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Trail Blazers: Believe it or not, Carmelo Anthony is still a winner

By Austin Carroll

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 21: Carmelo Anthony #00 of the Portland Trail Blazers participates in warmups prior to a game prior to a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on November 21, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 21: Carmelo Anthony #00 of the Portland Trail Blazers participates in warmups prior to a game prior to a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on November 21, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Don’t give up hope yet, the Portland Trail Blazers may just have one of basketball’s best comeback stories on their hands in the form of Carmelo Anthony.

Greedy. Selfish. Careless. Ball hog. These are words that have followed Carmelo Anthony throughout the entirety of his career. And don’t be mistaken, some of them are warranted. But a little bit of maturity seems to have already helped turned back the clock for Melo in his time with the Portland Trail Blazers.

A younger version of Carmelo probably wouldn’t show the poise to adapt to a modern NBA that nearly left him behind, forcing him to claw his way back into the league.

Anthony has had former teammates publicly oust him for his attitude behind-the-scenes. He’s forced his way out of cities (to the detriment of his new team) instead of patiently waiting another year to become a free agent. When he actually was a free agent, he spurned competitive suitors in favor of the big bucks. He also infamously rejected the notion of coming off the bench for the better of his team. There’s a whole laundry list of past grievances we could air out from Carmelo’s past, but I think you get the point now.

When the Trail Blazers made the move to give Carmelo an apparent final chance in the NBA, the decision was met with a lot of controversy. How can a team that favors iso ball with virtually no primary playmakers or defenders to support the scorers benefit by adding another iso scorer that isn’t known for playing defense or passing?

So far, Portland seems to have embraced the future first ballot Hall of Famer. I reckon that comes a lot easier when the team is winning games.

We saw that happen firsthand when Melo led Portland to a victory on Monday night against the Chicago Bulls. With a game-high 25 points on 50 percent shooting from the field, Anthony proved he still has something to offer for a contender. He also tacked on 8 rebounds, a pair of assists, and a positive Plus/Minus score of 19.

Following this statement performance, Shams Charania of the Athletic had the opportunity to talk to Melo about what this game — and season — mean in the bigger picture.

https://twitter.com/TheAthletic/status/1199446940506738688?s=20

Next. Moses Brown and Jaylen Hoard need more minutes. dark

While this experiment is only four games in, we’ve been left with a lot more positive impressions than negative. This story will undoubtedly continue to unfold as the season progresses, and may ultimately be the determining factor on what the record books have to say about the Trail Blazers’ 2019-20 campaign — and how we’ll remember the legacy of one of the greatest to ever do it. Here’s to Carmelo.