The Oklahoma City Thunder once appeared poised to dominate the NBA with a roster featuring star players Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Carmelo Anthony. Despite their potential to contend for a championship, the trio’s collaboration fell short during the season they played together, raising questions about the underlying reasons for their failure.
In a recent interview on All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Paul George disclosed that former Thunder head coach Billy Donovan had no strategy to integrate Carmelo Anthony into the lineup. According to George, Donovan’s game plan focused only on Westbrook and himself before Anthony was added at the last minute.
Melo sacrificed, Melo wasn’t the issue,
Paul George explained.
Billy had a plan for Russ and me, then right at the last minute, we got Carmelo. So now Billy’s like, ‘I don’t know how to incorporate him. Y’all were my two guys, Melo’s just gonna have to find his way.’
This statement challenges the common narrative that blamed Anthony’s inflexibility as the cause of the team’s struggles that season.
Impact of Donovan’s Lack of Planning on Team Dynamics
At 33 years old, Carmelo Anthony experienced a decline in both scoring and efficiency during his time with the Thunder, averaging 16.2 points per game and shooting just 40.4%. Despite statistical drops and public criticisms, George emphasized that Anthony was willing to make adjustments but was not given adequate support from the coaching staff to do so effectively.
The absence of a clear plan from Donovan created a difficult environment for Anthony, forcing him to navigate a role that was never fully defined by the coaching directions. This issue laid bare the challenges in blending high-level talent without strategic guidance, ultimately hampering the trio’s ability to operate cohesively.
Long-Term Effects of Missed Opportunities with Anthony
Carmelo Anthony’s frustration with his role surfaced publicly, especially during discussions about potentially shifting to a bench position, a role he resisted at the time. Although he later adapted to coming off the bench with teams such as the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers, the Oklahoma City Thunder episode remains a clear example of how mismanagement overshadowed potential success.
Without a dedicated approach from the coaching staff to effectively utilize the talents of all players, even the most skilled and experienced roster members found it hard to thrive. This failure of integration under Donovan’s leadership had a lasting impact on how the team performed and how the experiment with the trio is remembered in NBA history.