Portland Trail Blazers: Carmelo Anthony has evolved into the ultimate role player

Carmelo Anthony has evolved into a key cog for the Portland Trail Blazers

January 1st, 2019 would be the day that Carmelo Anthony’s NBA career would change forever. The Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls agreed to a deal that would send Carmelo Anthony and cash to Chicago for a heavily protected second-round draft pick.

This came after Anthony had only played 10 games for the Rockets. He was brought in to be a key role player for a contending Rockets team that felt they were on the cusp of a championship run.

Melo wouldn’t even suit up one game for the Chicago Bulls. A month after the trade that sent him away from the Rockets, Anthony was waived by the Bulls. Once waived not one single team came calling, leaving the once mega-star unemployed and concerned about his NBA future.

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Melo would be out of the league for almost a full year before making his return. According to Howey Kussoy of the New York Post, Anthony hit rock bottom during this time. Carmelo was knocked down and had to pick himself back. During this time is where Anthony stayed hungry, kept ready, and found “clarity.”

Finally, the Portland Trail Blazers gave him the chance he so desperately wanted. On November 19th, Melo signed with the Blazers and found himself in the rotation of a team devastated with injuries. Since then, Carmelo proved that he can still ball.

What does Melo provide the Portland Trail Blazers? 

The biggest thing that Anthony provides Portland is versatility on the offensive side of the ball. Melo can play at the 3 or 4 depending on what lineup the Blazers want to go with, big or small. His skill set fits perfectly with that versatility. Carmelo in the bubble has become more of a spot-up threat from 3-point range. This provides spacing on the floor for Portland’s guards to attack and create.

Anthony also provides the ability to get a bucket in mismatch scenarios. Melo punishes smaller defenders by posting them up and getting to his spot to hit a shot, and speeds by bigger defenders usually resulting in foul shots. Also, we can’t discredit  Anthony’s rebounding ability.

Carmelo also provides the savvy, veteran leadership a playoff team needs. You can see this on both sides of the floor. On offense, he makes high IQ cuts and comes off screens in such a way allowing him easy baskets. Carmelo’s help-side defense is another example of his high IQ. Anthony is a menace when he traps the baseline or a big in the post.

Melo also isn’t afraid of the moment and can hit big shots which is good to have on a team come playoff time. Add him with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum and those are three threats you don’t want to see in the final possession of a game.

The slim version of Carmelo Anthony we have gotten in the bubble is playing a crucial part in the playoff run for the Trail Blazers. Portland is on the cusp of gaining the 8th seed and has already come up huge for them. Melo scored 21 points and had a very clutch late 3 to seal up the game against his former team, the Houston Rockets.

He also had another 21 point game in a loss to the Clippers.

A lot of people have been wanting Carmelo to turn into this type of role player for a long time but with his failed time on the Thunder and Rockets, a lot of them had lost hope. The mainstream media was saying Melo was finished and we had seen the last of Carmelo Anthony on an NBA floor. From the basketball purgatory he was forced into, Anthony has risen from it and created a new tale to the ending of his career.  Luckily for everyone, Melo is nowhere close to being finished yet.