Two years ago, the Western Conference runner-up from last season tried to acquire a perennial All-Star via trade and in free agency last summer. In a moment of necessity, the two sides got together via a phone call and came to the conclusion that they needed each other.
Out of basketball for more than a year, future Hall of Fame forward Carmelo Anthony, arguably one of the best scorers of this generation needed a team to believe in him again and he found one in the struggling Portland Trail Blazers (5-9), who had lost six of their previous seven games before a come from behind 121-116 win at the five-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs (5-9), where they overcame a 15-point deficit in the fourth period by outscoring the Spurs 31-20 in the final period in the first game of a six-game road trip.
The 35-year-old 10-time All-Star, whose averaged 24.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in his career, had not played since Nov. 8, 2018 being essentially dismissed by the Houston Rockets after 10 games a season ago in Nov. 2018 was given the opportunity that he had been hoping for from Trail Blazers’ President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey-all be it on a non-guaranteed contract to a team that is fighting both injuries and inconsistent play in the early part of this season.
According to ESPN’s NBA Front Office Insider Bobby Marks, the three-time Olympic gold medalist will be paid $14,490 each day he is on the Trail Blazers roster, with that one-year non-guaranteed deal being fully guaranteed if he is still on the roster on Jan. 7, 2020.
This was great news to Many of Anthony’s NBA peers and friends, who have expressed their feelings in prior months about him still being good enough to play in “The Association.”
Future Hall of Famer and recently retired Miami Heat three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade said on his Twitter account @DwyaneWade, “It’s about damn time!!”
Los Angeles Lakers forward, four-time Kia MVP and three-time Finals MVP LeBron James said @KingJames, RIGHT!!!! (hand clap emojis).
Spurs’ reserve forward Rudy Gay said @RudyGay, “Welcome back Melo.”
Rising star player for the Utah Jazz Donovan Mitchell said @spidamitchell, “Bout time!”
Former teammate of James with the Cleveland Cavaliers just two years ago and now member of the Washington Wizards in two-time All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas said @isaiahthomas, “Hell yeah.”
“I love it,” NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and current ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins said on Friday’s addition of “NBA: The Jump” on Anthony joining the Trail Blazers.
“This is two situations where Portland needs ‘Melo’ and ‘Melo’ needs Portland. And I’m happy for ‘Melo.” I’m happy he has his opportunity, and I think he’s gonna come in and help them.”
“Now, ‘Melo’ went from being a role player on somebody’s team to he possibly could be the second option.”
Anthony completed his physical on Saturday, according to a league source, before his one-year, non-guaranteed contract was finalized and could be one the court as soon as Tuesday night when the Trail Blazers visit the New Orleans Pelicans (4-9) at the earliest, but not at the surging Rockets (11-3), who took down the Trail Blazers 132-108 on Monday night, extending their winning streak to eight games.
“I just like, you know, the fact that Carmelo Anthony-whose been a great player in this league found a home,” Kenny Smith of TNT’s Inside the NBA said on Thursday. “Now, we’re really gonna see is this the end for Carmelo or not? I think in Houston last year it was too short to tell what was going on.”
While there might be a lack in confidence in what Anthony might have left in the tank or the kind of impact he can have, the Trail Blazers understood that Anthony was the best option available. The Trail Blazers needed to add someone who would respect the best players on the team in four-time All-Star Damian Lillard and his backcourt mate CJ McCollum and would bring a much-needed boost of positivity to their locker room.
Lillard, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports was notified about the signing of Anthony on Wednesday night and reportedly was “supportive” of an addition that seemed like a dead end, which he said on the “Joe Budden Podcast” back in September.
“I tried two years ago, I tried to get ‘Melo’ to come to Portland, and he went to OKC [Oklahoma City Thunder],” Lillard said. “Then after that, I tried to get him to come to Portland again, and he went to Houston. So, at this point, the team or me, I’m like, ‘He ain’t coming here.’ He deserves to be in the league, but like he ain’t coming here.”
