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It’s been over a year since Carmelo Anthony played in the NBA. Last time he played on an NBA court, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram were still with the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, the pair of former No. 2 overall picks are on the New Orleans Pelicans, who will host Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday for what is expected to be Anthony’s season debut.
Anthony agreed to a non-guaranteed deal with the Trail Blazers on Thursday, but he didn’t play in the two games they’ve played since then — including the game against the team that cut him last season, the Houston Rockets — because he’s targeting Tuesday for his season debut, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Anthony won’t solve all of Portland’s problems — especially not on defense, where they’re ranked No. 21 in the league — but he can still score at a high level. In the 10 games he played last season, be scored at least 20 points in three of them. That’s not to say the Trail Blazers should expect Anthony to return to his All-Star form this season, but given their disappointing 5-9 record, they certainly wouldn’t be upset if the 35-year-old turned back the clock.
The Trail Blazers will get an idea of how much Anthony still has left in the tank on Tuesday against the Pelicans. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. EST.
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