Yesterday, social media exploded as the news broke out that Carmelo Anthony has been traded. Anthony name has been in trade talks for years now. Sam Presti the Oklahoma City Thunder general manager has sent out the following players Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and a second-round pick via Chicago for Carmelo Anthony according to Adrian Wojnarowski. Therefore here are my overall thoughts on this deal.
Unpredictable
This trade came out of nowhere because the Oklahoma City Thunder was not on Anthony’s list to be traded. The only teams on his list were Houston, Portland, and Cavaliers. There has been speculation that Russell Westbrook and Paul George had heavy influence in changing Anthony decision.
Pride
Anthony’s pride has always been his problem his loyalty and love for New York has never changed since his days at Syracuse. However, he should have waived his no-trade clause years ago with the Knicks but instead he chased the money instead of the ring.
Last run
Anthony is 33 years old and he is heading into his 14 seasons so the time is ticking for him. Plus Anthony going ring less will prove that he was a great player but he always came up short when it mattered. He will always be in the shadows of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh.
Legacy
There is no doubt that when Anthony is finished with his career he will be remembered as an all-time great. Anthony will be regarded as a top 20 player he is known for getting buckets. Anthony has averaged 24.8 PPG during his 14-year career. However, on the other side he has very little team success in the playoffs. During his time with Knicks in his seven years, he only took his team to the playoffs three times.
Conclusion
The sight of seeing Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony will be fascinating. However, people need to calm because it will take time for them to gel as a team. Their depth scares me because they are very thin on the bench. Only time will tell what will happen and if this big three can really work. When you analyze the makeup of the Thunder Westbrook, Anthony and George all have similar playing styles and they love iso ball. Therefore, it will be a massive adjustment for all three players to figure it and work together.
Photo courtesy of Bleacher Report
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