He added about the addition of Anthony to ESPN’s host of “NBA: The Jump” Rachel Nichols by saying on Friday, “I believe he can help us. Obviously, I’d like to see our early season struggles turn around, and hopefully we can be part of a great bounce back for ‘Melo’ as well.”
That is something they would not find in the NBA’s G-League; with a veteran journeyman looking for their own opportunity or via the trade market until Dec. 15 when close to 40 percent of “The Association’s” players who signed new contracts this summer, which includes several Trail Blazers like Mario Hezonja, Rodney Hood-who was re-signed, Pau Gasol, and Anthony Tolliver.
The Trail Blazers pulled the trigger on signing Anthony thanks to McCollum telling Olshey and head coach Terry Stotts throughout this past offseason that Anthony’s was in great shape through observance of his workouts in New York and that he could have a serious impact on the team.
McCollum tried to entice Anthony to join the Trail Blazers after they expressed interest in him the summer of 2017 with a photoshopped Instagram post of the future Hall of Famer in a Trail Blazers jersey on his account @3JMcCollum.
Also, Olshey had stayed in touch with Leon Rose, Anthony’s agent of CAA Sports and in the days leading up began to talk more seriously about the possibility of Rose’s client signing with the Trail Blazers. Those reasons kept on piling up from starting power forward Zach Collins being is out until March after having surgery on his left shoulder; starting center Jusuf Nurkic is still rehabbing a fractured leg sustained in late March, and there is no timetable set for his return; and Gasol, who is still out because of a foot injury with also no timetable for a return to the hardwood.
The team has been unable to maintain double-digit leads in games so far this season as opposing squads have sent double, sometimes tripe teams and even using Box-in-One schemes against Lillard and McCollum making their teammates be the ones to make plays and shots to beat them.
The defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors (9-4) implored that strategy and held Lillard and while he did have 10 assists, he was held to just nine points on 2 for 12 shooting, which ended a streak of 230 consecutive games in which he scored in double figures.
“They do need a third scorer and they do need to score in different ways,” Smith said. “They all iso, but they iso at the three-point line-McCollum and Damian Lillard. Now, they’ll get those in between possible baskets to get those 12 to 13 that he can possibly get.”
Those reasons allowed discussions between Olshey and head coach Terry Stotts about Anthony joining the team to continue and ultimately okaying the decision.
The non-guaranteed deal will allow the relationship between Anthony and the Trail Blazers a chance to evolve and if Anthony is on the team after early January his full-season minimum salary will be guaranteed.
This is a gamble that has very little risk and could be a very big reward for both the Trail Blazers and for Anthony. The only thing at stake for both sides is time.
The Trail Blazers need a big-time offensive threat who can space the court with their shooting. That can get to the foul line late in games and who can take some offensive pressure off of their top offensive guns in Lillard, and McCollum.
Anthony is a long way from the 10-time All-Star who can get buckets at the drop of a hat, but no one expects him to be that anymore—which also has to include him.
“He’s not gonna come in and turn their season around,” Smith said. “He’s there to make things a little bit easier for McCollum and for Lillard.”
He still believed that he was a Top 10 player upon being dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder from two summers back, which played a part in him resisting coming off the bench. That resulted in just a one-year stay with the Thunder as he was first traded to the Atlanta Hawks and then waived. He eventually landed with the Rockets as an unrestricted free agent, who wanted him to acquire him the prior summer but could not workout a deal with his former team the New York Knicks.
Anthony’s stay with the Rockets was a little different and even shorter. The scars from his time in the “Big Apple” when current Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni was there, which did not allow any wiggle room after a slow start, and Anthony’s time in Houston lasted on 10 games as he was told to leave the team and was eventually dealt to the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 21 and then released.
The former No. 3 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft is no victim because he contributed to the circumstance he is in now because he was not willing to adapt to no longer being the best player on a team.
