A few years ago, I received The Book of Basketball, written by Bill Simmons, as a Christmas gift. I was pretty excited to have gotten it, seeing as I was developing an appreciation for gaining a deeper perspective on NBA basketball. It took me two days to read all 697 pages front to back.
Although the entire book is easy for me to recall, I'll always remember the second chapter for being the most memorable. Simmons recalled a Las Vegas trip he made that resulted in him meeting two-time NBA champion Hall of Fame Detroit Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas. Their conversation turned into Thomas explaining to Simmons the "secret" of winning in the NBA. In summation, The Secret (for the sake of not biting a term, we’ll call it “Getting It”) had nothing to do with basketball, according to Thomas. Getting It was centered on the value of well-rounded efforts, teammates valuing one another, knowing roles and focusing on winning.
Throughout the book, Simmons spoke of the best winners in NBA history and what separated them from the rest. Winning took on a different importance compared to individual accolades and records. Winning didn't take only talent because there are countless examples of talent that hadn't experienced championship glory.
In 2003, the Detroit Pistons had talent that suffered that very affliction. Chauncey Billups was a former top 3 draft pick turned journeyman who had a career-year after finally catching onto a team long-term; Richard Hamilton led the team in scoring after being traded for Jerry Stackhouse; Ben Wallace had won his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award, and Joe Dumars was on the brink of restoring the Pistons to championship prominence. That season, they were swept 4-0 by the New Jersey Nets in the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite all of that talent, there was a much needed push that the Pistons needed in search of their first NBA title since Isiah Thomas led them to that mountaintop.
[caption id="attachment_490" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Like Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas took time to Get It before experiencing NBA championship glory."]
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Following that sweep, the Pistons held the second overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft; it is widely considered one of the three best drafts in league history. LeBron James was the prize of the class as Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and many others filled in the blanks. The Pistons ended up drafting Darko Milicic as they won the 2004 NBA title, with Anthony becoming the Denver Nuggets' franchise player.
By not being drafted by that Detroit Pistons team, Carmelo missed out on veteran leadership that could have taken his game to another level the moment he stepped onto an NBA court. Instead, Anthony's career has taken a different path.
Throughout his career as a Nugget and New York Knick, Anthony has excelled as one of the elite scorers in the NBA. In ten seasons, he's finished top-ten in scoring average in eight of them. He's developed probably the most diverse scoring arsenal in the entire league. His shooting range has proven to be unlimited; he is extremely skilled at scoring in the post; he has an array of ways of getting to his favorite spots on the court, and he also does not lack the confidence to take the last shot in a close game.
The problem with Anthony's career hasn't been what he excels in; it has been the many areas in which he doesn't. Despite those eight top-ten scoring finishes in his ten years, Anthony hasn't developed into an elite-level performer in anything else. The only categories he's finished top-ten in during his career are scoring, free throw attempts and field goal attempts. Aside from that, Anthony has never finished top 25 in the NBA in rebounding, assists, blocks, double-doubles, field goal percentage and free throw percentage; the last two categories show that Anthony's elite-level scoring comes with efficiency being an afterthought.
This is problematic when gauging Anthony's career in terms of his "superstardom", especially in comparison to his positional contemporaries. Over the course of his career, Anthony has been measured against the statistical feats of fellow small forward and 2003 top 3 pick LeBron James (a feat that about 99% of the NBA comes up short). Though they have different approaches to the game, James and Anthony have struggled with elevating their leadership at some point in their respective careers. While Anthony excelled as a scorer in Denver and New York, James has developed all facets of his game. The same can be said for Kevin Durant, too. Going outside of strictly small forwards, all NBA greats eventually developed all-around games that allowed them to take their teams to new levels; Anthony should be no exception to that rule, especially if there are talks of him being a superstar or among the best in the NBA.
[caption id="attachment_487" align="alignright" width="300" caption="In order to take a step forward, Carmelo Anthony must become more dominant in areas aside from scoring the basketball."]
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If you've ever done a rundown of the NBA's championship-winning teams, you'll notice a trend: none of those teams were led by a player who excelled at only one facet of their game. This tangible aspect of discussing Anthony's game becomes apparent when looking at box scores and researching statistics. But the argument goes deeper than that. In basketball, a winning culture also becomes aesthetically apparent. There's an emphasis on the extra pass; it's more important to make the right play instead of the highlight reel; there's more validation in simply getting the job done, and all of that starts with the face of the franchise.
Of course, there are more variables to consider than just the player itself. Coaching, teammates, front office decisions and culture matter. At the same time, those are all things Anthony would have been exposed to had he been drafted to a team like the Pistons. There would have been opportunity to be held more accountable for his shortcomings while he grew in a winning culture. Instead, he's struggled with being held accountable for his commitment to furthering his growth as a player. In turn, Anthony has developed a reputation as a one-trick pony that is too stubborn to win on terms that aren't his (that attitude is highlighted by his clashes with coaches George Karl and Mike D’Antoni).
