Jared Dudley wants Carmelo Anthony to know that he’s sorry.
The Milwaukee Bucks swingman sent some waves throughout NBA circles on Wendesday when he called Melo the league’s most overrated player during an interview with ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd.
Here’s what he said on Melo then, per ESPN New York’s Ian Begley:
“The reason I say Carmelo is because Carmelo is viewed as a top-five player, he’s viewed in the NBA as a top-five. Carmelo, he has the talent to be able to facilitate. The triangle should fit him to where he’s got to make guys better, and defensively he’s got to take it to the next level up.”
Later Wednesday night, Dudley went on ESPN New York 98.7 FM’s Hahn & Humpty Show to send an apology Anthony’s way.
From Begley:
“I shouldn’t have said that that was my fault for saying that because it’s not the truth,” Dudley told hosts Alan Hahn and Rick DiPietro. “… I apologize for saying that about Carmelo.
“You get kind of frustrated at times seeing because of him having to make his other guys better and defensively certain things, but for me to say he’s the most overrated that was wrong for me to say. He’s arguably a top 3 or 4 scorer, between him (Kevin Durant) and (Russell Westbrook). But if you see, that’s not enough in this league. If your a No. 1 guy and you’re a max guy, this is a superstar league, you have to be able to do certain things.”
Apology in mind, it’s not like Dudley is alone in his thoughts. Tons of people think Melo is overrated.
Having listened to Dudley’s interview, he just seems to think that Melo needs to do more, because he’s so often considered a top-five talent. And that’s part of the problem.
Pundits and fans—and apparently players—are constantly comparing Melo to someone he’s not. He’s not LeBron James or Kevin Durant, and he’s never advertised himself as such. And the only time he really entered the top-five conversation was in 2013-14, when he had a career year and almost single-handedly lifted the downtrodden New York Knicks to a playoff berth.
All told, as Melo approaches 31, he is who he is and that’s not going to change much. He’s a flawed superstar with an unparalleled offensive arsenal who, when healthy, is certainly in the top-10 conversation.
Those expecting him to be anything more, those comparing him to LeBron and KD and CP3 and Stephen Curry, are just wasting their time.
