![]() ![]() It's easier to ignore deficiencies when they aren't being exploited on a play-by-play basis, and it's easier to justify playing someone with obvious weaknesses when you lack any viable alternatives. We aren't in the playoffs yet, though, and Anthony hasn't been playing for a playoff-caliber team. ![]() Mitchell hunted him like a wounded deer in the playoffs two years ago just imagine what LeBron freaking James would do to him if Portland sneaks into the playoffs. At his peak he could summon stretches of defensive adequacy, but defending anyone in space is asking too much of him now. Opposing shooters score 1.23 points per possession against him in spot-up situations largely because of his laissez-faire approach to closeouts. Synergy Sports ranks him in the 23rd percentile of defenders league-wide, and much of that still boils down to effort. Even now, as his comeback tour rages on, he's a genuine liability on that end of the floor. I shudder to think of what might have happened to Anthony defensively in a seven-game series against Golden State's perpetual-motion machine. From the outpouring of support that came after his signing to Lillard's Finals fantasy, there is a mountain of evidence suggesting that players overvalue Anthony as well. Voulgaris was right in saying that the markets overvalue Anthony, but the issue runs deeper than that. Sam Quinn: I want to build on a couple of quotes that you just dropped, James. Words like overrated and underrated seem inadequate here, so I'll get this going with a mild take: It is possible that Anthony has been more important to the Blazers this season than is commonly understood, and that his success in this context tells us less than people think about how he'd perform in a different one. My question: In 2020, how does Anthony's performance in Portland square with public perception? It is easy for me to say he has fit in better than I anticipated, but I find it next to impossible to parse his reputation. But people still feel strongly about him - supporters say it was a travesty that he fell out of the league in the first place, and skeptics still question his defense and shot selection. Anthony is now less polarizing a figure, given that nobody is arguing that he is "at a place where he can lead a team to a championship," as his college coach Jim Boeheim told Ballard back then. Voulgaris is now the director of qualitative research and development for the Dallas Mavericks. As Anthony, 36, prepares for the most meaningful basketball he has played since being the piñata at Donovan Mitchell's pick-and-roll party in April 2018, it's worth trying to put his comeback in context. The Blazers are now 33-39 and 4-2 in Orlando, half a game behind the Memphis Grizzlies with four days of seeding games between them and a potential play-in. This feels like an overstatement, but the merit of the claim itself matters much less than the fact it was made about a player who was contemplating retirement before the Blazers called.Īnthony scored 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting in Portland's 124-121 win against the shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. He was unemployed for a full calendar year, cut loose by the Houston Rockets and left hanging by the rest of the league after swallowing his pride to sign a minimum contract and come off the bench.ĭays ago, Damian Lillard said that he thinks Portland could've made the Finals last year if Anthony had been on the roster. And while James might be pulling a LaBradford Smith, Anthony's doubters were real, respected and armed with statistical evidence. Both of them, however, have experienced this season as vindication. ![]() Unlike James, Anthony's days as a franchise player are long over. The seven-time All-Star is starting for one of the most interesting teams in the bubble, the Portland Trail Blazers, and if things go according to plan, he'll meet his buddy LeBron James in the first round of the playoffs. Now he's more relevant than he has been in years. Carmelo Anthony started this season in NBA purgatory. ![]()
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