Los Angeles Lakers should pursue Carmelo Anthony
As the Los Angeles Lakers look to round out their roster with veterans, they should take a look at Carmelo Anthony.
It is June, teams are prepping for free agency looking to make moves. The Golden State Warriors are in uncertain times with injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. The Los Angeles Lakers continue to look at intriguing options to round out their roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
An all so familiar name of Carmelo Anthony enters the mix. Carmelo as always is tagged in videos working out at Summit Fitness Club in New York. He recently knocked down a staggering 18 straight 3-pointers and 20-21 total in a video posted on June 17th.
https://twitter.com/overtime/status/1140779366571532288?s=21
We see this every few months though and have learned not to be fooled by it, but how many players in the league could be had at the veteran minimum with a resume like Carmelo? The answer is none. Although his last two stops in Oklahoma City and Houston have not turned out well, Carmelo still has the ability to score the basketball.
Anthony has made his money, now he is looking to win a ring, what better option then to try and do that next to one of his better friends in the NBA, LeBron James? LeBron has been linked to Carmelo many times in his career in such stops as Miami and Cleveland, as well as last year in Los Angeles.
With the Lakers now hunting for small contracts, this is the best time possible to make the move to bring Anthony in. Anthony at the least would provide double-digit scoring, and someone who has been battle tested with 1,064 career regular season games and 72 playoff games. Although 35-years-old, he would thrive as a 3-point shooter in the corner.
One flaw that Anthony would pose, is his defense. He has never been a lockdown defender but has shown he can defend when his mind is locked in. He won’t scare the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but when LeBron James is locked in playoff mode that’s what he can provide on the defensive side.
The Lakers need guys who can score the ball, they will get their 25-30 points a game from each LeBron and AD, but if you look past those two and Kuzma who will average double digits, they need a lot more to compete with high octane offenses. AD on defense will cover a lot of flaws and a more motivated LeBron will be much better on defense than he was this year.
Anthony needs to be willing to sacrifice, which he showed at times in Houston, but did not show in OKC. He isn’t a 30 point scorer a night anymore, but he can change his game to help a team. Especially if he is looking to cap his career off with a championship.
The Lakers could have Melo come off the bench or even allow him to start. The ball wouldn’t be in his hands as much as other stops in his career with AD and LeBron on the court. As well as possibly another big name. But he can pick his spots to spot up and will have plenty of space to shoot. Possibly the most space he has seen in his career, which he should benefit from.
Melo showed at times in OKC what he could provide playing next to Russell Westbrook and Paul George and what he can do shooting from the right corner. According to NBA.com advanced stats he shot 40% from there. With Los Angeles, he should get that shot and should be wide open most of the time with teams doubling either LeBron or AD.
Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss are taking an interesting path to try and win a championship, which includes maxing out their cap for a big three and then filling out the roster with veteran minimum guys. These guys are out of their prime, but can still provide enough to try and win a championship, if Los Angeles scours the market correctly.
Personally, I think Carmelo Anthony to the Lakers is a done deal, once the dust settles of free agency and all the moves are made then he will be brought in. Either path the Lakers take whether it’s using their remaining cap space on one free agent or dice it out to multiple guys, Anthony will be there in August regardless.
Carmelo’s goal should be winning a championship, and the possibility of that next to his good friend LeBron should entice him. Maybe third time is a charm, and the Lakers could be the team that Melo ultimately sacrifices that for.