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Former NBA All-Star point guard Gilbert Arenas believes Carmelo Anthony can still contribute to an NBA team, but questions if Melo is “willing to sacrifice what he perceives he still has versus what teams need.”
Arenas says teams likely view Anthony as a lower end bench guy who comes in to score for a little bit and then comes out the game. The former Washington Wizards star, though, thinks Anthony believes he's more than that, and that dilemma is why teams are probably scared to sign the 10-time All-Star.
“Melo plays if Melo wants to play,” Arenas told Landon Buford. “At 35, he has a bunch left in the tank, but is he willing to sacrifice what he perceives he still has versus what teams need? They might need a guy to come in and play spot minutes and he is still a guy that thinks he is a star.
“Now, you have two realms of thought processes that need to meet in the middle, but the first person that must buy-in is Melo. Show that he can buy-in during the season versus saying, ‘Nah I'm not coming off anybody’s bench, I think I can’t still average 20.' But you can still average 15 to 20. However, you must put yourself into position first to show them.”
Carmelo Anthony told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith a few weeks ago he's willing to play any role on a team. The future Hall of Famer averaged 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds with the Houston Rockets last season in 10 games while shooting 40.5 percent from the field, 32.8 percent from beyond the arc and 68.2 percent from the free-throw line.
End of the bench players on an NBA team are usually reserved for guys who don’t talk to the media that much and stay under the radar. That wouldn’t be the case with Carmelo Anthony, who is one of the more high profile players in basketball.
Hopefully, Anthony gets one more shot in the NBA, but the odds aren't in his favor since there doesn't appear to be any team which has interest in signing Melo.
