10 Biggest Ball Hogs in the NBA Today | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Hog Factor: 23.3

Why is Carmelo Anthony hugging the basketball? Because he loves the ball. He is deeply, profoundly, romantically in love with the basketball. I wouldn't be surprised if Alani Vazquez is jealous of the ball. 

If he could find a ring big enough, he would put a ring on it. But he can't. 

So instead, he just hugs it. 

How much of a ball hog is Carmelo Anthony? Well, his hog factor is really off the charts here. It's nearly double that of the 10th-place player, Michael Beasley. The difference between his and Crawford's, who is second, is also nearly double the difference between Crawford's and Beasley's. 

In fact, there is not a single player in the history (via basketball-reference.com) of the NBA who has a higher-usage percentage and a lower-assist percentage than what Anthony has this year. 

You could literally make the argument that this is the worst case of ball-hoggery in NBA history. 

But before you get angry and accuse me of being a "hater," let me point out the positive part of this. 

The bottom line is that the New York Knicks are a vastly superior offensive team (via nba.com) with Anthony on the court. When he's on the court they average 115.4 points per 100 possessions compared to a meager 97.7 when he sits. That's a difference of 17.7 points per 100 possessions. 

And just for the record, they're a slightly better defensive team with him on the court as well. Anthony is very much an early candidate for MVP.  

The bottom line is the old cliche "It' ain't ball-hogging if it works." And right now, for the Knicks, it's working. Anthony might be bringing ball-hogging to new heights, but he's bringing the Knicks to new heights, too.