Carmelo Anthony, asked if the Thunder need a ‘big’ lineup change: ‘Hell nah’

Carmelo Anthony is angry about the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 8-12 record, but he doesn’t think they need a lineup change. Anthony talked on Thursday at length about the team, their struggles, and how being angry — not frustrated — is a good place for the team to be.

The Thunder have clearly underperformed expectations, even if they’ve also been unlucky in close games. (Their bad crunch time offense hasn’t helped.) Everyone knows Oklahoma City can be better, but the bigger question is how they achieve that. One way that SB Nation’s Tom Ziller suggested on Thursday was Anthony moving to the bench.

Anthony, it would seem, doesn’t agree.

Do you think there’s any need to do something big, like a lineup change?

No, no, hell nah. We’re fine, man. Like I said, it’s on us to figure out how we’re gonna be consistently. That’s our big downfall right now, we’re not a consistent team right now. Once we get that consistency and the way that we wanna play, and continue that level of play throughout the course of a game, we’ll see that turnaround.

Now, Anthony wasn’t directly asked that question — it was worded in a way that suggested if they needed to make a “big change.” He may not think that’s necessary, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t accept such a move if the coaching staff approached him thinking it was for the best. In all likelihood, the Thunder wouldn’t consider anything that drastic this early in the season, either.

On the other hand, Anthony was pretty set against the bench idea before this season started.

Anthony laughingly asks, “Who me?”, when that idea of coming off the bench is even mentioned. Anthony, after all, has started all 995 games that he has ever played.

It was a different time in Oklahoma City back then, and Anthony’s answer on this topic may evolve if the Thunder keep struggling. But for now, it doesn’t seem like that has changed.