Hoops Habit
Fansided

NBA Player Power Rankings: Top 20 Players at Midway Point

By Maxwell Ogden

Jan 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts on the bench in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts on the bench in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
7 of 23
Next
Jan 18, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) defends New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the first overtime at Madison Square Garden. New York Knicks won 119-113 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) defends New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the first overtime at Madison Square Garden. New York Knicks won 119-113 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

17. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks

Last Rank: No. 18

Position: Small Forward

Age: 31

Slash Line: .436/.335/.822

Season Averages: 34.9 MPG, 21.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.6 ORPG, 4.0 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.4 3PM

Carmelo Anthony is having one of the best seasons of his illustrious NBA career. With the weight of New York on his shoulders, Anthony has embraced the need to expand his game and commit to more than just scoring.

The results have been exceptional.

Anthony is holding opponents to 38.8 percent shooting from the field when he’s the primary defender, per NBA.com. He’s dishing out an average of 4.0 assists per game, which is the highest mark of his 13-year NBA career.

Anthony is also getting his legs back under him, which has helped as both a scorer and clutch maestro. Exhibit A:

Anthony is looking like himself again.

Anthony overcame a horrendous shooting night to record 19 points, seven assists, seven rebounds, and a game-saving 3-point field goal during a double-overtime win against the Philadelphia 76ers. He followed it by recording 30 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds on 13-of-20 shooting in a 118-111 overtime victory over the Utah Jazz.

For what it’s worth, the Knicks are 22-18 with Anthony and 0-4 without him. Those numbers are not misleading.

Next: The Last Remaining