Carmelo Anthony is the new buzzword for Boston Celtics fans, as they continue to cast their eyes towards the free agency pool in search of a replacement for the injured Danilo Gallinari.
But now it would seem like former Celtics players are starting to champion for Anthony to join Boston too, with Brian Scalabrine being the latest to share his thoughts on the potential addition.
The Celtics are reportedly interested in signing Carmelo Anthony.
@Scalabrine is all for it!
“Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, they look up to guys like that. They looked up to Joe Johnson and Brad [Stevens] thought it was really cool to bring Joe Johnson in. I think it should be the same kind of thing. Carmelo Anthony, if you watch him on Instagram, he’s kind of helping his son out, he’s working out younger kids – I could see how there could be some advantages to having Carmelo on the roster, not just on the playing side, but also the mentoring side of our two stars,” Scalabrine said during a September 6 appearance on NBA Radio.
Unfortunately for Anthony, his old reputation as a selfish scorer who seldom plays for a team’s success still lingers, and while he has certainly begun to disprove those notions, there are some fans who would rather not risk adding him to the locker room for the coming season.
Celtics Have ‘Increasing Interest’ in Anthony
When the Celtics originally acquired Gallinari, the notion was that Boston had finally added an additional shooter to help ease the scoring load from the bench. There is no question that at this stage in his career, Gallinari was a net negative on the defensive end – but his offensive upside made the trade-off worthwhile.
Now, with Gallinari likely out for the entire 2022-23 NBA season, it makes sense that Boston would look to replace that scoring upside, while not concerning themselves with finding a two-way player (someone who is a positive addition on both sides of the floor.)
According to a September 5 article by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, there is increasing interest from the Celtics in adding Anthony to the roster for the upcoming season – primarily due to his ability to slot into the role the front office and coaching staff envision Gallinari playing.
“This is starting to gain traction because Anthony may be the best shooting forward left on the market, and he has shown to be productive offensively despite his age…Anthony has remained in great shape and can still score. He had 20 or more points in 11 games last season and played 26 minutes per game, showing his durability. Anthony wants an opportunity to win a championship, and this could be his best chance,” Washburn wrote in his August 5 article.
McDonough Believes Gallinari Got Hurt at Worst Time
With just a few weeks to go until the start of NBA training camp, Gallinari’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time – not only because Boston’s roster is essentially set heading into the new season, but also because there aren’t many high upside players remaining in free agency.
When speaking to NBC Sports Boston on September 3, former Celtics Assistant GM Ryan McDonough noted how Gallinari’s injury was a gut punch for Boston, specifically because of their limited options to replace him.
How big of a loss is Danilo Gallinari?
@McDNBA: “It’s significant”
“I think it’s significant, given the injury, the timing of the injury, and the duration of the rehab. Rehab from a torn ACL is typically nine to twelve months. It stinks that this happened late in the off-season for Gallinari and the Celtics because the market has moved, we’re already two months into free agency, and there aren’t many good players available…It’s unfortunate for Gallinari, but it’s also tough because, at this late stage in free agency, it’s almost impossible to replace a player of Gallinari’s caliber. Which is why I think Sam Hauser will get an opportunity,” McDonough said during a September 3 segment on NBC Sports Boston.
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Brian Scalabrine Urges Celtics to Acquire Carmelo Anthony