Who’s more effective? Carmelo Anthony during his stint in the Big Apple or present-day NBA players? While many analysts have professed that the 2013 Scoring Champ was the best scorer of his generation, how would he adjust to today’s NBA? During the latest episode of his podcast, Melo faced the question of where his Knicks version will stand in the present-day NBA.
Like that ’12, ’13, ’14 era… I think I’ll be very similar to where I was at in that point in time because of the makeup of the team,” Melo confidently stated on the 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast. But where exactly does the Knicks-era Melo stack up against today’s active NBA stars like Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, and more? Let’s dive in.
At his peak in the 2012-13 season, Carmelo Anthony averaged an impressive 28.7 points per game for the Knicks. Now, if we compare this statistic to the current NBA landscape, you’ll find that the 10x All-Star surpasses some pretty big names in his prime. With his 28.7 PPG, Anthony would easily be among the top 5 highest-scoring players in the 2023-24 season.
The only three players who would be ahead of him are Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, all averaging 30+ points per game. Melo would be tied in PPG with Jalen Brunson, also standing at 28.7 for the Knicks last season. This puts either of the players at the 5th spot in last season’s ranking. Thus knocking off Kevin Durant from the top-5 category, who averaged 27.1 points per game.
Surprised? Well, here’s an even bigger shocker. Knicks-era Carmelo Anthony, at his scoring best, would be outperforming names like Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards if he played in last season’s NBA. That’s right!
Raymond Felton, appearing on Run Your Race podcast, made a bold statement that was sure to get people talking. He claimed his former teammate, Melo, is the best scorer the NBA has ever seen. That’s right—better than Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or even LeBron James. Felton didn’t just casually drop this opinion. He backed it up with some serious praise for Anthony’s scoring abilities.