Rested Melo in a 3-point groove
Two weeks ago, Carmelo Anthony received a day of rest on the second night of a back-to-back. It appears to be the break he needed.
Anthony wanted to play in the Thunder’s road loss to Portland, but the Thunder’s medical staff, Billy Donovan and Anthony teamed up to make a decision regarding his long-term freshness. Leading into Portland, Anthony had been struggling from the field — shooting a respectable 35.5 percent on 3-pointers, but just 35.8 overall since the All-Star break.
Since the rest day against Portland, Anthony is leading the Thunder in 3-point percentage (47.4) and is third in the NBA in 3-pointers made (18). Aside from a 0-of-3 game against the Spurs, Anthony has made three or more 3-pointers in four of the five games since sitting out against the Blazers.
“It’s something that we strategically set in place,” Anthony said. “I know how important that game was, but at the end of the day, me being healthy coming down the stretch going into the postseason and finding where I can utilize rest days and recovery days, I knew personally that that one game, I look at it as three or four days for me of rest — not just that one game. It was a big key in why I feel the way I feel right now.”
It hasn’t been determined when or if Anthony will have more rest games in the remaining 12 of the regular season, but the Thunder has rest luxuries build into its schedule. The Thunder only has one back-to-back remaining and has two separate weeks in which it will have three consecutive days without games.
“He knows his body better than everybody,” Donovan said. “It’s all based on how he’s feeling, what he’s going through and trying to help him play his best basketball. But I think any time a player gets an opportunity to rest some, it’s certainly gonna help them rebound.”
Anthony said he doesn’t feel like he’s doing anything differently, but that his teammates are doing a better job of finding him in spots for rhythm 3-pointers. In practice before playing the Spurs last week, the Thunder focused on more accurate passing to set up 3-point shooters. Since then, OKC is 42.4 percent (42of-99) as a team from deep in three games.
“It’s a matter of just making the shots and staying with it and continue being confident and taking the same shots I’ve been taking all year and making them at this point,” Anthony said.
Adams, George update
Donovan said Steven Adams and Paul George were limited participants in Thursday’s practice. Both are listed as questionable for Friday against the Clippers.
Adams missed the Thunder’s 119-107 win against Atlanta on Tuesday with a left hip contusion he suffered against Sacramento on Monday. According to the Thunder, George suffered a pelvic strain in the third quarter Tuesday, but said after the win in Atlanta he felt like he’d be ready to play against the Clippers.
Both Adams and George participated in non-contact portions of the practice and will be re-evaluated at Friday's shootaround.
March Madness
The NCAA Tournament is back, and the Thunder has a locker room full of bragging rights.
The Thunder has four players which have won NCAA championships — Anthony (Syracuse) in 2003, Raymond Felton (North Carolina) in 2005, Corey Brewer (Florida) in 2006 and 2007, and Kyle Singler (Duke) in 2010.
Even with a title under his belt, Anthony said he tries to be sensitive to Nick Collison. Collison was on the Kansas team that lost to Anthony’s Syracuse Orange in the 2003 national championship game.
“Yeah, I know that’s a sore spot, man,” Anthony said. “Any time the tournament comes up and Kansas-Syracuse comes up, it’s a sore spot, so I try not to bring it up too much.
“I could just see the look on Nick’s face when I talk about Syracuse on the tournament. I don’t wanna brag too much.”
Donovan, who coached Brewer and Florida to two national titles, remembered his favorite NCAA Tournament moment vividly
— at home with his parents watching Michigan State vs. Indiana State in 1979, Magic Johnson against Larry Bird.
Donovan was a major Johnson fan.
“I was always fascinated being somebody that was a point guard growing up playing,” Donovan said. “It was kind of like a new phenomenon to have a guy 6-foot-9 (Johnson) at the point. I was always intrigued by that and just the way he played. I was young at that point, but that was like my first glimpse at a national championship game being young.”
Quotable
Anthony on students nationwide walking out of class Wednesday to demand stricter gun laws: “I’m in support of that. I think if it’s one message and not a bunch of messages — everybody’s in sync, all the kids — it’s different than me sitting in front of the camera and talking about what should be different and the laws that should be changed then it is when kids start talking about it, because kids they’re cognizant of what’s going on. They’re woke. They understand the significance of what’s going on in their communities and our community as a whole. I can support that. I’m on board. I know there’s a big march coming up, a big kids march in D.C. soon, and me and my foundation we’re working on some things to be a part of that as we speak. It’s not really about the marches. It’s more about being heard and having a voice, wanting people to understand it is a time for change. Small or large, it is a time for change.”