Carmelo Anthony naysayers who argue he is one of the NBA’s most overrated stars have some new ammunition.
The 28-year-old Knicks forward, who commands a $19.4 million annual salary, landed a dubious honor atop Forbes’ list of the “most overpaid” NBA players.
Despite his 28.1 points per game — not to mention the 90 he racked up in wins over the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks — Anthony doesn’t stack up, according to the annual value ranking.
The Forbes ranking draws on TheNBAGeek.com, the stats-driven data blog from Southern Utah University economics professor David Berri, who calculates players’ win contribution not just by straight scoring but also by assists, rebounds and turnovers among other plays.
By that reckoning, Anthony’s pay is the most out of whack based on his salary for the 2012-13 season. He has produced less than one full win — 0.7 — for the Knicks.
The Heat’s LeBron James and Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant rate as the NBA’s top two players, contributing 18.7 and 18.3 team wins.
Other Knicks, including center Tyson Chandler, whose play produced 12.9 wins for his $13.1 million salary, come out ahead of Anthony.
The same holds true for bench players J.R. Smith, who contributed 4.9 games, and three-point specialist Steve Novak, with 3.8 wins, according to TheNBAGeek.
The players pull in roughly $4 million in combined salary.
Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson, with his $19.75 million salary, makes the list as the third-most overpaid player, according to Forbes, with his win contribution at just 1.5 wins.
Reps for the Knicks and the Nets weren’t able to comment on the ranking.