Undoubtedly, the most important moment of Tuesday morning in the NBA was the return of Carmelo Anthony to the tracks. The forward made his debut at the Portland Trail Blazers in the defeat of his team against the New Orleans Pelicans, but the result was anecdotal. Melo played as expected of him, with his flaws and virtues. That is why we will review Anthony's game in numbers.
23:37: It's the time Anthony spent on the court in his first game in more than a year. Despite looking a bit out of rhythm, especially in defense, he has endured physically and showed that it can be part of the Blazers rotation, which will need a lot of work to overcome.
10: These are the points he scored on his return. Anthony took just a couple of possessions to score an open triple and the former Nuggets' scoring ability was never in doubt. It remains to be seen how consistent it can be.
28.6%: It was his field percentage. He scored 4 of 14 field pitches and misused some of the medium distance shot, the least recommended for its efficiency. If you want your contribution to be better for your team, you must raise your percentages.
66.7%: In return, he scored two of three triples attempted. If Melo manages to establish himself as a tripler, Melo can open spaces, adjust the defenses and show that he has an important place in the NBA.
-20: It was the differential of his team with him on the court. In attack he looked decent, but his problem was in defense. Before a very physical and athletic team such as the Pelicans and after a year of inactivity, on the less favored side of Melo were their shortcomings. Beyond what is stated above, the defense must be improved to be a useful element for the Blazers.