I can only shake my head in awe as I watch Carmelo Anthony suffer one of the most amazing falls from grace in NBA history. Anthony was traded from the Houston Rockets to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday.
When Anthony joined the Rockets last summer, he was going to be playing for a team that would be a contender for an NBA title. Now, he joins a team that is 11-36 and has no chance of playing in the postseason.
Adding insult to injury, the Bulls made it clear that they don’t expect to see Anthony play in a Bulls uniform and will trade him before the February 7th trade deadline. If they can’t trade him, the Bulls plan to waive him.
How could it be that no one wants this 10-time All-Star? Keep in mind that this is a player who has averaged 24 points per game through 15 1/2 seasons. Are you telling me that me that no one can use that kind of talent?
Apparently not. Hours after the trade was finalized, Rockets superstar James Harden said he hopes his former teammate will catch on with another NBA team. Harden described Anthony as a great player who loves the game.
But the game clearly does not love him. Things have changed since Anthony came into the NBA as a 19-year-old, fresh off a national championship with Syracuse University. He was the MVP in the championship game against Kansas.
Anthony could always score a lot of points, but his value began to diminish as it became clear that he couldn’t play defense and never seemed to make his team better with his presence on the court. Anthony never evolved as a player.
Melo may get a chance to play in the NBA again, but it will be in a supporting role for a losing team that is desperate for scoring. You won’t see him on a championship team, and he will never be an NBA champion. How sad is that?
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