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Detroit Pistons: 3 reasons to pursue Carmelo Anthony

By Amaar Burton

NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 01: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder stands on the court during the second half of a NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on April 1, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 01: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder stands on the court during the second half of a NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on April 1, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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Carmelo Anthony
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1. Carmelo would be Detroit’s best small forward

If your team can get a player on a minimum contract who is good enough to be in the starting lineup, that is a victory.

The Pistons have one of the best froncourt tandems in the NBA with two-time All-Star center Andre Drummond and five-time All-Star power forward Blake Griffin. But they aren’t so solid at the small forward position.

Stanley Johnson is currently penciled in to start at the 3 for Detroit, but the 22-year-old is looking like a defensive specialist at best who doesn’t contribute much offensively. The Pistons are expected to pick up their contract option for Reggie Bullock, who started 52 games last season and can play either shootin guard or small forward. Bullock is a good shooter, but not on Anthony’s level as an overall offensive player.

Anthony isn’t what he used to be, but he’s still better than any small forward the Pistons have on the roster.

He would also be a go-to player in crunch time for the Pistons, as he may have hit more clutch shots in the pros than everyone on the roster combined. His 72 career playoff games are by far more than anyone on the roster with the exception of the team’s newest addition, Zaza Pachulia (73 games).

Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far

Is adding Anthony a reach for the Pistons? Probably. But if the team is looking to make one more significant roster move this offseason, adding a Hall-of-Famer is certainly one worth considering.

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