Portland Trail Blazers: Who is the team’s third best player?

(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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Portland Trail Blazers Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images
Portland Trail Blazers Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images /

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony played in plenty enough games (50) this season to qualify for this list. Basketball diehards across the globe were clamoring for a team to take a chance on Anthony this year, and their prayers were answered when the Trail Blazers inked him to a contract on Nov.15.

At the time of the signing, pundits were questioning the fit in regards to if Carmelo’s iso-centric, ball-dominant style of play would discombobulate Portland’s rhythm on offense. In a delicious dose of poetic justice, the 10-time All-Star proved all of his cynics wrong. After being blamed for his falling outs with both the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets, Anthony shined in Rip City and quickly morphed into a fan favorite at the Moda Center.

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In his 17th season in the Association, Melo started all 50 of the contests he appeared in, and averaged a respectable 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 42.6 percent from the floor and 37.1 percent on threes. After almost a year out of the league, the 35-year-old veteran was every bit of the dependable third scorer that the Blazers hoped he’d be when they first signed him.

However, as productive as Anthony was on offense, he struggled mightily on defense. For that reason, he lands at No. 4 on this list.