Carmelo Anthony with a pretty ugly airball vs Wizards (Video)
By John Buhler
Carmelo Anthony could not have missed a more wide open look at the basket. It encapsulates why he is not starting in the NBA All-Star Game.
Things are not going over very well for the Super Team that is the 2016-17 New York Knicks. New York is 19-24 on the year through 43 games and in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings.
On Thursday, perennial All-Star Game starter Carmelo Anthony found out that he was not one of the five to start for the Eastern Conference. He would prove why he’s going to have to make it to New Orleans as a reserve by this atrocious wide-open shot attempt in the paint.
Early in the first quarter of the Knicks’ primetime home game against the Washington Wizards, Anthony would lean on Wizards wing Otto Porter Jr. to get an open look near the restricted area in the paint.
Only a few feet from the hoop, Anthony would miss the easiest of buckets. He would fade away from the restricted area to essentially lob the ball into Porter’s arms on the basket for a terrible airball turnover.
With the rise of other promising frontcourt players in the Eastern Conference, we may have seen the end of Anthony’s days being a lock to star in NBA All-Star Games. He won’t unseat Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James any time soon. Milwaukee Bucks point forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is an emerging star.
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Even Chicago Bulls wing Jimmy Butler and Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George are better bets to start future NBA All-Star Games over Anthony. Name recognition by the fans isn’t good enough to get Anthony to more All-Star Games. His regular season teams in New York don’t win enough games. Air-balling this terrible shot attempt doesn’t translate to winning either.