Cleveland Cavaliers: Should they pursue Carmelo Anthony?

Why they should sign Carmelo Anthony

Let’s start off by talking about why the Cleveland Cavaliers would even consider signing Carmelo Anthony. Melo’s reputation has taken a massive hit over the last years and is said to be the root cause behind the downfalls of both the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets.

Despite this, Carmelo has actually still been playing above league average. In the last two seasons combined, Melo is averaging 15.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the field. This type of production is nothing to laugh at, even if the popular take has been to hate on Anthony.

Furthermore, Carmelo is known for going to work in the mid-range. The 2-point shot from 16-23 feet has taken up 27.8 percent of all of his career shot attempts. This makes up the highest percentage of any shot attempt for Melo outside of attempts at the rim.

In his 16 year career, mid-range shots have accounted for at least 25 percent of his total shot attempts in every season except for three. Carmelo has shot below this mark in each of the last two seasons. This means his woes could simply be chalked up to him playing in the wrong systems for his play style.

By coming to the Cavaliers, he would no longer be forced into a system that doesn’t fit his play style. In fact, the Cavs don’t even have a system in place yet. Giving a pure scorer like Melo the freedom to operate again could be great for both parties.