Carmelo Anthony's debut with the Portland Trail Blazers wasn't great. He scored 10 points on 4-for-14 shooting, with four rebounds, no assists and five turnovers in a 115-104 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. About halfway through the fourth quarter, Frank Jackson beat Anthony off the dribble and earned a trip to the line. Anthony then subbed out and didn't return. 

It would be unfair, though, to judge the partnership based on one game, Anthony's first in more than a year. Portland coach Terry Stotts praised Anthony for how he attacked the basket and said that he sees no reason why the 35-year-old wouldn't remain in the starting lineup. 

But what if he shouldn't have been in the starting lineup in the first place? And what if that has as much to do with an unheralded rookie as it does with Anthony himself?

The stated reasoning for Portland's acquisition was simple: It needed Anthony. The Blazers were thin at power forward -- partially because Zach Collins got hurt and partially because of questionable roster construction -- and they thought Anthony could relieve the enormous scoring burden on Damian Lillard (who missed Tuesday's game) and CJ McCollum. Portland also hoped he would provide a spark to a team that was underperforming.

"Carmelo needs an empowering and welcoming environment with a defined role that embraces his skill set on the floor and his presence in the locker room," Blazers general manager Neil Olshey said, via The Athletic's Jason Quick. "And we need a player that can generate production from the power forward position, can alleviate defensive pressure on Dame and CJ and be trusted to make plays at critical moments in close games."

In between Anthony's signing and his debut, though, the Blazers might have found a better option. Nassir Little, a 6-foot-5 rookie with a 7-1 wingspan, a fraction of Anthony's offensive repertoire and infinitely more defensive versatility, started the three games before the loss in New Orleans. Little struggled with his shot -- he is shooting a dreadful 39.5 percent on the season and 23.5 percent from 3-point range -- but made athletic plays like this: 

And this:

On Tuesday, Little has the most productive game of his young professional career: 12 points, 11 rebounds (including four offensive boards), two blocks and a steal. He shot 5 for 6 and made both of his 3-point attempts. Little would not have been available for the Blazers with the No. 25 pick if he were a reliable shooter, but his tools suggest that Portland should be invested in him. 

Single game plus-minus is the most recklessly misused stat in the business, but I will point out that Anthony was a team-worst minus-20 and Little was a team-best plus-nine against the Pelicans for one reason: If that becomes a trend, it will get awkward quickly, with history repeating itself in way that makes all involved parties uncomfortable. When the Houston Rockets sent Anthony home last season, it was because he was hurting them defensively, but it also felt like it was because it would be insulting to make the 10-time All-Star watch unproven rookie Gary Clark, who was showing flashes at the time, take more of his minutes. 

Danuel House Jr., then playing for Houston's G League affiliate, wound up being the young forward who played his way into that spot, but that's beside the point. Portland only made a small bet on Anthony, giving him a non-guaranteed contract. While it appears committed to making this work for now, no one knows exactly how long that will remain the case. (The contract will become guaranteed if he is still on the roster beyond Jan. 7.) As thrilled as the Blazers must be that Little is fitting in, they must also know how this could complicate matters with their new, high-profile starting power forward.