Boston Celtics: Assessing the fit of the 3 best veteran free agents available

Carmelo Anthony: Catch-And-Shoot Ability

Many bloggers and Twitter trolls seem to have nothing but negative things to say when it comes to 10x All-Star Carmelo Anthony. That’s fine; everyone’s entitled to their own opinion.

The Houdini, on the other hand, would rather believe accomplished NBA veteran’s regarding whether or not Anthony can still produce for an NBA team. Recently acquired Boston Celtics center, Enes Kanter, is the latest vet to chime in on the ongoing saga that is Melo’s exile from the NBA.

During an interview on FS1’s “First Thing’s First”, the big man discussed his astonishment about the fact that Anthony is not currently rostered.

While Kanter’s claim that the 35-year-old can still drop 20 on any given night may be a bit far fetched, it’s not crazy to believe he can be a solid offensive contributor off the pine for a team like the Boston Celtics.

Yes, Anthony is not the player he once was. He has shown to have a slower step than the days of old and can’t seem to bang down low as efficiently. Though many may be quick to chastise the forward for refusing to change his style of play, upon further review, one would find this to be relatively untrue.

In his hay-day, Carmelo Anthony proved to be one of the best isolation scorers the game has ever seen. In recent years, however, his role shifted towards more of a catch-and-shoot specialist. During his first season as a tertiary option, the small forward molded his game to better fit the cast around him.

In 2017-18 during his tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Anthony managed to register 6.4 points per game on catch-and-shoot opportunities and put them in at a 39% clip from the field and 37% from deep.

With the current makeup of the Boston Celtics roster, it’s apparent they’re flush with scoring options. Still, a career 24 points per game scorer off the bench is never a bad option.

In a league that has put more of an emphasis on 3-point shooting over the years, an efficient catch-and-shoot option from deep should always have a place on an NBA roster. Melo has proven capable of excelling in such a role.