– Unwillingness to embrace a smaller role
One of the problems for Anthony since leaving New York has been his unwillingness to embrace the type of player that he is now. Even in his final few seasons with the Knicks, Anthony was not the All-Star player like he was when they first acquired him, and what we saw in Denver. However, Anthony is still obviously a capable NBA player.
Like we have seen all the time, father time comes knocking even for All-Stars. Some players are willing to realize that they aren’t what they used to be and adjust to a small role. On the other hand, some have a hard time realizing that they aren’t the same player. As shown by his unwillingness to embrace being a bench player, Anthony clearly thinks that he is still a starter in the NBA. While he can be a starter still, Anthony is not going to be winning anything as a starter in the NBA now.
If Anthony was going to listen to anyone and embrace a bench role, it would probably be with James. As his friend and an All-Star, James might be able to convince Anthony that it is the best course of action. However, even with Chris Paul, who is another good friend, the situation in Houston didn’t work out.