5 reasons the Oklahoma City Thunder can win the NBA Championship
5. A Melossance?
Carmelo Anthony is entering these playoffs in the worst form of his career. Teams have maliciously targeted him on the defensive end all season, routinely torching him. Some of that is effort related. Drivers often roast Melo off the dribble after he barely shuffles his feet and then attempts his patented swipe at the ball to make it seem as if he’s really trying. You’re not fooling anyone Carmelo!
Melo’s output on the offensive end has been even more alarming than his defensive haplessness however. He’s has made a career on his ability to put the ball in the basket, but this season Carmelo has disappointed immensely. Anthony’s mid-range shot, which he has relied on heavily throughout his career, just hasn’t fallen this year. He is converting only 36 percent of shots from 16-23 feet, the lowest mark of his career since his first two seasons in Denver. Anthony has clearly entered a different phase as a player at this point. But the manner and rapidity of his decline have been a true shock. He’s not the same guy on offense and the hyper-efficient Olympic version of Melo just hasn’t shown up this year.
But all is not yet lost. Melo doesn’t have to return to star form to make a difference for OKC. Teams still respect Carmelo’s jumper and that matters. The most important thing that Anthony can do for this team is to start knocking down the shots he’s made throughout his career. Although he’s had a dispiriting season, a return to the playoffs after five years could be the spark that Melo needs to get going. If he can up his offensive output the Thunder should jump a level on that side of the ball, which would really make them a much greater threat in the playoffs.
On the other end of the floor, Melo contributing like anything would be a positive. The Jazz run an egalitarian offense that doesn’t often scrap its motions and actions in order to torment specific defenders. That could help or hurt Melo depending on who he’s guarding and whether or not he’ll have to run through screens. If the Thunder play Houston, Melo will have a target on his back. They’ll try to pick and roll him to death. Expecting a complete renaissance during the playoffs from Carmelo is likely unreasonable. If he can stay on the floor and not be a total liability defensively however, the Thunder will be brutally difficult to guard. Particularly at the end of games.