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Portland Trail Blazers: Grading each starter’s Playoffs performance

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 29: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Carmelo Anthony #00 of the Portland Trail Blazers hug before the start of Game Five of the Western Conference First Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 29, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. 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 Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 29: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Carmelo Anthony #00 of the Portland Trail Blazers hug before the start of Game Five of the Western Conference First Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 29, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. 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 Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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Portland Trail Blazers
Carmelo Anthony, Portland Trail Blazers (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Carmelo Anthony

Per Game Stats: 15.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists per game on 41.2 percent from the field, 42.1 percent from 3, and 85.7 percent from the free throw line

Advanced Metrics: 51.2 true shooting percentage, -24.3 on-off swing, 20.6 usage percentage

If the preeminent hype surrounding Portland pre-bubble wasn’t about the excitement of Nurkic and Collins, the only question to compare was this: how would Carmelo Anthony respond to returning to the “3?”

The end results are difficult to argue with. The Portland Trail Blazers went 7-2 before the postseason, generated the best offense in the NBA, and competed with the No. 1-seeded Lakers for the better portion of this first-round series.

Going forward, and over an entire 82-game season, you feel a bit more hesitant about that development. But if these must-win games showed us anything, it’s that “Carmelo” and “chameleon” are close in more than just lettering.

We looked into Anthony in-depth before Game Four, discussing how sensational he was on defense, even if he was virtually a non-factor on offense at the outset of the series. But over the last three games, he found his touch, averaging 21.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game on 47.0 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from 3, and 90.0 percent from the free throw line.

And to think, that level of production almost got exiled out of the league.

Going forward, Anthony proved his worth, and why he should be able to return to Portland. With Nurkic back healthy, it also provides an idea of what his role could be, even if it’s a bit more grounded. At this point, he’s probably a third, maybe fourth-option with the ability to be the best scorer on the floor on any given night. Superstar calls aren’t something he gets anymore, a major factor in Games 2 and 3.

He gave the Blazers an extra dimension as a clutch catch-and-shoot player, and his post-up play gave the Blazers’ stars a rest. All told, those post-ups yielded 1.21 points per possession, and a 64.3 effective field goal percentage, per NBA.com.

One aspect Anthony won’t quite get credit for is how well he facilitated and passed out to open teammates. He was often a key cog in those “extra passes” along the perimeter. His assist numbers would’ve never jumped off the page, but if Whiteside had finished a few more of those shots he was fouled on, or Trent Jr. were a little hotter, those numbers would look a bit better.

It was an ugly series at certain points, but he ramped up his defense, and played about as one would expect offensively.

Grade: B