In Defense of Carmelo Anthony

• Critics of Carmelo Anthony have unfairly glossed over the many ways he can help a championship contender
• The ten-time All-Star is still one of the league’s most lethal isolation scorers
• Melo also remains one of the most clutch players in NBA history

At some point in the next 72 hours Carmelo Anthony will sign with the Houston Rockets, thereby joining his fourth team in 12 months. You’re likely to read countless tweets and mean-spirited columns soon after about how Melo is a selfish diva who pounds the air out of the ball and refuses to play defense.

Some of those critiques will have merit, but most will gloss over the fact that Anthony is still a productive NBA player who can help a team with his polished mid-range game and high basketball IQ.

We believe it’s time to stop bashing Melo and start showing him a little love. That’s why we’ve come up with five reasons this future Hall of Famer can help the Rockets in their quest for an NBA championship.

He’s an Excellent Scorer in Isolation

The NBA may be moving away from isolation sets, but you know who isn’t? The Rockets. Houston led the league in isolation plays by a huge margin in 2017-18, running them on 14.5% of their possessions.

That’s excellent news for Anthony, who is one of the greatest isolation specialists in NBA history. Melo ranked fourth in isolation possessions in his final season with the Knicks and was among the league leaders again in OKC at 18.1%.

Mike D’Antoni should have a field day drawing up plays for Melo to exploit mismatches and bully smaller defenders on the weakside.

He’s a Superb Teammate

Journalists have long considered Anthony selfish because of his style of play, but his peers have a very different perception. That became evident in 2017 when Anthony was named the NBA Teammate of the Year by players around the league.

Knicks teammate Lance Thomas praised Anthony that season for “keeping the team together,” and Kristpas Porzingis lauded him for his “calm and collected” manner.

Knicks forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas was particularly impressed with Melo’s humility. “Probably the biggest thing that I learned from Melo is that even being a huge star, huge player, you can be still a great person, great teammate,” he observed. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a rookie or a veteran. He’s going to treat you the same way.”

Anthony’s lone season in Oklahoma City may not have been a resounding success, but he got along well with all of his teammates and was a model citizen off the court. The Rockets should expect the same exemplarity behavior when he rolls into Houston.

He’s a Champion

It’s easy to forget, but Anthony led Syracuse to a 30-5 record and a national championship during his first – and only – year with the Orangemen. At the time, he was lauded as the most dominant player in college basketball and was hailed for his leadership, composure, and unparalled ability to break down defenses.

Anthony also led Team USA to Olympic gold in 2008, 2012 and 2016 and, along with LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, helped re-establish the U.S. as the world’s preeminent basketball power.

Melo was USA Basketball’s first four-time men’s Olympian and ranks first among all U.S. players in games played, points, and field goals made.

Melo was USA Basketball’s first four-time men’s Olympian and ranks first among all US players in games played, points, field goals made, field goals attempted, rebounds, three-point field goals attempted, free throws made, and free throws attempted.

Anthony’s sense of commitment wasn’t lost upon former national team coach Mike Krzyzewski. “To devote that amount of time is remarkable really, and it’s not been done,” Coach K said back in 2016. “He’s been such a good guy to coach and he’s accepted different roles. In this Olympics, he’s not only been a really good player, he’s been an outstanding leader. He’s tried to use his experience and he has instant respect with all the guys.”

Anthony may have a lost a step or two since his glory days, but the Rockets can expect to see that same drive and commitment when he re-joins former USA Basketball teammates Chris Paul and James Harden.

He’s Clutch

Few players are better in crunch time than Anthony, who has hit more go-ahead field goals in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime than any other active player. Who could forget his dramatic game-winning three against the Bulls in 2012, or his cold-blooded turnaround jumper against the Hornets in 2016? Both shots will live on in Knicks lore for years to come.

Anthony won’t always have the ball in his hands with the clock ticking down in Houston, but if he does he’ll know just what to do with it.

He’s a Bargain

Anthony’s shortcomings have been well documented over the years, and the Thunder were justified in not wanting to pay him $27.9 million this season for his declining production.

However, Melo will only cost the Rockets $2.4 million. That’s the NBA’s veteran minimum and it’s $15.6 million less than the Lakers are paying Luol Deng, and $13.6 million less than the Magic are paying Timofey Mozgov. Unlike those two stiffs, Melo can be a valuable member on a championship calibre-team.

Projecting Anthony’s Performance in 2018-19

So, what can you expect from Melo in Houston? We’ve projected his statistical production in the table below.