Carmelo Anthony doesn’t have much of a decision to make this summer, but the Oklahoma City Thunder just might. Anthony has a $28 million player option for next season, and a brief look around the proverbial NBA room makes it clear Anthony is sure to do worse on the open market when it comes to a dollar amount.
The problem, for the Thunder at least, is that Anthony has had a disappointing first year in Oklahoma City. Anthony averaged 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game on the season, but in the playoffs in particular, Anthony shot under 40 percent, was a defensive liability and saw long stretches on the bench.
If Anthony looks frustrated in the photo above, it’s because he was. Here are some bad numbers for Anthony against the Jazz, which showed that he hurt the Thunder more than he helped.
Carmelo Anthony on-court vs. the Jazz: 194 minutes, -58
The Thunder with Carmelo Anthony off-court vs. the Jazz: 94 minutes, +32— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) April 28, 2018
Here are some more!
Carmelo Anthony was M.I.A. in the 4th Quarter this series against the Jazz…
Game 1: 4 Points
Game 2: 0 Points
Game 3: 0 Points
Game 4: 0 Points
Game 5: 0 Points
Game 6: 0 Points pic.twitter.com/U0hJmXiPSt— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 28, 2018
That’s not good, but the bigger problem is that Anthony seems reluctant to take a bench role on an NBA team. He famously scoffed at it upon his arrival in Oklahoma City. Let’s roll back the clock a bit here, shall we?
Doesn’t seem promising. But let’s see if a season of struggles and a disappointing postseason has changed his mind.
Melo asked about possibly coming off the bench: "I'm not sacrificing no bench role. So that's out of the question."
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 28, 2018
OK then!
One thing worth noting is that Anthony hinted he wasn’t fully comfortable with his role with the Thunder this season. He addressed this head-on on Saturday, too, and didn’t hold back.
Melo came into exit interviews and burned the damn practice facility to ash: "It wasn't no strategy to me being here, me being a part of the actual system and what type of player and things like that…I don't think I can be effective as that type of player. " pic.twitter.com/Wjeh8HjE3K
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) April 28, 2018
Paul George stressed something similar, saying how difficult it was to find a rhythm and team chemistry with the group in his first season in Oklahoma City.
So maybe things get better, or maybe the Thunder find a way to move on without breaking the bank paying a 33-year-old player who refuses to come off the bench. We’ll see. There’s a lot that can happen over the next few months. Maybe Anthony will reconsider his role in time.
