The Portland Trail Blazers and Carmelo Anthony are aware of this: After a near five-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA will resume with the 2019-20 season this July. The league approved a 22-team format to determine the final lineup for the 2020 playoffs. The NBA has implemented health and safety protocols for the players and staff who will go to Disney World in Orlando, where all the games will be played.

However, some players still have reservations on resuming play. Among them is Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony, who still isn't “100 percent” sure whether he will participate in the NBA's return this July. The 36-year old expressed his concerns over the lack of information provided by the league office.

With Melo's participation still up in the air, the Blazers should consider a back-up plan should their starting power forward skip the NBA's Orlando return.

Carmelo Anthony signed with the Blazers back in mid-November. He provided Portland with a solid scoring option at the wing spot to complement Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. Through 50 games, the Syracuse standout averaged 15.3 points and 6.3 rebounds, while shooting 42.6 percent from the field and a pretty solid 37.1 percent clip from long range.

Should Anthony not return with the rest of the team this July, that's the kind of production they will need to make up. Obviously, the Blazers won't find one person, whether in the free agent market or their own roster, to fill in those numbers. Likewise, even at 36, Anthony is still capable of creating his own shot, which helps ease the load off Lillard and McCollum. So, where do the Blazers go from here?

Firstly, let's recall why the Blazers tapped on Anthony in the first place. Zach Collins, their starting power forward at the start of the season, suffered a shoulder dislocation three games into the 2019-20 campaign. The 22-year old is reportedly ready to make his return to the floor when the NBA resumes this July.

Collins obviously doesn't bring the scoring prowess that a former scoring champ like Anthony does. Nonetheless, he still is a capable option at the four spot with his ability to knock down the three-ball and roll to the rim. Moreover, Collins brings a better defensive presence at that position with his shot blocking ability.

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It's safe to say that Collins doesn't check the all boxes to fill in Melo's role, but he still brings something to the table that Anthony doesn't. Thus, Portland will need a collective effort from their other players. Assuming the entire the team returns to Orlando, Mario Hezonja and Trevor Ariza should provide them with floor spacing options at the four spot. They also offer more defensive versatility at that spot than Collins.

Other options they could look at is to put youngsters Caleb Swanigan and Wenyen Gabriel into the fire as they compete for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Portland could also look into the free agent market for added depth and insurance policies.

The Blazers will certainly miss the veteran's presence as they fight for the no. 8 spot in the West. Nonetheless, they can still make up for his production with a collective group effort.