5 Players That Need To Cement A Legacy In The NBA Playoffs

Carmelo Anthony — where are we now?

Let’s start this out by saying it didn’t have to end this way. Carmelo Anthony could’ve been in Chicago competing for a championship. Last year when the Bulls had the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers on the run, Anthony could’ve been the difference. Houston, who made it all the way to the conference finals and were relying on Josh Smith as a third option, could’ve used Anthony.

Don’t begrudge him for staying in New York, don’t begrudge him for taking the money, but don’t you dare pretend winning is his No. 1 priority.

When Anthony reached the 22,000-point plateau this weekend, he became one of only 30 NBA players to do just that, all of whom are in the Hall of Fame or not yet eligible.

I say this with no sarcasm: Anthony will go to the Hall, he will be remembered as an all-time great scorer, and that’s a great legacy to have. But that’s it. That’s all we will remember about Anthony. We’ll remember he had some great games and scored a lot of points, but never quite matched up to the peers of his era.

Stop me when you see the trend: Carmelo Anthony, Adrian Dantley, Alex English, George Gervin, Bernard King, Dominique Wilkins…ok, we good? There are a lot of players worth remembering who scored a ton of points. Anthony has earned his place amongst that crop, and again, that’s a hell of an accomplishment and nothing to be ashamed of, but it’s far short of what he could’ve achieved.

The Knicks got off to an average start and “average” may be gratuitous. Anthony, credit to him, embraced a new role this season as a leader and as a team player. He has helped Kristaps Porzingis find his feet early as a blooming star.

Yet, the Knicks are 12th in the conference, and they don’t seem to be trending up. Anthony and Porzingis are distanced by 11 years and close to 33,000 career minutes. Remember the window we talked about earlier? It’s a pipe dream, and the windows of Anthony and Porzingis aren’t going to line up.

Close your eyes for a second, (actually don’t, pretend to close your eyes for a moment). Imagine Anthony accepting the Finals MVP award, imagine the Larry O’Brien trophy being passed around the Knicks’ roster, a smiling Phil Jackson to Anthony’s left, and a screaming Porzingis to his right. How differently do we view Anthony’s career?

Think about how differently Dirk Nowitzki was viewed before and after winning a title. It would be an astronomical difference, a legendary scorer wins the big one in his final years. It would completely and utterly transform the career perception of Carmelo Anthony. Obviously it’s less than feasible, but man would it be something.

Next: KD