The Chance to Make Good with His Demons
Carmelo Anthony stepped out into the warm September sun in Oklahoma with a smile and a sense of vigour that had been devoid from the New York gunner during the Phil Jackson. The previously downtrodden man of the past had seemingly morphed into a happier figure with one single trade. Carmelo embraced the throngs of fans who called his out name over and over again, a striking contrast with the booing, feisty MSG crowds that called out very single one of his mistakes. For Carmelo, it seems that he realised that this small Midwestern town represented a chance to put a dagger in the heart of all criticisms that have revolved around Melo since he started playing for New York.
The jabs and jibes about Melo are familiar, he is egotistical, he is doesn’t pass, he is a ball-stopper. These words have been used to define Melo’s prime by so mnay different pundits and in so many different ways, that the failure in New York has been almost folkloric. Some of these criticisms are true, Melo loves taking contested elbow shots and will also shoot rather than pass but somehow over the years of his career, that has become a detriment rather than a positive. Cast your mind to Denver or even Syracuse where Melo’s desire and ability to make baskets at will was so highly revered. People talked about Melo in the same hushed, deferential tones that they did for LeBron.
Melo and LeBron as players are completely different with one being the ultimate point forward or even point center whereas the other is a master of scoring. Anthony has a such a mastery of the mid-range jumper and accuracy from the three-ball that he is probably the most versatile scorer in the NBA. If just scoring is considered, he would be a top consideration for being the best primary option for at least twenty teams in the NBA. His ability to shoot spaces the floor in a such a way that a floor general can operate. However Carmelo Anthony operates best lurking in the shadows.
Carmelo Anthony may be a very good first option but he is an elite third option as shown by his Olympic heroics. Olympic Melo is the only player to win three gold medals in the sport of basketball and it was here that his best skills were found. His ability to move around screens and find himself uncontested on three-pointers while defenses swarmed his team-mates was crucial for Team USA’s dominance at the games. Carmelo’s deadeye ability meant he drained nearly every single shot he took and his diverse scoring skills meant he was a match-up headache for teams who had already assigned their best defenders to top-notch players like Russell Westbrook or Paul George. Carmelo can slither like the black jaguar he admires along the perimeter and wreck defenses who focus on the other two heads of the OK3.
For Carmelo, the gratitude and energy of this small-town basketball means that he starts with a clean slate. It is largely said that Oklahoma is one of the best franchises in the league in terms of professionalism and the ability to move forward from the past. The magician Sam Presti has long rehabiliated players with chequered pasts and notorious reputations into being well-respected veterans who can offer lots to teams. We hve seen this time and time again with players such as Dion Waiters, another Syracuse alumni and many other players. Simply put, Carmelo could have a chance to reach a lethal state that has been previously untouched during his time in New York.
In New York, he did not have another second option who could help carry the load so that Melo could focus on scoring and using his full offensive game to destroy defenses. In Oklahoma, he has two otherworldly stars who can carry a team on their back if they had, the burden of winning and the pressure pf being clutch is shared. It gives Melo a chance to try and develop his game without the pressure of having to carry a team to a victory every single night. It could give him an opportunity to embrace late-career development at the 4-spot as a fearsome scorer who can score from basically everywhere and blaz past more flat-footed forwards. It could also mean that Melo could commit to playing tighter defense on opposing forwards and removing the perception that Carmelo Anthony does not defend.
For Oklahoma City, it represents a chance to torch the demons of the past. For years, Oklahoma has been called a stingy, uncommitted franchise for the simple fact that they traded James Harden. The trades for Melo and Paul George show that OKC are willing to go all the way and the team is completely in fight unlike various other teams who are just waiting for the Warriors dynasty to end. The various insults realting to finance can no longer be used for Oklahoma City for the simple fact that they had put their hand in their pocket during this magical summer for Sam Presti, a GM who has been derided for his choice to trade James Harden.
From an OKC point of view, the Melo trade adds another degree of versatility to a team that was lacking the ability to challenge other teams in different team, more specifically the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are great for the simple fact, they can do almost anything. Steph Curry can pace and space the floor like no else while feasting on good looks from three. Draymond Green is a swiss army knife who can do a little bit of everything including banging in the post down low. The signing of Durant took them one step further to have an arsenal that is unparalled as it gave them an isolation scorer that is impossible stop unless you have a certain Cleveland Cavalier forward.
Oklahoma can now bang down low with Steven Adams in the post and out-rebound the Warriors creating more opportunities for themselves. They could even go all-in on a Death Line-Up. They could potentially use George or Melo at the 4 or 5 spot and have Andre Roberson operating at the three as a defensive stopper who can lock down all positions. In the backcourt, OKC could run Westbrook, a fearsome athletic scorer and Alex Abrines, a dead-eye from three. The team would be offensively great with their ability to score in so many different ways whether it be through the pick and roll or torching teams from three. Westbrook could run the pick and roll and find Andre Roberson on a cut from the corner or flip the script and toss the ball to PG in the corner.
This team may not beat the Warriors but it exemplifies the options available to Billy Donovan should he choose to experiment with the roster that Sam Presti has managed to build from a team that many believed would be mediocre for the forseeable future. Last year, all the talk was about how the team would be nothing without Westbrook now the question is whether a traditionally alpha character in the form of Carmelo will be able to co-operate with the tornado-like Westbrook. That is main question facing the team for this next season, whether their three stars can work together and go deep into the playoffs that they choose to resign with the Thunder and secure this super-team for the future.
If the Russell Westbrook show last year signalled a new era for the Thunder, the OK3 signals an evolution for a small-market team that has been defined by misfortune and almost greatness. The acquisition of Melo and Paul George, two top-tier forward could give Oklahoma its last great push to becoming NBA Champions or it could mean the start of a new collectove that can go toe to toe with the Warriors.