No one wanted to sign him after the 2019 trade deadline, even after he accepted coming off the bench in eight of those 10 games with the Rockets after starting all 1,054 games he played his first 15 seasons; nor the buyout market or during this summer of free agency, even after he sat down for an interview with Stephen A. Smith of ESPN’s “First Take” this summer.
Even before signing with the Trail Blazers, again on a non-guaranteed one-year deal, Olshey and Stotts took turns conversing with Anthony on Thursday and heard what they needed to.
Olshey, who has known Anthony since his youth as a camper at the ABCD All-American camp in Northern New Jersey always knew he was a gym rat, which has been seen in clips on social media of him working out vigorously. That did not change, which was an important factor in the Trail Blazers taking a chance on him because they need him to get into game shape very quickly.
It was also reported that before Anthony signed his deal, Olshey needed to hear from him that he was eager to play and impact winning, and not to simply return into the NBA lifestyle or to take a farewell victory lap.
To put into perspective the kind of uphill battle Anthony is facing as he begins this opportunity with the Trail Blazers, in the 10 games he was with the Rockets a season ago, their ranked 25th in defensive efficiency (112.2 points) with him on the court and No. 3 (102.3 points) with him off the floor.
The counterpunch to that is in the last two seasons, Anthony has averaged 15.9 points and 5.8 rebounds, making on averaged 2.2 threes per game at a 35 percent clip.
That scoring is something the Trail Blazers could use greatly as well as someone with just some veteran savvy at the power forward spot. They have tried Collins, Hezonja, Tolliver and even rookie First-Round draft choice Nassir Little at that spot and it just has not worked.
“I just don’t think he’s able to be good enough offensively to overcome his defensive shortcomings,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Friday about Anthony’s joining the Trail Blazers. “I’m hoping that he just helps them enough, but my heart says he wants to work but my head says its not gonna.”
“In this day in age, once there’s a weak link on the court, you hunt that man out and punish him. And maybe not in the second quarter, but when it matters.”
Sources close to the situation suggested that the message from Olshey to Anthony went like this, “Anthony needed a home where he could have a definitive role for a winning organization, needed the best players to respect and embrace him. And the Blazers needed someone with stature to walk in the door and shake up the locker room.”
Well Carmelo Anthony, a NCAA champion; aforementioned, 10-time All-Star; six-time All-NBA selection and 2013 NBA scoring champion has a home for now with the Portland Trail Blazers and a definitive role as the No. 3 scorer next to Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. A locker room that will embrace him when he walks in.
It is now on him to get into game shape as quickly as possible. Be a major impact on a team that needs it in a major way and not be a distraction.
Anthony got his chance after a long wait to get back into the NBA, which he has earned and deserves. What he does with this opportunity we shall see.
“Bottom line, this experiment seems worth a try, and personally I expect ‘Melo’ to be a gracious team player for as long as it last,” Nichols said on Friday, “and yeah I can hear some of you right now chuckling out there as I say that. But I promise you, this is a man who loves the game of basketball. Who has spent more than a year in a purgatory he never expected, and whose going to appreciate the chance to end his career if not exactly on his own terms-at least getting to end it as opposed to just watching it waft away.”
Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 11/15/19 www.nba.com stories, “Reports: Carmelo Anthony To Sign with Blazers” and “NBA Players React To Carmelo Anthony Reportedly Signing with Blazers;” 11/15/19 3 p.m. “NBA: The Jump” on ESPN, presented by Michelin Wiper Blades with Rachel Nichols, Brian Windhorst, and Kendrick Perkins 11/15/19 1 a.m. edition “Inside the NBA,” presented by Kia on TNT with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal; 11/16/19 www.espn.com story, “Right Now, the Trail Blazers and Carmelo Anthony Need Each Other,” by Adrian Wojnarowski; https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameid=401160802; https://www.espn.com/nba/stnadings; and https://en.m.wikipedia.com/wiki/Carmelo_Anthony.
No comments:
Post a Comment