Portland Trail Blazers: Making A Case For Carmelo Anthony
The Portland Trail Blazers are struggling to stay afloat this season, but plenty of their woes could be cured by Carmelo Anthony
There is no speculation about a trade between the Portland Trail Blazers and the New York Knicks for Carmelo Anthony, but it would be interesting to explore.
The Blazers are perfectly fine in the backcourt, as evidenced by C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard.
Lillard’s having an off year, but these things happen when you’re responsible for most of the possessions on the court. McCollum has continued his high-caliber style of performance – most recently he scored a nice game-winner against the Dallas Mavericks and showed us he isn’t willing to give up.
Somehow, the Blazers pulled through an entire 82-game campaign and wound up being the fifth seed in the Western Conference last year. Now, with minor changes to the roster, the Blazers aren’t even in the playoff picture, and the problem seems to be coming from the wing.
The Blazers are very young overall. In fact, Evan Turner, who was recently acquired in free agency, is the oldest member of the team at 27. Lillard is a phenomenal guard and he’s undoubtedly the most cold-blooded player on this team, but he needs help from someone other than McCollum.
Al-Farouq Aminu is one of the more prominent small forwards the Blazers have. He’s renowned for his defense, and he’s probably thrived the most in Portland. Aminu has shown signs of contribution, but he’s not a scorer by any means necessary. His size and length are crucial, of course, for his defensive presence. But if he can’t put together consistent scoring performances, the Blazers are missing out on points from elsewhere on the basketball court.
Turner was effective for Boston, but hasn’t been that kind of player in Portland. Again, he’s not a scorer, per se, and that hurts the Blazers outside. His distribution and rebounding is hard to overlook, but without the scoring potential, there’s not much upside for him.
Allen Crabbe is one of the lone bright spots on the perimeter, as he’s averaged about 10 points per game for the entirety of his career. Likewise, Maurice Harkless has come into form and is putting up around 10 points per game himself.
Now perhaps Lillard and McCollum should be the only high-volume shooters on the team, because adding one more might be a bit counterproductive. However, if the Blazers want to make a playoff push and acquire an adequate source of scoring from the perimeter, Anthony is their solution.
Anthony’s made it clear that he will likely only waive his NTC if Phil Jackson sends him to a contender. But hypothetically, the Portland Trail Blazers could become an instant threat with Anthony in control of the small forward position.
He’s averaging 23 points per game this season, consistent with his career scoring averages. Adding Anthony to the Blazers roster would likely put a slight damper on his production, but he’d be a helpful addition nonetheless. Anthony is right to consider any other team but the Blazers, but the star talent in Lillard and McCollum would be hard to look past.
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To get Anthony, however, the Blazers would have to throw a small package of players into the mix, and they’re already over the salary cap by about $18 million. The Knicks are desperate to rebuild around Kristaps Porzingis and rising, rookie sensation Willy Hernangomez. Shipping off Anthony for a combination of Turner and Aminu makes sense fiscally.
Earlier in the season, too, Coach Jeff Hornacek made it a point that the Knicks need a defensive anchor on the floor, and no one has really stepped up in that regard. Aminu brings that defense to a Knicks team that ranks 25th in the NBA, allowing opponents to score 109 points per game.
Turner would be a decent facilitator off the bench for New York, despite Brandon Jennings thriving in a bench role. Both players would be intriguing to have in New York for the future of the roster, especially since the organization has a pick in the 2017 draft.
This is highly speculative, primarily because Anthony wouldn’t want to go to a team in a similar situation as New York – especially in a conference with much more competition. However, the Portland Trail Blazers would likely become a bit more dangerous as scorers with Anthony’s presence. Again, Lillard and McCollum need some help, so Anthony could be a plus. His age also offers a bit of a locker room voice, though some would argue he’s not entirely leadership material.
The NBA trade deadline is February 23. News regarding any acquisitions will be available at that time.
