseason and wonder what he would bring to a team with championship asperations. He’ll bring scoring in bunches, most likely.

Here’s how you can tell he’s just not a big star. If the Rockets or Lakers or another close to contender team signed him, would he make them the favorites over the Warriors? There ya go.

Looking at the Lakers, where would he fit in? Does LeBron move to power forward? Ingram coming off of the bench? What if the Lakers do indeed trade for Kawhi Leonard? LeBron and Kawhi are starting and Melo better be ready for the bench.

What about the Rockets? They have a good thing going for them in terms of scoring the basketball. Their offense runs very well. Honestly, their wings should be filled with shooters and defenders. That’s how it was this past season.

That’s the problem for Anthony. His defense makes him a difficult fit in starting lineups trying to beat Golden State. That’s the issue right there. Lots of people point to Andre Roberson getting injured as a major loss for the Thunder. It was that defense that helped tie things together.

Anthony can still play the game. Duh. But, the combination of his injuries, age, and lack of defense makes him tough to play as one of the best players on the team. If he’s third best, then sure. But, I’m willing to bet most Thunder fans had Roberson as more critical (NOT necessarily better) than Carmelo.

Ultimately, I’d hate for Carmelo to go out like Allen Iverson. He’s a somewhat recent example of how something as simple as an ego cut his career short. I witnessed first hand how this guy, this little guy, won MVP and dragged a team to the NBA Finals. He had no business doing a lot of things he did.

He was the man. Scoring champion, All-Star, MVP, thief (steals), and a full on warrior. Iverson was basically out of the league by 33. Let’s be real. The 2009-10 season was a hot mess for him. Did you know (or remember) he played for the Memphis Grizzlies? Exactly.

My point is, Carmelo needs to reevaluate himself. Reinvent himself. If he wants to prolong his career, that’s what it’s going to take. He needs to be ready to be regulated to being a catch and shoot type of player. He needs to be ready to not be the first or even second option for the team offensively.

I do know teams like the Rockets and Lakers are not afraid to let him kick rocks if he’s not willing to accept that kind of role. Oh yeah, and he’s not a max player. Is he ready for that? A team desperate would max him, but not many teams have max money and are waiting for next year’s free agency class anyway, which likely would include Kawhi.

When he laughed at the idea of coming off the bench, that was a sign of how things could end for yet another fading star. Let’s hope he really sits down and just thinks about things. If he wants a ring, I’m confident he’ll do what he can and be a team player. Off the bench, in the starting lineup, or whatever.

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With all that said, maybe that year in OKC was just so much of an adjustment and he never got his footing. Maybe he’s still the top scorer we knew him to be in Denver and the first couple of years in New York. Maybe he’s going to tip the scales for a contender. Perhaps he’s still a max player. Haha, alright I’m sorry. He’s not. But still, he might be better than what we saw and last year was just a hiccup.

I doubt it. Rockets have a proven system. If Chris Paul didn’t get injured (again), the Rockets are probably in the Finals. Don’t forget about LeBron. He’s a winner, even historically with that 3-1 deficit. Carmelo will have to fit that. That’s the difference. You either build around the player, or you are the player being built around. Carmelo is no longer going to be that player, at least for a contender.