Blake Griffin was among the better defenders during his time in the NBA. However, guarding Carmelo Anthony is a tall task for any player for a variety of reasons. While on Melo’s podcast ‘7PM in Brooklyn’, the former number one overall pick spoke on how he almost felt ‘disrespected’ when trying to contain him.
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“There’s a few players where like, it feels a little disrespectful when you’re trying to guard them. He [Carmelo] was one of those guys.”
Griffin went on to expand on why Melo was such a tough guard, crediting his ‘first step’ for the same. Having a quick burst off your back foot when in a triple threat position is key in establishing a triple threat in the first place. Melo not only mastered this but was incredibly strong on his drives.
“How close can I get where I don’t get blown past or how far away can I be where I can still contest the shot?” pondered Blake when trying to decipher the perfect ‘scheme’ to guard Anthony. Unfortunately for Griffin, defenders better than him have tried and failed at the same.
Melo’s pull up mid-range jumper at the wings was perhaps the best the game has ever seen. The threat of him lacing one while being face-guarded was far too high leading to shoddy closeouts that either ended in contested jumpers ruining defenders’ self-confidence or quick blow-bys.
Draymond Green didn’t have much luck guarding Carmelo either
Draymond is a world-class defender. A former Defensive Player of the Year and a routine fixture on All-Defense teams, Green’s size and versatility allows him to stand his ground in the post while also on the perimeter.
So, when it came time to guard Carmelo Anthony, many would believe that Draymond would be able to affect his shot a bit at the very least. While recounting his matchups against Melo, Green told a different story.
Melo backed down Dray in the mid-post and missed a shot after the latter had fouled him. After not getting a favorable whistle, he made sure to do the exact same move at the exact same spot to Green once more and was adamant on making it this time.
This is a clear example of the Syracuse alum not simply relying on skill but also on grit and resilience. His offensive bag may have been deep but it was fueled by his unwavering willingness to put the ball in the basket in one way or the next.
