Carmelo Anthony: Team USA Creating Blueprint For Knicks

5. Minutes At The 4

Regardless of which position he plays, Carmelo Anthony is a genuine matchup nightmare. He’s too strong for small forwards to handle in the post, too agile for power forwards, and one or the other for shooting guards and centers.

Per John Schuhmann of NBA.com, fellow All-NBA small forward Kevin Durant kept it simple when evaluating why Anthony is so effective at the 4.

"“You can’t guard him with a big fella,” Kevin Durant said of Anthony."

It’s as simple as that.

When Anthony plays power forward, his shooting range provides an invaluable amount of spacing. He’s an elite threat from midrange and a respected option from beyond the arc, which is a combination that most power forwards cannot physically handle.

When Anthony does go to the post, he’s just as strong as most players at the 4, and too quick to stop when he makes his move towards the basket.

Limiting this conversation to perimeter plays, however, Anthony is the ultimate mismatch at the 4. His first step remains one of the most lethal in basketball, thus making life a living inferno for opposing big men.

If the Knicks use Anthony off-ball, then it’d be even more difficult for power forwards to recover when he finds openings along the 3-point line.

Next: Spot-Up Shooting