Carmelo Anthony may be one of the most prolific scorers in the modern NBA, and it looks like he picked up a few tricks from Michael Jordan.
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The new Lakers forward is definitely not the same scorer he once was, but he can certainly help out as one of the best role players in the league, establishing a firm role with the Portland Trailblazers.
Now, he’ll look to play alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis in hopes of capturing his first NBA title. The Lakers have a stacked roster, and plus, the simple fact that they have LeBron definitely means they’ll be competing for an NBA title once more.
Carmelo Anthony believes this season is championship or bust for him with the Lakers:
“If I was just to walk away from the game before, then I would have been at peace with [not getting a ring]. … But now that perspective is totally different. Now I HAVE to win.” pic.twitter.com/h5HReVDfks
— First Take (@FirstTake) September 14, 2021
Carmelo Anthony Says Michael Jordan Helped Him Out With Scoring Tips
The biggest plus point of Melo’s game so far has been his scoring ability. For the first 14 years of his career, Anthony never averaged fewer than 20 points per game, showing exactly why he was drafted third overall in the legendary 2003 NBA draft.
Anthony is definitely good enough to understand how to get his shots and create opportunities to score, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to get some advice from other NBA players including none other than the NBA GOAT himself, Michael Jordan. Carmelo recalls how Jordan broke down scoring to him by quarter.
“Say you average about 28, there’s an easy way to get it. He (Jordan) said, ‘break down 7 points a quarter. That’s 2-3 layups, 2-3 free throws. You get hot one quarter, you might have 11, 12, 13 (points) one quarter, now second quarter you can pace, you get your 14 (points) in two quarters.’ So, I’m like, ‘that’s crazy’ and I’m thinking about that in the games. So, next season I have almost 30 (PPG).”
Jordan’s advice definitely makes sense. Looking at scoring, let’s say, 20 points in a game seems like a daunting task on first glance. However, if you break it down by quarter, you’re looking at about five points in each period. That could come through some combination of a couple of layups and free throws, making it much easier to reach that mark.
Pacing yourself is important in any sport, and breaking down your scoring output by quarter is an incredibly helpful way to ensure you’re doing just that.
“He said, ‘break down 7 points a quarter. That’s 2-3 layups, 2-3 free throws. You get hot one quarter, you might have 11, 12, 13 (points) one quarter, now second quarter you can pace, you get your 14 (points) in two quarters.'”
— @carmeloanthonyhttps://t.co/cVTlqZuJAs
— LakeShow (@LakeShowCP) September 20, 2021
