The Boston Celtics still have multiple open roster spots, and while their roster has already been upgraded throughout the off-season, adding another veteran wing wouldn’t hurt.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Ben Stinar, the Celtics should look no further than Carmelo Anthony. The future Hall of Fame talent is coming off the back of two successful seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and is currently an unrestricted free agent.
“Anthony is one of the greatest scorers of all time, and at 38 years old he is still a very good shooter. With all of the players on Boston that garner attention, Anthony could very well be left open more than he has ever been in his entire career. The Celtics could put out a scary-scoring lineup of Malcolm Brogdon, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Anthony,” Stinar wrote on August 9.
Anthony played in 69 games for the Lakers last season and averaged 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and an assist per game while shooting 44.1% from the field and 37.5% from the perimeter. While Boston can’t offer to match his 26 minutes per game from last season, Anthony could easily carve out a role for himself off the Celtics bench, giving Boston an additional go-to scorer while their star wings head to the bench.
What Type of Player is Anthony at This Point in his Career?
No, we’re not going to see the superstar version of Carmelo Anthony that dominated Madison Square Garden for six and a half years – but we would get a veteran scorer who knows how to get to his spots and punish defenders for leaving even the smallest amount of space.
Anthony has become a reliable catch and shoot scoring threat, and can be trusted to attack close-outs with incredible precision. This past season, the veteran forward converted on 48% of his mid-range shots, 45% of his corner threes and 36% of his deep range looks around the perimeter.
Put simply, despite his increasing age, Anthony is still a bucket, and if you can find a way to limit his involvement on the defensive end of the court, he could be a viable role player for a contending team looking to add an additional scoring punch off the bench.
Celtics Holding Open Try-Outs For Roster Spots
Unlike most contending teams in the NBA, Brad Stevens seems content to give opportunities to young veterans who have recently found themselves playing their basketball overseas.
Over the last week, the Celtics have given both Noah Vonleh and Bruno Caboclo an opportunity to earn a roster spot with the team via a training camp invite – and according to a report by The Athletic’s Jay King on August 4, the Celtics could also look to invite Brodric Thomas and Justin Jackson to their training camp, in the hope that one of them impresses enough to earn a contract for the coming season.
“As of Tuesday, the Celtics mostly were expected to fill out the rest of the training camp roster with young veterans willing to vie for those spots. Recent additions Noah Vonleh and Bruno Caboclo will be in that group, while last year’s two-way player Brodric Thomas and former Kings draft pick Justin Jackson are viewed as strong candidates to join them,” King reported.
Although, should those young veterans fail to impress Ime Udoka and his coaching staff, reaching out to Anthony with a one-year veteran minimum deal wouldn’t be a bad decision – assuming the Celtics can offer him a consistent role within their rotation, and that’s something only they will know.
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