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The Whiteboard: Carmelo Anthony might fit in with the Houston Rockets

By Ti Windisch

BIRMINGHAM, AL - OCTOBER 2: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Houston Rockets gets introduced before the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on October 2, 2018 at Legacy Arena at The BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
BIRMINGHAM, AL - OCTOBER 2: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Houston Rockets gets introduced before the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on October 2, 2018 at Legacy Arena at The BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Carmelo Anthony might be ready for the next stage of his career with the Houston Rockets.

Aging gracefully is difficult for anybody. Losing a half-step, and then a whole-step, and then more than that is never easy. Now imagine being Carmelo Anthony, at one point one of the best few players in the NBA, and think about having teams and pundits and fans wanting you to be a bench player and tertiary option offensively. That’s tough!

Melo is not the player he once was, and the league is not the same as it was when Prime Carmelo Anthony was jab-stepping his way to eight consecutive All-Stat appearances. All of a sudden efficiency is in and those isolation possessions are all the way out, banished to wherever bell-bottom jeans and MySpace are at these days.

Those two effects — the NBA changing and Melo aging — made last year a little rocky in Oklahoma City. Carmelo laughed at the idea of coming off of the bench and ended up keeping his starting role for all of his games with the Thunder. The result? An embarrassing first-round loss to the Utah Jazz followed by a trade to the Atlanta Hawks and, eventually, a minimum contract from the Houston Rockets.

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Melo signing for the minimum is significant. It’s the first time since 2006-07, the last year of his rookie deal, when Anthony has made less than eight figures annually. It might be a signal that Melo realizes he’s got to adapt to the new reality in the Association.

It’s easy to be a Carmelo pessimist, but Houston might really be the perfect place for him to realize his best form in 2018-19. Good friend and Banana Boat Buddy Chris Paul is in town too, and CP3 himself knows a thing or two about adjusting to advancing age on the Rockets. Paul is still a great player, but coming to Houston was essentially also taking a back-seat as “the man” in the backcourt.

The way the Rockets play should help Carmelo with the whole adapting thing too. OKC head coach Billy Donovan would surely love to run a more modern offense, but there’s only so much that can be done when Russell Westbrook is running the show. Houston’s freewheeling offense will result in Melo getting better looks in the flow of the offense. James Harden and Chris Paul’s passing doesn’t hurt either.

The very early returns are solid for Carmelo. He didn’t laugh this time when asked about potentially being a bench player, instead saying, “Whatever I have to do to help this team win a championship, that’s what’s going to be done,” according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

In Houston’s preseason game on Tuesday night, 3-pointers made up six of Carmelo’s eight shots, and he nailed half of his attempts both from the field and from 3. That’s exactly what Rockets fans and Carmelo fans alike should be looking for.

Houston has gotten heat for their offseason from many, particularly in regard to losing Trevor Ariza (who Houston likely couldn’t have retained no matter what, considering the rich deal he scored in Phoenix) and Luc Mbah a Moute. If the Rockets get the Carmelo who only wants to play ISO ball and no defense, they will be worse off, no doubt about it.

On the other hand, an optimized Carmelo Anthony who can play bully ball when the time is right but who also sinks threes and at least tries defensively could still be a genuinely useful piece. Only time will tell which version the Rockets end up with and if it was worth losing some of their bench pieces from last season.

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