The praise keeps on rolling in for Carmelo Anthony after the veteran forward re-signed with the Portland Trail Blazers in free agency.
Blazers general manager Neil Olshey has already been quite vocal about the importance of bringing Anthony back next season. Damian Lillard expanded on that at the start of the team's Media Week, suggesting Melo is a vital part of Portland's culture:
“He wanted to come back, I wanted him to come back, Terry wanted him to come back, all our teammates wanted him to come back, ” Lillard said, via Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report. “It's a respect factor. That's a key for us, having that respect.”
There seems to be plenty of mutual respect between Anthony and the organization.
Olshey and the Trail Blazers brought Anthony back to the NBA after sustaining a multitude of frontcourt injuries to the likes of Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins. Anthony was tasked with being an undersized forward and third option, but he filled both roles exceptionally well.
The 10-time All-Star averaged 15.4 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 38.5 percent from beyond the arc on nearly four attempts per game. He gave Portland a vital scoring presence while also ramping up the defensive effort. More importantly, Anthony displayed veteran leadership and a moxie that seemed to fit right in with Lillard and the rest of the team.
Bringing back Melo was part of a busy offseason for Olshey. The Blazers made several notable acquisitions, including Robert Covington, Derrick Jones Jr., Enes Kanter and Harry Giles. Rodney Hood also returned to the team on a new deal.
With this retooled roster, Portland is looking to make a run to the NBA Finals. That will be a tall order, but Lillard is confident in his team:
https://twitter.com/highkin/status/1333852341393518593
This should be a fun season in Portland.
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