Carmelo Anthony ready to switch positions for Blazers after slimming down

Carmelo Anthony is ready to turn the clock back a few years in Orlando.

Speaking with reporters on Friday, the ten-time All-Star said that he is ready to play small forward for the Portland Trail Blazers in the bubble after losing some weight during the NBA shutdown.

“For me, I had that in the back of my mind, once coach told me the position that I’d be switching back to the 3,” Anthony said, per ESPN’s Royce Young. “I kinda challenged myself to get down to that weight where I feel comfortable with playing the 3, comfortable running around and utilizing things I can do within our system from playing the 3.

“That was a big motivation for me to come back at that exact weight or around that weight, 230, 235,” he added. “I haven’t seen 230, 235 since early, early in my career. So now it puts me back in a mindset of that from a confidence standpoint knowing that I was able to get back to that. On the court I feel good, I feel healthy. I have a lot of clarity, too. All of that was part of the plan.”

Video emerged this week of the 36-year-old looking noticeably skinnier during practice in the bubble. Officially listed at 240 pounds, Anthony had spent much of his career at the small forward spot but had been playing almost exclusively at power forward ever since leaving the New York Knicks.

We here for Skinny Melo

signed Hoodie Melo stans pic.twitter.com/GrZDmlS79k

— Daily Knicks (@DailyKnicksFS) July 13, 2020

While the last time that Anthony slimmed down did not work out too well, his trim physique is a good sign for a Portland team clawing for a playoff spot and doing so without usual small forward Trevor Ariza, who opted out of Orlando.