Carmelo Anthony says that he and fellow All-Star teammate Paul George will “fit in” with Russell Westbrook, and that both stars don’t want Russ changing his hyper-aggressive approach to the game.
For the Thunder to reach their potential Russell Westbrook has to adjust but he still has to stick to being himself: https://t.co/IA6UtKOSIo
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) October 27, 2017
Melo says he agreed to waive his no-trade clause for the opportunity to play alongside Westbrook.
Russ won the MVP last season by becoming the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double, and set a record for usage rate.
Per ESPN:
“We came here for you,” Anthony said he told Westbrook. “We came here because we believe in what you can do and what you bring to the game, and we don’t want you to stop doing that. We want you to be that player, we want you to be that person, and we’ll fit in.”
There have been times already this season where the process of adjustment has been obvious for the reigning MVP. Maybe it’s the Oklahoma hospitality rubbing off on him, but Westbrook has, at times, gone out of his way to try and accommodate Anthony and George, trying to make them feel comfortable. Last season, there were only two full games when a teammate took more shots than Westbrook. There have already been two this season when both Anthony and George out-attempted Westbrook. Last season, Westbrook took 1,009 more attempts than the next closest teammate, Victor Oladipo. This season, Anthony has attempted 17 more shots than Westbrook, George 12 more.
“We’ll do a great job of fitting in around him,” Anthony said of Westbrook. “I think he’s taken that advice, and as you see the last couple games, he’s been playing like the Russ that you guys are used to.”
