Newly signed forward Carmelo Anthony will be in the starting lineup for the Portland Trail Blazers, head coach Terry Stotts said on Tuesday.
When asked if Anthony would start going forward, Stotts replied, “I don’t see why not,” per Andrew Lopez of ESPN.
Given that Zach Collins and Pau Gasol are both out long term with injuries, and that Portland is so thin at forward, this isn’t really surprising news. It also doesn’t hurt Anthony’s cause that the Blazers need more offense because they don’t play any defense, and that the team is in panic mode at 5-9 on the season.
It remains to be seen just what Anthony offers to Portland at this stage in his career. The last time we saw him play was over a year ago when he was a member of the Houston Rockets. Appearing in 10 games for them before his strange exit, Anthony averaged 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.