Anthony Declining Option: When you take a look at Joel Anthony's statistics, they don't immediately jump off of the page. It's hard to put up great numbers when you're seeing only sixteen minutes of action each night. But if you look a little bit deeper, that's exactly what Anthony has done.
No, he's not a scorer who needs the ball in his hands. He's a scrappy role player who hustles after every ball, rebounds well, and is a shotblocking machine down low. He finished with the 15th-most blocks in the league, more than Joakim Noah, Marc Gasol, and Andrew Bynum, despite playing half as many minutes. His 3.96 blocks per 48 minutes is seventh-best among all players.
Teams looking to strengthen their interior defense will be able to take a closer look at Joel this summer.
According to a source, Anthony will decline the player option for the final year of his contract, worth $885,120, and test free agency. With many teams in the market for a reliable shotblocker, Anthony could see his minutes and role increase next season in a new situation. A return to the Heat also remains a possibility.
While you don't often hear him mentioned alongside Josh Smith and Dwight Howard as one of the league's top shotblockers, he puts up the numbers when given an opportunity. Take his 8-point, 9-rebound, and 5-block performance from last season, for example. After playing just seven minutes in the previous game, Anthony stepped up and was ready when his number was called for 34 minutes.
The big man is also very efficient. He averages 0.69 blocks per foul, right there with Smith and LeBron James.
It's very tough to come off of the bench and produce consistently in this league. When your minutes and role are changing every single night, it's hard to find a rhythm and stay ready. But that's exactly what Anthony has been able to do for three seasons and now it's about to pay off.
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