Landon Buford
The last time Carmelo Anthony played in an NBA game was back on November 10th against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In that game, Melo was only able to muster up two points, shooting one percent from the floor with five rebounds.
Shortly after that game, the Rockets decided to trade the 10-time All-Star to Chicago, but Carmelo would not play a single game for the Bulls. After the Bulls release Melo, he was clear to sign with any other team of his liking but that did not happen this season.
Hall of Famer Grant Hill recently spoke to Heavy’s Brandon Robinson and stated that he didn’t think Carmelo at this point in the season. However, next season he did think someone might take a chance on the future Hall of Famer.
“I don’t think a team will bring him in at this point,” but I think next season a team will possibly bring him in,” said Grant.
Sacramento assistant coach Charles Barkley, Bobby Jackson, and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recently echoed Hill’s stance on him not playing this season because he has not been playing all year.
“I think Carmelo’s game still adapts to today’s game, it just has to be the right situation,” Kings Assistant Coach Bobby Jackson told me. With Carmelo situation being that he is 15 or 16 seasons in will he be willing to take a back seat by coming off the bench and being a limited role player in that offense. I think that is the biggest question with Carmelo,” said Jackson.
“This late in the season, unless you are really ready and have a specific need even after All-Star break. There has to be a team that has a need for his specific talent and he is A Hall of Famer, but like everyone else it’s it gotta be a fit,“ said Cuban.
“No, he’s not going to play in the [NBA] Playoffs, he’s done for the year.” So, that only leaves next season, “That’s going to be interesting it might be over,” Barkley told Heavy.
Other current and ex-players and have weighed in throughout the season on if Melo can still play or is career his finished in the NBA.
“It is kind of hard to say I am shocked or not [that Melo is unsigned.] In all fairness, he has had a great career I love Carmelo’s game and he was a true professional everywhere he went. I have never heard anyone say anything bad about him, but he still doesn’t fit some of the teams and they feel they have enough or he doesn’t bring any value them. That is probably why he is not picked up, but at the same time, I don’t want to see him on another team just me being selfish. I feel like he ’s had an H*** of a career run off into the sunset, be a father, and enjoy your family,“ Marion told me.
However, players such as Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, Demar DeRozan, C.J. Miles, Rodney Hood, and Hassan Whiteside all feel he has something left in the tank.
“Melo is a Hall of Famer, and I think it is funny how fickle today’s world with social media and everything has become what have you done for me lately. I don’t if they remember how good of a player he was and still is. Sometimes it’s the situation; it sucks to see as a basketball player to see people act he is something he is not, said Griffin.
“I have a feeling Melo will turn it around.”
“I think the analytics is what did that to him. He is a bucket that is what he is, and I understand the situation went a certain way, but he still is Melo. He still has a lot in his tank, and he can still play this game. I think situations have gone his way, but the slander, talk is crazy a lot of the time,“ said Miles.
“Melo is a scoring machine,” Whiteside told me.
“ Yeah definitely, I mean this is a guy who is probably to this today, one of the hardest guys to guard. In isolation type of situations and he is a legend. He is one of my favorite players to ever play and it is tough to see him go through what he is going through in the media. I think he can definitely help a team, especially when playoff time comes when things start to stagnate. He is a veteran, so I hope he lands on his feet,“ Hood told me.
“Yes, one of the All-time greatest scorers, and Hall of Fame player. So, it’s definitely crazy not to see him out there, but I’m confident he will be back out there,” DeRozan told me.
“Absolutely! Melo’s game translates, and he is another guy I respect and admired for a really long time. The way he approaches the game and I think it is always tough to see these savvy veterans get a bad name with a 24-hour news cycle. But Melo can still bring a hell of a lot to a team, and if you get him on the right team, there is going to be a lot of firepower for those guys, Love told me.“
Recently, Melo along with Chris Paul, LeBron James, and Devon Booker were on hand in Brooklyn to support Dwyane Wade as he played his last game in the NBA.
