Signing Carmelo Anthony was one of the best decisions the Los Angeles Lakers made in the offseason. Melo not only brings a veteran presence to the locker room but has been quite consistent throughout the season.
Despite becoming a role player now, he still has an amazing knack for scoring when it matters the most. He proved it in the Lakers’ recent victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was a close game as it ended with a score of 108-103 in favor of the purple and gold.
Melo, scored 14 points off the bench, including an amazing 4-point play late in the game. If it weren’t for that play, the Lakers could have lost this game. Instead, they have improved their record to 19-19 as they hold the 7th seed in the Western Conference.
Upon seeing Anthony’s brilliant performances this season, head coach Frank Vogel has nothing but praise for the 37-year-old. As per Jacob Rude of Silver Screen and Roll, Vogel praised Melo’s basketball integrity. To which Carmelo had a pretty hilarious reply.
“Frank Vogel credited the ‘basketball integrity’ Melo has brought to the team. When asked to describe what that means to him, Melo’s response: ‘Yeah, Frank be using words like that.'”
Frank Vogel credited the "basketball integrity" Melo has brought to the team. When asked to describe what that means to him, Melo's response:
"Yeah, Frank be using words like that."
— Jacob Rude (@JacobRude) January 3, 2022
Vogel has never been shy about praising the NBA veteran. He previously unveiled that he loves coaching Carmelo. The reasoning that the Lakers coach gave was that Melo is one of the savviest post players.
Melo is certainly proving Vogel right with his excellent performances this season. He is averaging 13.4 points playing just 27.4 minutes per game. The steady scoring contributions from Carmelo are one of the few positives that the Lakers have this season.
While the Lakers won the game against the Timberwolves, there are still many things not in the correct place for them. At the top are the struggles of Russell Westbrook throughout the season. Despite getting the points, turning the ball over has been a consistent issue for Brodie. He is averaging 4.8 turnovers per game, which is simply unacceptable.
Hopefully, he can reduce those numbers as we move further into the season. Otherwise, it will be very hard for the Lakers to make significant progress come playoff time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krHXGVUtyqU
