When the Boston Celtics acquired guard Malcolm Brogdon and forward Danilo Gallinari earlier this summer, many of their fans were excited, and many observers started picking them as the odds-on favorite to win the Eastern Conference, if not the NBA championship.
But a dent has been made in those hopes by a meniscus injury Gallinari suffered recently that will force him to miss at least two months.
Although it isn’t a fatal blow to the Celtics’ hopes, it’s still something to be concerned about, especially since they have a tough schedule in the opening weeks of the upcoming regular season.
In an attempt to beef up their bench, especially in the meantime, they reportedly may look to sign Carmelo Anthony.
Carmelo Anthony has been considered a potential signee by the Boston Celtics in recent days following Danilo Gallinari's suffered torn meniscus in his left knee on Saturday, I'm told.
Knicks are still believed to have interest in the former Laker, Thunder, Blazer, Rocket. pic.twitter.com/nGePtMj7YI
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) August 31, 2022
Anthony is nearing the end of his career, and once Gallinari returns, the Syracuse University product may not see much playing time, but this may be his best opportunity at winning an NBA championship.
Anthony Has Been Denied A Ring For Nearly Two Decades
After guiding Syracuse to the national championship in 2003, Anthony entered the NBA as the third overall pick in the draft by the Denver Nuggets.
Within three years, he established himself as one of the NBA’s best scorers, and he seemingly had 1,001 ways to get buckets.
Never forget when prime Carmelo Anthony dropped 40 Points on Lebron and hit the game winner right in his face.
COLD🥶 pic.twitter.com/BF1NjaOXZW
— BariDontMiss🖤 (@casualbari) August 31, 2022
During the 2010-11 season, he was traded to the New York Knicks, allowing the Brooklyn native to return to the area he was born in.
Carmelo Anthony appreciation post pic.twitter.com/pjW1QvudG2
— Barstool New York (@BarstoolNYC) August 23, 2022
But by 2017, Anthony was clearly in decline, and he has spent the last five seasons on four different teams.
Most recently, he played for the Los Angeles Lakers, where he had his moments but was inconsistent overall.
But the most frustrating thing about Anthony’s career has been the fact that with one possible exception, he has never played on a team that was good enough to have a shot at winning it all.
The closest he came was in the 2008-09 season, when the Nuggets had a very strong roster around him.
They traded for former Finals MVP Chauncey Billups early in the year, and he changed the culture of what had been an undisciplined team.
Buoyed by Billups’ arrival, Denver went to the Western Conference Finals, where they played Kobe Bryant‘s Lakers to a standstill for nearly five games but ultimately fell in six contests.
Anthony is one of the game’s more beloved players, and many fans of various teams want to see him win a ring before his career ends.
The Celtics Could Be A Good Situation For Him
If Anthony were to join the Celtics, he would likely end up low in head coach Ime Udoka‘s rotation behind Gallinari and Grant Williams, as he is not a good defender at this point of his basketball life.
But he could still give the team a lift off the bench, and he can still get blisteringly hot on occasion.
Therefore, they won’t be that much pressure on Anthony (as long as Boston stays healthy), but he will still be on one of the NBA’s best teams.
The Celtics look like the only team that can provide him with an opportunity for a happy ending to his NBA career.
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