What would Carmelo Anthony mean for Rockets?
By Nir Regev
If the Houston Rockets do manage to snag Carmelo Anthony off waivers, what does it mean for the team and rival Golden State Warriors?
Following Carmelo Anthony’s waiver post-trade by the Atlanta Hawks, the Houston Rockets are said to be the front-runners for his talents. The pluses for Anthony include reuniting with good friend Chris Paul and being on what will likely be one of the top seeds in the Western Conference. Last year, Houston was the only team to push the Golden State Warriors to the limit with a Game 7.
Houston doesn’t need Anthony to be that top option to win. Last year’s 16.2 points per game would be plenty good enough. Anthony has become notoriously underrated, and while OKC is making another cost-cutting move, that does not diminish his talent. This is the same team that once traded MVP candidate James Harden in an effort to save money on luxury tax.
Anthony is just one year removed from averaging 22.4 PPG over 74 games with the New York Knicks. Houston head coach Mike D’Antoni’s free-flowing offensive system on the Rockets could easily spike both his PPG and field goal percentage. D’Antoni is one of the league’s masters in bringing the best out of players.
On the other hand for Anthony, Houston is not a sure thing. Capela isn’t happy about his contract situation, Trevor Ariza left for the Phoenix Suns and Luc Mbah a Moute went to the L.A. Clippers. A front-loaded contract for Capela might be enough for another team to win his services, putting Houston out of contention. In fact, DeMarcus Cousins signing with Golden State already pretty much ended every other team’s championship hopes if all Warriors players are healthy come playoff time.
Then there’s the fact that Anthony and D’Antoni never co-existed well, dating back to their shared time in New York. However, according to the The Washington Post’s Tim Bontemps, D’Antoni “would be fine with Anthony coming to Houston.”
"For Houston, Anthony would likely come off the bench as a scoring power forward. Ironically, that’s exactly what Rockets Coach Mike D’Antoni wanted him to do when the two clashed while together with the New York Knicks. D’Antoni’s presence was expected to be a roadblock to Anthony’s arrival, but multiple sources said D’Antoni would be fine with Anthony coming to Houston. The phrase “time heals all wounds” comes to mind."
One situation that must be broached is how Anthony would handle coming off the bench if that better fit Houston’s lineup. Last year, Anthony laughed at the suggestion, per ESPN reporter Royce Young.
"I’m not sacrificing no bench role. So that’s out of the question. I think everybody knows I’ve sacrificed damn near everything and was willing to sacrifice nearly everything for this situation to work out."
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Anthony could easily join up with LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers or Dwyane Wade on the Miami Heat if he wants more positive media attention/locale along with a close friend. Still, the Rockets are the clear favorite as we head into the heat of August.
As for the Warriors, the Rockets will have a greater chance to take them down with Carmelo than not. However, Golden State’s only true rival this year will likely be its health.