What went wrong in Carmelo Anthony’s last 2 stops?

What could Carmelo Anthony have done to soften the blow of his free fall?

Make shots.

If that feels unusually simple or even unsatisfying, that’s because it absolutely is. It isn’t the coward’s way out; when it came down to it, Carmelo Anthony simply wasn’t able to make shots at the same clip he had in his first two trips, memorable runs in both Denver and New York.

The one-year trial run in Oklahoma City feels especially complex. Anthony waived his no-trade clause for the opportunity to play alongside two superstars in Russell Westbrook and Paul George. But, he had to have known the risks involved. Only James Harden averaged more touches than Westbrook on a per game basis, and only John Wall averaged more average seconds per touch.

By all accounts, it seemed as though George, Westbrook and Anthony were under the impression that they’d be sharing the offensive load at an at least close-to-even ratio. ESPN’s Royce Young and Tim MacMahon offered a convincing take on it.

"“They spent the entire training camp and first month of the season repeating to each other ‘you be you,’ but probably through gritted teeth, Anthony realized the Thunder didn’t need him to be him anymore.”"

That season, Oklahoma City’s scheme relegated Anthony to a catch-and-shoot specialist (roughly 40 percent of his shot attempts). He saw dips in efficiency, dropping to just 38.9 percent shooting in said situations. The same can be said for Houston; Anthony hardly shot above 30 percent from deep during the 10-game run in Houston.

For most players, sluggish offense usually means one thing: either step up the play on the defensive end or get ready to enjoy a front row seat from the bench. When committed — think the 2009 Western Conference Finals against the Lakers — Anthony can be an average to solid team defender. In Oklahoma City and Houston, though, his effort left much to be desired.

Often times, opposing defenses could exploit Anthony’s mere presence through pick-and-roll hunting. An example of that would be something of this sort.

So, you pair that level of defensive intensity with Anthony’s offensive struggles — 12.0 shots per game for 11.8 points — and you can see why teams would be skeptical of his ability to be a featured star on a team. During this series, the Thunder, statistically at least, fared better with Jerami Grant in the lineup as opposed to Anthony.

These negatives have made it difficult to find the balance, though. In a way, they served to undermine what Anthony was doing well. Everything considered, there’s still plenty to like about what the 10-time All-Star brings to the table.