Fansided

NBA Season Preview 2018-19: 20 things to watch this NBA season

By Bryan Toporek

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 11: (L-R) Jimmy Butler #23, Karl-Anthony Towns #32, Taj Gibson #67 and Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves head back to the bench for a timeout during overtime of the game against the Denver Nuggets on April 11, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 112-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 11: (L-R) Jimmy Butler #23, Karl-Anthony Towns #32, Taj Gibson #67 and Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves head back to the bench for a timeout during overtime of the game against the Denver Nuggets on April 11, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 112-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 12: Carmelo Anthony attends Black Ops Basketball Run on September 12, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 12: Carmelo Anthony attends Black Ops Basketball Run on September 12, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images) /

12. Is Carmelo Anthony washed?

Carmelo Anthony’s lone season with the Oklahoma City Thunder couldn’t have gone much worse.

After arriving in OKC days before the start of the preseason, Anthony never quite grew comfortable with his complementary role. He averaged a career-low 16.2 points per game on 40.4 percent shooting, and he set his worst-ever marks in a host of advanced metrics.

The Thunder salary-dumped Anthony to the Atlanta Hawks in July, but the rebuilding Hawks had no need for him, either. A few weeks after they waived him, ‘Melo latched on with the Houston Rockets, where he’ll attempt to prove that his miserable 2017-18 season wasn’t a sign of what’s to come from him.

Anthony has long been a suboptimal defender, so his 72nd-place finish out of 82 power forwards in ESPN.com’s defensive real plus-minus last season shouldn’t come as a surprise. He covered up those defensive deficiencies with a potent output on offense in years past, but his regression as a scorer last season made him all but unplayable in critical moments.

The Rockets, who missed 27 straight 3-pointers in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, may be willing to endure Anthony’s defensive lapses if he can provide the complementary scoring punch they sorely lacked last season. His isolation-heavy style is perfect for the system head coach Mike D’Antoni is running in Houston, and the likes of Chris Paul, PJ Tucker and Clint Capela may be able to mask his woes on D.

If Anthony isn’t washed, he could be the difference-maker Houston needs to advance deep into the playoffs again. But if he has a reprise of his 2017-18 campaign, he’ll be lucky to find anyone willing to offer him even the mid-level exception next summer.