The status of Carmelo Anthony and his impact on the playoff race
As the season winds down, the market seems drying up for former superstar, but surefire Hall-of-Famer forward Carmelo Anthony. After his trade to the Chicago Bulls, he was quickly released and has been a free agent ever since.
The Portland Trail Blazers were said to have interest, but with the additions of center/forward Enes Kanter and swingman Rodney Hood, along with the emergence of small forward Jake Layman, they will very likely pass on Anthony. The Philadelphia 76ers were rumored, but they are now stocked at forward with Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, Mike Scott, Jonathon Simmons, and James Ennis III.
All-Star point guard Ben Simmons, at 6-10, can slide over to either forward spot also. The Wizards also were mentioned online about possible interest, but they traded for forward Jabari Parker, who is younger and more athletic, and possesses a lot of similarities in height, build, and skill set. There still is a market for Carmelo Anthony, who has been one of the most accomplished scorers in the last decade and a half. Here are three teams that are currently meandering around the 8th seed, that could potentially be boosted if they decided to add Melo to their rosters.
Los Angeles Lakers
This has been an equally intriguing and tumultuous season for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers find themselves 3.5 games out of the 8th playoff spot in the Western Conference, with a difficult schedule for the remainder of the season.
They suffered another devastating loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Their hallway rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, even after their deals, are still intent on making the playoffs, and the Sacramento Kings have emerged with a gifted, young roster.
The current 8th seed, San Antonio Spurs are seemingly always a playoff factor, no matter the roster, as long as Gregg Popovich coaches them. The Lakers had some inexplicable losses to the Hawks, Grizzlies, Cavs, and Knicks (the latter two were at home). They also traded young promising center Ivica Zubac but acquired much needed shooting in Reggie Bullock, and traded perennial headcase Michael Beasley. From the time Anthony got exiled from the Houston Rockets, the Lakers have been constantly linked to him. Melo is close friends with LeBron James, and James has commented in the past on what it would mean to have him on the Lakers.
The Lakers defensive struggles are evident and have been a source of much controversy. LeBron James has been highlighted for numerous defensive lapses on almost a nightly basis lately. Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram are improving and are the building blocks for the future (or perhaps an Anthony Davis deal), and have elevated their games since the All-Star break. Ingram in particular, has played a lot of point guard, due to the injury to Lonzo Ball, and he has showed his versatility on both ends of the court.
Carmelo Anthony has never been lauded for his defense, even in his prime, though he showed capability occasionally. Adding Anthony would take away minutes from Kuzma, Ingram, Bullock, and possibly swingman Josh Hart. Reggie Bullock has been an excellent fit for the Lakers as a shooter and defender at the small forward and shooting guard positions. For a team that is precariously close to the brink of not being in the playoff race, they can ill-afford to have any more distractions and colorful personalities pn the team. There is an increasing belief that at this stage, the Lakers will ultimately pass on Melo.
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets have been carried to playoff position by All-Star point guard Kemba Walker. His feats this season have been nothing short of breathtaking. But besides his upcoming free agency, another topic of discussion is his support, or lack thereof. After Walker (25.2 ppg), the second leading scorer is Jeremy Lamb at 15.1, followed by a series of 9 to 10 point scorers in Marvin Williams, Cody Zeller, Nicolas Batum, Malik Monk, and Tony Parker.
They clearly have a need for another reliable scorer. Enigmatic and much-maligned forward/guard Nicolas Batum has stepped up his offense since the All-Star break, along with center Cody Zeller.
However, it is not enough, as the Hornets have steadily fallen over the last few weeks. They are barely hanging on the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference, with the suddenly surging Orlando Magic on their heels, coming off of their most impressive victory of the season, against the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
It will likely be down the last night of the season to determine the jumble for 6th, 7th, and 8th in East, with the Nets, Pistons, Magic, Hornets, and Heat all in contention. The Wizards even have an outside chance if they go on a hot streak. Melo could be a starter at power forward, which would let Marvin Williams be the 6th or 7th man, which he really is best suited for at this point in his career. The Hornets also may have to show Kemba Walker some type of desire to make moves and give him some much needed help, as he will have a plethora of potential suitors in the offseason, most notably his hometown New York Knicks. He is still widely expected to re-sign with the Hornets in the off-season. But Melo can help take a load off of his shoulders offensively.
Miami Heat
The small forward position has been in flux for the Miami Heat this season. James Johnson has been injured for a good chunk of the season, and he has not been as effective as in years past. Derrick Jones Jr. is a high-flyer and potential defensive stopper, but he is still relatively raw.
Justise Winslow is the only consistent option at the 3, but he has been used a lot as a point guard this season. Josh Richardson is their leading scorer, but he is more of a natural shooting guard who can play small forward. Rodney McGruder is gutsy defensively, but he shoots just over 40% from the field.
Therefore, Melo could be of use here. Additionally, he is also buddies with Dwyane Wade, and it would be kind of fitting for them to team up on Wade’s farewell tour, dubbed the last dance. The Heat could use another reliable scorer on their roster in their effort to make the playoffs, as Goran Dragic has only played in 18 games this season due to injuries, and center Hassan Whiteside continually battles injuries and inconsistency. Additionally, D-Wade is strictly a 20-25 minute player at this point in his career.