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Carmelo Anthony called most overrated player in NBA by Jared Dudley

By Nick Ziegler

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It was not an easy 2014-15 season for the New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony, and now he is hearing the critics.

On The Herd with Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio, Milwaukee Bucks’ forward Jared Dudley was very outspoken. In addition to some strong words about Kobe Bryant, Dudley also had a strong opinion about Anthony’s status of an elite player.

“I would say Carmelo,” said Dudley, when asked the question by ESPN host Colin Cowherd. “The reason why I say Carmelo is that he’s viewed as a Top 5 player…”

“He has the talent to be able to [facilitate],” Dudley continued. “The triangle should fit him. He’s gotta make guys better, and defensively, you know what, he’s gotta [go to the next level]. He’s gotta get out of the first and second round. He’s gotta get this team to the playoffs. LeBron [James] with that roster would have gotten to the playoffs. They would have been at least an 8 seed. He’s not LeBron, but he doesn’t have to be…”

In 12 seasons, Anthony has made the All-Star team eight times, as he is regarded as one of the best scorers in the NBA. In his career, Anthony has averaged 25.2 points per game. Few people would argue that Anthony is a great scorer, but to be an elite player, you have to be more than just that.

Throughout his career, Anthony has taken criticism about his defensive abilities, and also his ability to make players around him better.

Two of Anthony’s former teammates are playing in Cleveland now with LeBron James, and both are playing some of the best basketball of their careers. J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert were both traded by the Knicks this season, and now have found themselves as important parts of the Eastern Conference Champions.

May 22, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (right) high fives guard J.R. Smith (5) and guard Iman Shumpert (4) during the fourth quarter in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Cavaliers won 94-82. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Smith did win the Sixth Man of the Year award with Anthony, but together in New York, they didn’t not achieve much team success. Shumpert has also come into his own playing with James, as the former first-round pick has improved greatly on the offensive end of the court. Shumpert was always known for his lockdown ability, but never had much success scoring the basketball in New York.

Smith and Shumpert could very well win rings this season with James and company in Cleveland, while Anthony is counting on a great offseason from Phil Jackson. It was thought that the problem wasn’t Anthony on the Knicks, but it was the players surrounding him that were holding the team back.

The success of Smith and Shumpert however with Cleveland obviously shows that they were good role players, and now the focus should shift to Anthony. The comments by Dudley are bold, but they also do make a lot of sense.

It’s no secret that James is the best player in the NBA, and Shumpert and Smith must be very thankful that they are in Cleveland now. The success of his former teammates with James better motivate Anthony to come back with likely a lot of new teammates next season and make the playoffs.

Next: Who is the best Knicks' PG of all-time?

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