Getty Images Carmelo Anthony is set to make his debut with the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.
The Houston Rockets won’t admit it, but they might’ve been hesitant about adding Carmelo Anthony to the roster over the summer. The 34-year-old superstar might be well past his prime at this point, but he still has some gas left in the tank. The only issue with ‘Melo’ is that he might still be in denial about what kind of player he is at this point of his career. A little bit of confidence isn’t bad, but not understanding his role played a massive part in his downfall with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Last summer, Anthony attempted to wipe the slate clean and join Russell Westbrook and Paul George with the Thunder in attempt to form a ‘super team.’ Anthony was coming from an ugly situation with the New York Knicks, and he was looking for immediate results with a better squad. Unfortunately, things weren’t going his way.
During a recent interview with ESPN, Anthony admits that he doesn’t like the idea of coming off the bench, as he knows he can still play at a high level. But his issues with OKC wasn’t the fact that he refused to be satisfied with coming off of the bench. It was the fact that there was hardly any communication about it.
Communication Is Key for Melo
Anthony’s first offseason with the Rockets went surprisingly smooth. Nobody knew what to expect after his failed run with the Thunder. But during the preseason, Anthony came off as comfortable and welcomed into Houston. The transition from the Knicks/Thunder to the Rockets was much more comfortable than he could’ve anticipated.
The communication between the Rockets and Carmelo is going to be a key for success this season. When he was asked if he could live with being told he’s going to come off the bench in Houston, Anthony not only responded with yes, but he followed up by saying “the biggest thing for me is just communicate that with me.”
Carmelo Anthony is set to make his debut with the Rockets on Wednesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. For now, Anthony will surprisingly find himself in a bench role. There are no indications of whether his role will shift elsewhere in the future, but right now he is comfortable in his setting out in Houston.