New York Knicks: Realistic Expectations For Carmelo Anthony

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Aug 21, 2016; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; USA forward Carmelo Anthony (15) and Serbia power forward/center Milan Macvan (25) go for a rebound in the men’s basketball gold medal match during the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 1. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports /

Rebounding

Second to his uncanny ability to put points on the board, New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony’s greatest ability is his presence on the boards. His career average of 6.6 rebounds per game isn’t awe-inspiring, but he’s stepped it up in recent seasons.

Joakim Noah and Kristaps Porzingis are both high-quality rebounders, but Anthony should still be able to get his on a consistent basis.

Anthony pulled down 8.1 rebounds per game in 2013-14, 6.6 in 2014-15, and 7.7 in 2015-16. He has a career average of 1.9 offensive boards per contest, albeit with a decline to 1.4 during the 2015-16 campaign.

Anthony will likely see a dip to the 7.0 to 7.5 range during the 2016-17 regular season, but that could prove untrue if he plays the 4 in small-ball rotations.

Porzingis played center in Noah’s absence during the preseason opener, and Kyle O’Quinn played power forward. Anthony is more than capable of playing the 4, however, and he may actually be the best option to do so when Porzingis is at the 5 or off the floor.

When he’s playing power forward, Anthony can crash the boards and flirt with a nightly double-double.

Realistic Expectation: 7.5 RPG, 1.5 ORPG

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