Carmelo Anthony said he’s not finished.
He spent the last week showing it.
NBA:
NBA Players of the Week for Week 6!
— NBA (@NBA) December 2, 2019
East: @Giannis_An34 (@Bucks)
West: @carmeloanthony (@trailblazers) pic.twitter.com/PZqmu18RvG
Anthony last won Player of the Week in 2014 with the Knicks. At 5.7 years, this is one of the longest Player of the Week droughts ever ended.
It’s the longest ended since Mo Williams, who won with Bucks in 2006 then with the Timberwolves in 2015. Reggie Miller, who won with the Pacers in 1996 then next in 2005, holds the record.
Here are the longest Player of the Week droughts ever ended:
Anthony ranked 16th among Western Conference players in points per game last week. James Harden averaged 47 points per game with better efficiency than Anthony. Karl-Anthony Towns, Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis averaged more points, rebounds and assists per game than Anthony.
So, this obviously somewhat of a lifetime achievement award for a respected player who fell out of the league and persevered to return. (Don’t get me started on the sanctity of these honors.)
But Anthony legitimately played well. For a player who looked washed up with the Thunder, played worse with the Rockets and is now 35, this is quite surprising.
Still, Anthony has been mediocre at best overall with Portland so far. The big question: Is he now on the upswing after shaking off the rust? Or is the larger sample – which includes more than two games against the Bulls – more reflective?