It's quite surprising that in a Los Angeles Lakers roster stacked with future Hall of Famers, it's Carmelo Anthony who's shining the brightest. The man was fighting to stay in the NBA just a few years ago. Now, he's risen as one of the most important pieces in the Lakers' quest for another title.
From an individual perspective, Anthony is forging a strong case to be crowned Sixth Man of the Year. Here are three reasons why this is so.
He's shooting lights out from the field
Anthony entered Sunday's duel with the Houston Rockets with averages of 15.7 points and 4.0 rebounds. He's shooting a ridiculous 48.5 percent from the field and 50.0 from deep. He was a key part of the Lakers' victory against the Rockets as he dropped 23 points, marking the second time this season he led the Lakers in scoring. He shot 5-of-8 from long distance and 8-of-14 from the field.
Obviously, his numbers will normalize as they play more games. There might be nights when he'll be doing just okay from the field. There will also be games when he's just flat-out feeling it. But from where he stands now, it's clear that Anthony, in his 19th year in the league, still has it in him. He's become a Lakers fan favorite for his antics. Whenever he makes his way to the announcer's table to check in, fans of the Purple & Gold can't help but give him some love. They know if he's in the game, they are about to get a scoring boost.
He's a perfect complement to LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Rajon Rondo
Carmelo Anthony said it himself. This Lakers roster is built like an Olympics team. And those who saw his performance donning the Team USA jersey know that he was living the good life, camping from behind the three-point line, knocking down shots all day. The reason behind this is pretty simple. Both LeBron James and Russell Westbrook break down defenses for a living. They're always constant threats to score the ball. Coupled with this is their inherent vision and passing. Basketball is a simple sport. Whenever there are two defenders on you, at least one of your teammates will be wide open.
This makes fans wonder, especially those who have been following LeBron's career: Why did he just become teammates with Anthony now? Since from the looks of it, Melo fits the profile of the ultimate LBJ teammate: Someone with a smooth stroke to space the floor. He fits in the mold of Chris Bosh, Kevin Love, Ray Allen, JR Smith, or even Danny Green (at least when he's hot). If all goes well, then just like the aforementioned players, Anthony will help LeBron to another NBA title.
He's embraced his role fully
This reason is only applicable to Anthony because of his rather interesting history of accepting a bench role. To recall, it began when he went to the Oklahoma City Thunder to team up with Westbrook and Paul George. During a press conference, a reporter asked him if he's comfortable in coming off the bench. He simply laughed it off and would later be hesitant to take on such a role, as observed in his controversial fallout with the Houston Rockets.
At this stage of his career, Anthony has understood being heralded as the sixth man isn't that bad. This isn't a form of demotion as some might see it. In a team sport, specific roles are defined and given to a player for his inherent skill sets. In his days with Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony's role was to become the primary scorer. He was younger, faster, more athletic. Now that he's at the tail-end of his career, these traits have withered. However, his shooting stroke is still well intact and will likely remain that way until he retires.
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