Thunderous Intentions
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Carmelo Anthony 2017-18 player preview: Melo Unleashed

By Lawrence George

TULSA, OK- OCTOBER 3: Carmelo Anthony
TULSA, OK- OCTOBER 3: Carmelo Anthony /
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Carmelo Anthony looking at the scoreboard
DENVER, CO – OCTOBER 10: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the OKC Thunder looks on during the game against the Denver Nuggets on October 10, 2017 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Predictions

My bold prediction for this coming season is that Melo leads the Oklahoma City Thunder in points and rebounds. He won’t need a ton of shots to get his points and I expect him to shoot above 40 percent from beyond the arc with increased spacing.

With Paul George and Russell Westbrook on the floor he will see more open looks than he ever has in his career thus his efficiency will increase. Teams will have to put their best wing defender on the younger George, thus leaving Melo with a lesser defender than he’s used to. In a perfect world Westbrook’s focus will primarily be on finding the open man too.

For all of these reasons, I am projecting Carmelo Anthony to average between 23-25 points and around 8 rebounds in his first season in Oklahoma City.

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