Getty James Harden chats with now-former teammate Carmelo Anthony.
It’s been a humbling season and a half for Carmelo Anthony, to say the least.
We all remember how he infamously grabbed headlines last season for his apparent unwillingness to come off the bench and be a role player in OKC, solidifying his reputation as a liability as the team went on to have an incredibly disappointing season–especially given all the initial fanfare. It’s been all downhill from there.
Carmelo Anthony is not about to come off the bench. 😂
To his credit, he eventually adjusted to his supporting role with the Thunder (at least superficially), but now he’s facing a similar situation in Houston and the team may not be willing to cut him so much slack.
The Rockets–once seen as a powerhouse and the only Western Conference franchise with a hope of defeating the Warriors–has tanked so far this season. Their record of 4-7 is baffling fans and the league as a whole given that they have the reigning MVP in James Harden, an all-time great point guard in Chris Paul, a Sixth Man candidate in Eric Gordon, and a good supporting cast. It’s a confusing time to be a Houston Rockets fan.
The problem, some say, is that new addition Carmelo Anthony hasn’t quite contributed enough to turn around the reputation he’s gained as a sort of parasite. But that’s been understood as something of a fan conspiracy, not necessarily supported by the evidence or acknowledged by the Rockets organization.
Well, things seem to have changed on that front, and the fan theory seems to be making its way into the team’s real-life gameplan.
The Rockets and Anthony are Discussing His Future with the Team
GettyCarmelo Anthony spent a few years with the Knicks before joining OKC, and now the Rockets.
Things are looking pretty bleak right now for the Rockets–it’s been a disappointing start to what they had hoped would be a Finals-run season–but they’re especially bad for Carmelo. Due to his reputation for cursing teams with impotence, it’s been easy to look at him as the cause for the Rockets’ current woes.
The fairness of that assessment could be endlessly argued, but it seems that the Rockets’ management is taking stock of the Carmel Anthony theory.
According to ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Rockets are in discussions with Anthony about his future with the team, and Carmelo somewhat conveniently missed last night’s loss against the Spurs with an illness even after practicing fully on Friday.
While Carmelo Anthony is absent with an illness tonight against the Spurs, the Rockets and Anthony are discussing his role and how they might still be able to proceed together for the rest of the season, league sources tell ESPN. Talks are fluid.
The news has been met with mixed reactions, as the evidence (and common sense) points to the fact that the entire team just isn’t performing. It’s hardly likely that that’s the fault of one single player–especially a veteran who, though imperfect, has been contributing to the team just as much as anyone else.
According to digital journalist Ben DuBose, who covers the Rockets, the problem is absolutely not Melo; it’s the entire team and especially the stars.
@HPbasketball @RedNinetyFour Matt, you know I admire you, but please watch the film on this one (if you didn’t watch live). They’re missing wide open looks, many right at the rim. It’s not spacing, it’s not chemistry, and it’s certainly not Melo. They’re just not executing.
Whoever’s fault it is, the Rockets need to get it together or risk the same fate as, yes, last year’s OKC team: losing in the first round in front of fans who were promised much, much more.
This post will be updated as the story develops.
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Are the Rockets Ditching Melo?