What Will Carmelo Anthony’s Legacy Be?

Sometimes I feel like I pick on Carmelo Anthony a bit too much. Since his days with the Denver Nuggets, I always kind of expected more from him. In the beginning, I made excuses for the guy. He was a young player stuck with a Denver team that was never going to win a title as it was then constructed.

He still was an extremely popular player though, and the best offensive player in the league on any given night (He still has that ability by the way).

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Then, there was the forced move to the New York Knicks. Like Dwight Howard and his move to Los Angeles and the Lakers, that moment changed some people’s perception of him. The mood soured a little. Somewhat ironically, his stock fell yet lower still when he opted to stay with the Knicks (currently going through both a terrible slump, and an unexpected rebuild).

He had the opportunity to go to the Chicago Bulls, but felt his “brand” was in its best position to succeed in New York. That’s his choice, it’s just annoys actual basketball fans who don’t care about the off-court stuff that he chose to do this. He’s a great player, and it would have been great to see him do great player things in the postseason for years to come. That seems unlikely now.

The reason I wanted to talk about Carmelo Anthony and the mark he’ll leave on the NBA is a result of something Bill Simmons said here. Essentially he argued that, because of his time spent in the league, total money made, numbers and postseason appearances and performances, Zach Randolph of the Memphis Grizzlies could end up in the Naismith Hall of Fame one day.

Pretty heady stuff for a guy who was a part of the Portland Jail Blazers and was bounced from a couple of teams just so they could shed his contract.

If Z-Bo can make it in, surely Anthony can too, and he will. But it’s about more than that. If we’re talking about the grander narrative of legacy here, Randolph was able to turn his around dramatically to the point where he could yet go into the Hall.

Anthony on the other hand, began his career with so much skill and potential, but proceeded to make moves that jeopardize his legacy if anything. Luck plays a part as well, and I admit Anthony hasn’t always had that on his side.

Still though this guy could have been so much more. I’m through arguing that he’s the most overrated player in the league, something I felt passionately about for years. I understand now what he’s about, and I truly appreciate his game. Offensively if he gets it going he’s a one-man army, even if he’s never been much of anything on the defensive end.

That’s all right though, because he wouldn’t be the first star player to play the game this way. Had he come at a different time as well, he would have surely shone brighter.

But now that I can finally appreciate what he’s about, his career arc is actually more frustrating. He’s in the first year of a five year mega deal in New York, and he’s 30 years old. After the All-Star Game a couple of weeks back it was announced that he’d sit out the rest of the season to have knee surgery on an injury that had bothered him for quite some time.

Knee injuries at that age are a red flag for players and the teams that employ them, so it’s a good thing he’s with the Knicks, a team where no contract is too bad and no washed up talent isn’t worth taking a flyer on.

Feb 9, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) sits on the bench during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Miami won 109-95. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Essentially I feel his best days are behind him, both because of this injury, combined with his age and the fact he plays with a team that won’t be relevant for a couple of years at least. What has he got to show for this though? For the years of filling it up night after night and generally putting on a show for the fans?

One Western Conference Finals appearance, and (quite surprisingly) only the one scoring title from 2012-13. He’s an eight-time All-Star fair enough, but a couple of those nods had more to do with fan voting than his actual play, such as this season for example.

Most surprising of all though, he has never once made an All-NBA first team in his time in the league. That’s not likely to change now either. So for all the money, all the points scored and all of the limited individual success (USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year 2006 anybody?) what kind of long-term impact did he actually leave on the league?

Again, I’d care less and actually be glad of this lack of success if I still felt he was insanely overrated. But now I’m just a little bit saddened by it all. His scoring numbers, while still extremely high (more than 24 points a game before injury) are also beginning to tumble downwards. Interestingly, he’s also never averaged more than four assists per game a season his entire time in the league.

For a little bit of context there, NBA All-Stars like Evan Turner, Donald Sloan and Nicolas Batum are all averaging more than four assists a game this year. Kevin Garnett (hardly known for his sick dimes) has averaged over four assists in 11 seasons of his career to date as well.

It’s not like Melo doesn’t have the vision or ability to pass, he just never really did it. We’re getting bogged down in the finer details here though. He has been a gunner most of his life, and without that shooting touch, the Knicks would have been beyond bad. So let’s not pick on his lack of assists. Let’s be honest about how he’ll be remembered in 15 years time.

For starters I’m not sure I’d put him in the hall, but that’s a personal view. The league of the last 10-plus years has been dominated by LeBron James, followed by players like Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers and the ‘Big Four’ in Boston. Greg Oden‘s injury woes, and the rise and fall of Derrick Rose also spring to mind quicker than Anthony.

The consistent Spurs and spectacular implosion of the Detroit Pistons also get a mention as well. I could go on, but the point is, all of Anthony’s points and highlight plays aren’t near the top of league defying moments.

I’ll wrap it up by saying that Carmelo Anthony has been the biggest nearly man of his generation. Certainly of the last 10 years, maybe even longer. While the likes of John Stockton and Reggie Miller could never win a title because of Michael Jordan and the Bulls, the main factor that held Anthony back ultimately was himself. Some his decisions backfired, and it’s left him in the predicament he finds himself in today.

Do you agree? Or am I being too harsh on a guy who was one of the five best players in the NBA for a while there?

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