New York Knicks: Draymond Green defends Carmelo Anthony
Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green has come to the defense of New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony against ESPN.
One of the hottest stories of the 2017 offseason has been the arrival of the abundance of lists ranking the top 100 players in the NBA. Perhaps no ranking has caused more of a commotion than ESPN’s placement of New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony.
In response to what’s been received as an egregious snub, Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green took to a public forum to defend his fellow Olympic gold medalist.
For those unfamiliar, ESPN recently ranked Anthony as the No. 64 overall player in the NBA. It was a stunning ranking for a player whose peers have scoffed at the idea that there are 63 players better than ‘Melo in the Association.
According to Chris Haynes of ESPN, Green offered a passionate defense of Anthony against what he clearly labeled a disrespectful ranking.
"I think when you look at Melo, Melo has been a great player in this league for some time now. Obviously, I think no one thinks that he’s the Melo he was five years ago, and that happens to everyone. That’s just the nature of the career that we’ve all chosen. At some point, you start to slow down and you’re not who you once were. So, I’m not going to sit here and lie and act like he is the Melo he was five years ago, but the 64th-best player in the NBA? All right, five years ago he was maybe sixth. He ain’t f—ing 64 [now].And like I said to start it off, I know Melo isn’t the Melo he was five or seven years ago, but he’s for damn sure not the 64th-best player in the league. I know that. There aren’t 63 players better than Carmelo Anthony."
Green, who won an Olympic gold medal with Anthony in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, isn’t the only NBA player who has voiced their opinion on the matter.
Some of the current and former players who have jumped to Anthony’s defense include 2016 Most Improved Player C.J. McCollum, two-time MVP Steve Nash, and two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith. In their different ways, all three disputed the belief that 63 players are better than ‘Melo.
It’s worth noting that one of the players whom ESPN ranked Anthony behind was incoming Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball, who was selected at No. 2 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft.
In other words: Anthony was ranked behind a player who has yet to play a single game in the NBA—a point that Green made sure to hammer home.
Green referred to it as, “Clear disrespect,” for Anthony, a 10-time All-Star, to be ranked below someone who hasn’t yet debuted in the NBA. The former second-round draft pick formed that opinion based on his belief that players need to earn their keep.
Some have soured on Anthony in recent seasons, but Green is one of his many peers who feel as though he’s still better than the advanced metrics may show.
As for Anthony himself, he’s looking to silence his critics with what projects to be a resurgent 2017-18 NBA regular season. At 33 years of age, his joy of the game has been rekindled and his focus has been restored.
That much has been proven by how furiously Anthony has worked during the current offseason—an offseason during which the legend of Hoodie Melo was born.
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The question is: Will Carmelo Anthony make the critics eat their words during the 2017-18 NBA regular season? Moreover: Will he do so as a member of the New York Knicks?