With the OGs out of the game, the baton seems to have been passed to the future rising stars. Anthony Edwards is among the few who are making the noise. However, Gilbert Arenas claims even with that it will never be a pleasing idea to challenge the veterans. After the Phoenix Suns faced the early postseason sweep by the Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA legend Carmelo Anthony had some severe words for Kevin Durant. The 10x NBA All-Star suggested that, unlike Durant, he would have used his defeat to boost his morale and crush his opponents.

To the Ant-Man’s disappointment, Agent Zero doubled down on Melo’s claims. During his recent appearance in Shannon Sharpe’s Nightcap, Agent Zero declared, “Nah, see, but what Melo saying is the way Melo played and the style Melo played. If Ant would have been talking to him Melo, listen, they would have lost the game.”

Arenas further added, “Melo would have had about 60 because nobody else is shooting that ball. He would have hit him with all them elbows… And he would have put young fell in that basket. He would have jeopardized that loss to prove a point.”

The Suns came out with power trio Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal to battle against the Wolves. While the players asked the fans not to lose hope, Durant scored 33 points, while Booker notched up an energetic performance of 49 in Game 4. But it just wasn’t enough to smash the power Timberwolves. Following the game, Durant even praised the Ant-Man for his explosive performance.

Do you think Carmelo Anthony was right about his opinion?

Despite losing to the 2x NBA All-Star, Durant revealed that Edwards is his “favorite“ player to watch. The Ant-Man delivered 31.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in the four-game series, which was better than Durant’s. “So impressed with Ant. My favorite player to watch. Just grown so much since he came into the league,” the 14x NBA All-star said in the post-game conference. He added, “At 22, just his love for the game shines bright, and that’s one of the reasons why I like him the most,” 

In a somewhat gentle manner, Melo suggested that Durant should have used his loss against the young players to fuel his competitive fire. “I would’ve been like, ‘This n**a buggin’! I don’t want to k*ll this lil n**a. I would have been out for blood in a competitive way,“ Carmelo Anthony said on the Point Forward podcast.

Anthony felt like the Phoenix Suns were disrespected by the young roster of Minnesota Timberwolves by not fearing the veterans enough. And he wanted the Suns to dominate in the game, using the disrespect as an inspiration. However, it is too late for this season. Next up, the Suns duo are heading to the Paris 2024 Olympics to represent Team USA. What is your take on Melo and Arenas’ comment? Let us know in the comments section below.