4. Positional Versatility
As previously alluded to, Carmelo Anthony has never been the type of player who gets by on his athleticism. Even if he were, Anthony has a body, build, and skill set that enables him to play multiple positions in the NBA.
Whenever the day comes that Anthony can’t hold his own at small forward, the small-ball era will enable him to transition to the 4.
In both the long-term and sporadically in the short-term, Anthony can play the 4. He’s too agile for the average power forward to contain, all the while possessing the skill and strength to back a player down and rebound.
Per John Schuhmann of NBA.com, fellow superstar small forward Kevin Durant believes Anthony would be unstoppable at power forward.
"“You can’t guard him with a big fella,” Kevin Durant said of Anthony."
It’s as simple as that.
For the time being, Anthony fits well for the Knicks at small forward. He’s too powerful to stop in the post, too skilled a shooter to give space, and too crafty on the drive to maintain ideal positioning.
Defensively, he held opponents to just 42.1 percent shooting when he was the primary defender in 2015-16.
Whenever the day comes that he can’t play the 3 on a full-time basis, just know that Anthony is built for the 4.
Next: The Heir Apparent