Carmelo Anthony Gets Real On His Former Teammate Paul George

Carmelo Anthony's tenure in Oklahoma City was not smooth sailing for anyone involved, but it gave him the chance to link up with two-way star Paul George, who was in the prime of his career then. In a recent podcast, Carmelo reflected on his former teammate and explained why so many young kids today look to him as a role model for their game.

“You talking about the mold of six-eleven, can handle, can shoot, a sniper, a killer. That’s the mold,” Anthony said. “So these young kids today they want that mold. Why you think a lot of kids today are talking about PG? … It’s no disrespect to nobody, that’s the mold of what – when you create a player on 2K, you creating that.”

Shooting is a must in today's NBA, and Stephen Curry revolutionized the game with his perimeter mastery. As a product of modern times, Paul Geoge is one of the best long-range wing players in the game but he can also do everything else on the court as a 6'8", 220-pound forward.

Paul George Is Underrated?

Drafted 10th overall in 2010, Paul George was projected to be one of the best two-way players in basketball and that's exactly what he's become. After his breakout season with the Pacers, George suffered a gruesome leg injury in 2014 that kept him out for a full season. Eventually, Paul returned to the court and he's been playing like a star ever since. In 2017, George teamed up with Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Antony on the Thunder but their partnership didn't last long after a slow stat together.

Today, on the Clippers, George is playing third-fiddle behind Kawhi Leonard and James Harden but he deserves a lot of credit for their recent success. This season, in 29 games, he's averaging 22.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game on 45% shooting. He's also been one of their best perimeter defenders, helping the Clippers maintain a top-10 defense.

Carmelo Anthony Is An All-Time Scorer

Carmelo Anthony was never the defender that George has been, but he was arguably even more potent on the other end, where he's widely viewed as one of the greatest we've ever seen. With career averages of 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game on 44.7% shooting, Anthony is a legend in the NBA, and his legacy as an all-time great score will last forever.

Sadly, Melo was never able to capture a title in his day and many would argue that his isolation-heavy game was outdated for his time. Even so, he made the most of what he was given and always commanded respect from his opponents. And even though things never worked out between him and Paul Geoge, Anthony can still recognize what he did for the game and what he means to so many young athletes trying to pick the game up for themselves.