Bomani Jones on Carmelo Anthony

This Bomani Jones article for SB Nation is thoughtful, accurate, and worth a read. It's as reasonable a take on Carmelo Anthony's struggles through the first half of the season as you'll find. However, the curmudgeonly Knick fan in me (basically: me) can't resist pointing to 1. The post below this one, though that applies only to the three games Melo's played with Jeremy Lin. 2. Melo's ankle and wrist, both of which have visibly been bothering him for well over a month. The guy spent several weeks playing with one hand in a brace that would have made Megaman feel encumbered (and, some nights, the other hand wrapped).

The article is as bluster-free as they come and all of Jones's points stand to some extent, but I do think we've been glossing over the fact that Melo has been playing through injury for most of the season. The Melo I've been watching has struggled to find the right shots at times-- and both D'Antoni and, more recently, Lin have something to do with that-- but has also been visibly hampered on moves he'd usually make and shots he'd usually hit. The injuries have affected his performance and, in turn, his decision making, and I think they ought to be taken heavily into account when appraising anything Melo's done since mid-January. Good piece, though. Check it out.

Update: Did some maths:

Melo through January 12th (the Memphis game in which he hurt his wrist and ankle): 25.5 points per game, 44% shooting. (Knicks: 6-5)

Melo after January 12th: 18.3 points per game, 36% shooting. (Knicks: 5-9 in games Melo played)

That seems significant, no?