Not since Dominique Wilkins have we seen as a physically gifted player present such a one-dimensional skill set that routinely results in early playoff exits. Like Anthony, Wilkins was a 25 points per game scorer for his career, with similar rebounding averages. Between the two of them, Wilkins and Anthony have a combined one Conference Finals appearance on their resume. Wilkins was lauded as one of the best scorers and dunkers of his era, but he was elite at nothing else. Eventually, Wilkins’ career ended with him never making a Conference Finals appearance, despite his 25.8 scoring average in the postseason.
After a while, routinely experiencing the same result brings out a new side of a player. His will to rebound is greater; he becomes a more unselfish passer; his leadership sets the example for the teammates who follow his lead; he’s a new player, one with a rounded focus. That big picture was made apparent to LeBron after the 2011 NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant experienced that growth in 2009. Long before them, this was the norm for stars to experience before Getting It.
For years, shouldering the burden has gone past scoring acumen. This concept is somewhat familiar to Anthony, best evidenced by his Game 3 performance in the first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs. With 42 points, 17 rebounds and six assists, Anthony seemed to have started turning the corner that all great players confront. For the series, he averaged 26/10/5 in a first round loss to the Celtics. Since then, his game has seemed to regress with his shot selection, efficiency, passing and defense leaving plenty to be desired.
Anthony’s defenders argue that he doesn’t have enough help, while his critics respond with the suggestion that he should give a more concerted effort to making his teammates better. At this point, it’s hard to argue the idea that Anthony does enough of the latter. This past 2012-13 season showed just how wide the gap is between Anthony and his star contemporaries. James had another sensational all-around season. Durant filled the playmaking void left by All-Star guard James Harden being traded. Bryant averaged a career-best in assists. Meanwhile, Anthony’s season was divided into thirds: an 18-5 start for the Knicks, a three month stretch where he shot 41% from the field while the Knicks went 29-23, and his torrid month of April where he averaged 37 points and 10 rebounds in eight games.
During the 2013 Playoffs, there was a stronger focus on Anthony’s efficiency and shot selection despite leading the Knicks to their first series win since 2000. He played in 12 postseason games, shooting above 45% in only four of them (he also took at least 23 shots in 11 of those games). His 28.8 ppg ranked second among postseason players while his 6.6 rebounds per game ranked 33rd.
[caption id="attachment_488" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The 2012-13 New York Knicks experienced their best season in since 1999."]
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- Many have come to his defense in saying that he received no help, but there wasn’t much of a concerted on the part of Anthony to act as much of a help to his teammates either. His 2.0 assists per game average becomes more eye-opening when you learn that he dished six total assists in a second round series loss to the Pacers. Six. Total. Assists. Despite his lack of efficiency, Anthony had little hesitation with hoisting up shot after shot and stifling ball movement.
One can argue that Anthony could stand to use more help, no one has ever done it alone. But we see every year that Anthony comes back scoring at a consistent rate with efforts elsewhere leaving much to be desired. Though the Knicks came up short this season, it wasn’t for a lack of talent. There is a big picture that the team as a whole never seemed to focus on. There was more interest in promoting the “Knickstape” than making adjustments. The team came together by dressing in all black to finish off their 3-0 lead against the Celtics only to finish that postseason 3-6.
The Knicks’ talent is a story for another day, but Anthony’s defenders had no qualms about that talent until this postseason. If anything, the hindsight approach is being taken with the Knicks. With 54 wins, a division title and first round series win, the Knicks didn’t lack for anything but grit and consistency when they needed both the most.
Every season, a team with high expectations falls short of those goals and the best player on that team takes a brunt of the blame. This is how it goes; there are times where I agree with such an approach, there are times where I don’t. In this instance, it’s hard to refute the notion that the Knicks fell short because Anthony fell short in a number of areas.
The criticisms that Anthony will experience going forward aren’t about coming up short of a championship as much it’s about his approach to the game. The only way he concerns himself with contributing to his team’s fortunes is by putting points on the board. In Game 6 versus the Pacers, Anthony showed up while his teammates played a game of hide-and-seek. With that being said, his one-dimensional style of play put his teammates in a position for their own weaknesses to be exposed.
As everyone reflects on the Carmelo Anthony’s season, it’s hard to be optimistic going forward; this was their best shot at advancing deep into the playoffs for a few years. The Pacers will continue to grow, Derrick Rose will return next season, and the Heat will continue to tinker with a roster built around the best player in the world in LeBron James. Unless Anthony takes a different approach to the game, it’s hard to think that the Knicks can expect anything new under the sun next season. There will be countless suggestions for the Knicks to make changes to their roster despite no salary cap flexibility. With a coaching change and a number of roster tweaks since Anthony has become a Knick, it’s about time that he also makes changes for the sake of progress.
We have routinely lauded and chastised great players for whatever seems to be keeping them Getting It. Anthony doesn't see the big picture that NBA title hopes are framed in. With that being said, he’s still only 29 with a number of years ahead of him. But that’s the approach that we've taken with a number of guys who never eventually never Got It.
The problem with Carmelo Anthony during his chase for a championship isn’t whether he’s capable or if he cares enough; the problem is his focuses being centered on excelling at being a great scorer and just good enough at everything else. Sure, he could eventually Get It one day and sees the big picture one day.
We can only hope he realizes that he isn't the only trying to partake in the view.
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