Rip City Project
Fansided

Carmelo Anthony may actually be the answer for the Trail Blazers

By Carson Brown

PORTLAND, OREGON - NOVEMBER 29: Carmelo Anthony #00 of the Portland Trail Blazers celebrates making a three-pointer during the second half of the game against the Chicago Bulls at the Moda Center on November 29, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers won 107-103. 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 Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - NOVEMBER 29: Carmelo Anthony #00 of the Portland Trail Blazers celebrates making a three-pointer during the second half of the game against the Chicago Bulls at the Moda Center on November 29, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers won 107-103. 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 Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The addition of Carmelo Anthony has been an exceptional move so far for a Portland Trail Blazers team that desperately needed the help.

The forward production for the Portland Trail Blazers throughout the year has been hard to watch. The injury to Zach Collins was devastating and the play of Mario Hezonja and Anthony Tolliver have been something out of a nightmare. That’s why Carmelo Anthony has been such a crucial difference maker.

The Trail Blazers were desperately searching for answers with no solution in sight. A handful of different starting lineups and changes to rotation came with no resolution. The Blazers’ misery had reached a level I hadn’t seen in all my years watching Rip City play until they took a chance on the unknown.

What appeared to be a desperation move from the Trail Blazers turned out to be the best move of the NBA season so far. Adding Carmelo in mid-November was a surprise to many, but was a chance this team had no choice but to take.

The initial plan was for Melo to be a rotation player getting about 20 minutes per night, but that plan didn’t last for a single game. Anthony started in his Rip City debut and has no intention of losing that spot.

His performance has baffled me. He’s now averaging in the high teens for points per game, but the crazy part is the efficiency. Anthony has suited up for the Trail Blazers six times now and has shot 37 percent from behind the arc, but if you exclude the game in Cleveland where nothing went right for any Blazers he’s shooting over 55 percent from deep.

Although to some this may seem small, Anthony has been making the extra pass when given the opportunity and it has done wonders for the Trail Blazers.

An issue of mine with Melo in the past has been that when he gets touches he tends to hesitate. He looks to size up his defender and waits to swing the ball which is how you kill the offensive possession.

This new Trail Blazer Melo looks beyond comfortable in the system and has appeared to improve his playmaking decisions. The ball rotations are quick and when his look is there offensively he doesn’t dance with the ball in his hands, he simply rises up and fires.

The best part of all of this is that the season is young, This Trail Blazer team will absolutely be a playoff team and adding Carmelo Anthony along for the ride will make this season have an extra spark to it.

The city is behind Melo and so are his new teammates, allowing him to just play basketball with no worries for the first time in a while. It appears Carmelo Anthony is as happy on the court as anyone has seen him in what feels like a decade.

Next. Takeaways from win over Bulls. dark

Look for the success to continue for Carmelo Anthony and the wins to keep piling up for the Trail Blazers as the season goes on.