Carmelo Anthony scored 28 points on 10-for-15 shooting, including 6 of 8 from three-point range, in Sunday’s Lakers win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
It was a historic night for Melo as he moved past Moses Malone into ninth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Late in the third with the Lakers down one, Melo was on the left side of the court with the Grizzlies’ Brandon Clarke guarding him. He had the ball, took two left-handed dribbles, elevated and let go a three that hit nothing but net.
Three to the dome. Vintage Melo.
It was just three seasons ago when Melo found himself out of the league after a 10 game stint with the Houston Rockets. The prevailing thought was Melo’s washed and it was time to retire.
Then came the Melo workout offensive. Videos of Melo getting buckets started popping up all over the internet. Despite what others may have thought, Melo believed he could still play and deserved to be on an NBA roster.
The Portland Trail Blazers gave him that chance in the 2019-2020 season and he played again for them last season before signing with the Lakers ahead of this season.
It’s very early in the 2021-2022 season, but Melo can still score and he looked great this weekend. But it doesn’t matter what he’s doing in October. The question is can the Lakers count on him to produce consistently in April, May, and June.
To say Melo’s playoff work is limited would be an understatement. In 19 NBA seasons, he’s made the playoffs in 13 of those seasons. But he’s only advanced past the first round twice. His longest playoff run was way back in the 2008-2009 season when a 24-year-old Melo led the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals.
Now at the age of 37, is this who the Lakers are counting on to be a key piece in a run to the title?
Melo works as hard as anybody off the court. To Find out why the Lakers think he can perform at a high level for 82 games and the playoffs, click here
