Carmelo Anthony's return to the NBA has been well documented over the last little while as he is now playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. It seemed as though his career was on the rocks but through hard work and determination, he was able to get right back into the league. Interestingly enough, his first eight games with the team have been highly impressive, so much so that his non-guaranteed contract is now fully guaranteed.
Blazers head coach Terry Stotts has seen first hand what kind of impact Melo can have on a basketball court. In a recent interview, he spoke on what Anthony has meant to the team and how the veteran is enjoying his stay in Portland.
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“Melo’s been terrific for us,” Stotts told ESPN. “He’s enjoying the experience. He’s been a breath of fresh air for us that we needed. We put a kind of limit/restriction on the first game or two just because we didn’t want to extend his minutes not knowing what shape he was in. But now he’s playing 32-35 minutes, he played 37 minutes the other night. And for him to be out of NBA basketball for a year and be able to come in and play productive minutes for 35 minutes in an NBA game, to me, was remarkable.”
As the season continues, it will be interesting to see what Melo is able to do with his newfound opportunity. If there is one thing for sure, this has been a phenomenal comeback so far.