Melo calls his old-school style of play 'a lost art'

Few in recent memory bring an old-school game to today's modern NBA. And even fewer are able to succeed with those set of skills.

It's easy to forget Oklahoma City Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony's accomplishments now that he's taken a back seat to two superstar-caliber players in hopes of competing for a championship. Anthony now sees the change in the NBA and what the newcomers work on. With the focus primarily on stretching the floor and playing in open space, Anthony views his classic back to the basket, jab step, and slower-paced grind as something of the past.

"I watch guys work out in the summer, and it's just straight shooting threes and pick-and-rolls and ball-handling," Anthony said, according to ESPN's Tim Keown. "Nobody works on the stuff I work on. It's a lost art."

As he tries to acclimate to today's style, Anthony notices the amount of criticism he's dealt with throughout his career. The long-two has become a thing of the past as everyone has learned to stretch out to the three. But the "lost art" Anthony has taken criticism for is what led him to 10 All-Star games, six All-NBA honors, and the 2013 scoring title.

"To be honest with you, I think I might be the only person in the history of the NBA who gets criticized for what he's great at," Anthony said. "That's OK. I'd rather be criticized for something I'm great at."

In his decreased role, Anthony is scoring 17.2 points on 15.6 shots per game - both career lows.