Since parting ways with the New York Knicks to join other NBA superstars, Carmelo Anthony has gone through lots of ups and downs. After struggling to make himself fit as the Oklahoma City Thunder’s third scoring option behind Russell Westbrook and Paul George, the 10-time NBA All-Star decided to join the Houston Rockets. Unfortunately, worse things happened to Anthony in Houston.
Aside from not being considered as the main scoring option, Carmelo Anthony mostly came off the bench and received a lesser role with the Rockets. As of now, it will only be a matter of time before Anthony and the Rockets go in a different direction. With just 10 games, the Rockets already realized that the veteran forward isn’t a good fit with the team, and most people expect them to waive Anthony and let him join a new team as an unrestricted free agent.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report listed potential landing spots for Carmelo Anthony, including the San Antonio Spurs. Buckley believes joining the Spurs to play under Coach Gregg Popovich could be Anthony’s “best hope” to revive his NBA career.
“Perhaps Popovich’s greatest strength is his ability to mold his approach to his players. The good news with Anthony is he’d already be comfortable with a lot of the changes. The Spurs lead the league in pull-up shots (29.9 per game) and post touches (20.7), so some of the sharpest weapons in Anthony’s arsenal would not only be allowed but also featured. Adding intrigue to this destination is the fact Popovich has already proved capable of teaching old hoopers new tricks. Both DeRozan and Aldridge are averaging career highs in assists per game, while Gay just missed posting his best defensive rating during his first season with the Spurs.”
Like what he did to DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge, Coach Gregg Popovich could use the same trick to maximize Carmelo Anthony’s effectiveness on the court. At 34, there is no doubt that Anthony is already on the downside of his NBA career, but no one can deny the fact that the veteran forward still has lots of gas left in his tank. At this point in his NBA career, Anthony only needs a team that will fully trust him and will give him the opportunity to prove that he remains as one of the elite players in the league.
So far, it remains unknown if the Spurs have any plan on signing Carmelo Anthony once he clears waivers with the Rockets. However, giving Anthony a veteran minimum deal is something that the Spurs should consider, especially with their goal to fully dominate the deep Western Conference this season. Anthony may be considered as the odd man in Houston, but he could end up being the player who could help the Spurs return to the NBA Finals and bring another Larry O’Brien Trophy in San Antonio.