Carmelo Anthony signs with Rockets; Warriors shouldn’t worry
By Staff
The Houston Rockets and Carmelo Anthony agreed on a contract, making Houston even more intriguing in the Western Conference.
On Tuesday afternoon, Carmelo Anthony made official what many believed was coming for weeks, signing with the Houston Rockets. Anthony was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Atlanta Hawks in July, only to be bought out and placed on the market.
Anthony, 34, is entering his 15th season, playing for his fourth team. The 10-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA selection is likely going to the Hall of Fame, and yet this move is seen as almost an afterthought for Houston, the team that was a game away from the NBA Finals and a likely championship.
So why is that the case? For starters, the Golden State Warriors might have the greatest starting lineup in modern league history after acquiring DeMarcus Cousins to go with Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. While Anthony could add some scoring from the wing for the Rockets, is he going to help them get past the Warriors, especially considering the minimal amount of attention he pays to the defensive side?
Additionally, Anthony was a bust in Oklahoma City. His presence alongside Paul George and Russell Westbrook was supposed to help the Thunder become a player in the West. Instead, Oklahoma City was bounced in six games by the Utah Jazz in the quarterfinals.
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All told, Anthony has been one of the league’s best scorers throughout his career. His averages of 24.1 points per game on 44.9 percent shooting rank nicely compared to many Hall of Famers, although many believe he’s nothing more than a volume-shooting ball-stopper at this juncture of his career.
If everything comes together alongside James Harden and Chris Paul, the Rockets could be very tough once more. However, should Anthony have a similar season to the one he just suffered through, it could be ugly in Clutch City.