Next season presents an opportunity to Carmelo Anthony in that the Knicks (and most rational observers) have discovered his true role. Melo is a power forward who has spent half a career not optimizing his skill set.
When Amar'e Stoudemire went down with an injury, New York was forced to play Anthony in the frontcourt. It was a revelation that resulted in Melo claiming a 29.5 PER from the 4-spot (via ESPN), versus the 17.3 mark he garnered as a 3.
When playing on the perimeter as a wing, Melo is more inclined to take far, contested jumpers. His sometimes poor offensive decision-making is further compounded by worse defensive decision-making around the perimeter.
He is not especially adept at tracking wing players who move around. Few are worse at chasing opponents through a maze of screens. The results of Melo's small-forward defense were often depressing (and a little hilarious).
When guarding power forwards, Anthony's defensive deficiencies are mitigated. He's closer to the hoop, less inclined to move around and more inclined to use his size. At power forward, Melo could become—dare I say it&m ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Ethan Sherwood Strauss
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