It was clear after Anthony’s first performance that he is a work in progress. He shot 4 of 14 for 10 points, along with five fouls, five turnovers and several lapses on defense. Asked whether Anthony would remain in the starting lineup, Coach Terry Stotts said before the game, “I don’t see why not,” and added that it had not been necessary to have an extended discussion with Anthony about what his role was.

It’s easy to chalk up Anthony’s first performance to rust, but he didn’t actually look rusty. He was able to get to his spots — often posting up or in the midrange. He just couldn’t convert very often. His stat line from Tuesday wasn’t too dissimilar from what he was doing for Houston a year ago, and Anthony acknowledged he had some adjusting to do.

“Within a year, the game has changed. The physicality of the game has changed,” Anthony said.

What is clear is that Anthony is not going to fade into the background the way veterans like Vince Carter, Ray Allen and Andre Iguodala have done in their later years.

In Carter’s prime in particular, he was faced with many of the same criticisms as Anthony. But by picking his spots and accepting a bench role with zero complaint, Carter has extended his career well into his 40s.

But that’s not Anthony.

He’s not one to be tentative on the floor. Good or bad, Anthony’s presence is to be felt. On Tuesday, his 14 shots were the second most on the team, despite his playing only 24 minutes with minimal familiarity with his teammates and the offense. He had zero assists in Portland’s 115-104 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. (Part of his high usage was because Damian Lillard was out with back spasms.)