Yes, I know Sundays are for football, but I used to love Sundays during the basketball season. I’d often times stay up late on Saturday night knowing that I had a Sunday Showcase at the Mecca to look forward to in the morning. I didn’t get the opportunity to go to as many games as I’d liked, but I’d experienced the atmosphere of Madison Square Garden first hand enough times for the excitement of the arena to convey through the broadcast.
There are few duos on the airways that compare with Mike Breen and Clyde Frazier.
And so each week through the second half of the season, I’d wake up for either a bowl of cereal or the ‘Breakfast of Champions,’ a Bacon Egg & Cheese and an Arizona Green Tea from the corner store, to accompany some Knicks Basketball.
Despite having one of the strongest fanbases in sports and being based in one of the world’s premier basketball cities, the Knicks have been a horrible franchise. On Sundays, I tuned in to watch the most entertaining player in basketball, Carmelo Anthony.
(Insert Laugh Track Here)
I don’t care about the critics. For fifteen season, Carmelo Anthony has been nearly unguardable at every facet of his game. At his best, Melo can score from anywhere on the floor. As a small forward with the strength of a power forward, he had the ability to score in the post against just about anyone. The league has never seen a player as poised out of the triple-threat as Melo and his jumpshot, to steal an adage from the late-great Phife Dawg, is smooth like butter.
Or at least it was. We’ll get to that later, I’d like to reminisce a bit more.
Carmelo was always destined to be a Knick. The kid from Red Hook embodies the physicality, grit and showmanship of a New York streetballer. This brand of basketball requires a certain level of fearlessness every time you step on the court. You’ve got to make the most of what you’re up against and find ways to score no matter who’s guarding you, which is why the city rallied around him at his peak.
Of course, he was up against the New York media, so at any given moment they’d change their minds and try to run him out of town. Even so, he dealt with the adversity as a professional. He understood the dynamic of the city and the fans, so he never took his criticisms to heart. Instead, Melo played his heart out and worked to improve himself, his team and his community.
In my formative years, I found myself and my peers mimicking the jab steps and pull-up jumpers of Carmelo Anthony at the park. One year, I saved up my birthday money to buy a new pair of basketball shoes and the first player on my mind was Melo. I found a pair of Melo M9’s on sale in Park Slope and made what was the most excited purchase of my life. In retrospect, the Metallic Silver/Black-Challenge Red-Tour Yellow colorway was not a good look in the slightest, but I have no regrets. To represent one of New York’s finest with my kicks felt right for the time and more importantly, those shoes had great traction.
After a six year stretch in which he solidified his name in New York history, we’ve entered a new era of Melo. He’s given up his status as ‘the guy’ by leaving Kristaps Porzingis and the Knicks to a resurgence of youth. He’s joined Russell Westbrook and Paul George in Oklahoma City with the understanding that he’d defer to the team’s primary stars.
This is the first season of Carmelo’s career where he’s putting up less shots (15 FGA per game) than his teammates, and it’s hurt him. He’s putting up career-lows in assists, field goal percentage and two-point percentage while playing in the third most games of his career with 78. Adjusting to Billy Donovan’s gameplan has been one of the most daunting tasks Melo has ever faced during his time in the league and he’s not alone.
Russell Westbrook is an incredible talent, but it takes a certain kind of player to run with Russ. Most of the time, wing players around him will be forced into catch-and-shoot scenarios, catering to the Alex Abrines’ of the world. Both George and Anthony saw an uptick of their three-point attempts as members of the Thunder, mostly due to Westbrook’s knack for drawing defenders on the drive and kicking out to open shooters. George has excelled, shooting above 40 percent from behind the arc for the first time since 2015 in the regular season. Melo, on the other hand, is shooting a mediocre 35.7 percent from deep.
For Carmelo to succeed, Oklahoma City needs to let him play his game. Although it may slow their pace, it’d be in their best interest to isolate Melo more often. To get their third star at his best, Donovan could consider more isolation one-on-one scenarios in the postseason. Even now, Carmelo can score with relative ease when given the space and time to operate. Carmelo’s ability to take his time can be a great asset for a team that often suffers as a result of Westbrook’s uptempo style of offense.
In addition to the trio, center Steven Adams has been a tremendous asset for the Thunder.  Adams trails just Andre Drummond (5.1) for the league’s second most offensive rebounds per game with five and ranks second in screen-assists with 4.8 per game. Not only does Adams open up the floor to create space for Anthony, but has a high chance to grab misses and reset plays.
With what’s been a rollercoaster ride of an NBA season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have earned an opportunity to be great. Golden State has shown signs of dismay heading into the postseason and Houston still has a lot to prove. Russell has got a chip on his shoulder after being decimated in the first round of the 2017 Playoffs and Paul George is in a contract year. If the Thunder can pull some remnant of ‘Sunday Showcase Carmelo’ of the past, they could do some serious damage in the 2018 Playoffs.