The Houston Rockets and All-star forward Carmelo Anthony haven’t been on the same grid thus far. According to fellow reporters, Carmelo may have played his last game in a Rockets Uniform. Anthony is averaging 13.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 0.5 apg, but still haven’t solidified his role on their ball club. The Rockets haven’t found their niche yet, which can be attributed to the departure of wing defenders Trevor Ariza and Luc’ Mbah A Monte. This season the Rockets are allowing 119.2 points a night, which is 10 more points allowed than last season. Coming off last season’s campaign, The Rockets Won 65 games and lost in the Western Conference Finals to The Golden State Warriors. It’s safe to say that “Houston We Have A Problem”. To date The Rockets sit below .500 and out of playoff contention. Houston’s problems consist of lack of ball movement, ineffective defense, and poor shooting. Let’s see how things pan out for Houston this season.
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It’s easy to point the finger when things are in turmoil. Collectively, The Houston Rockets have failed to get things to work at this moment. Carmelo Anthony has been thrown in the fire and is being blamed for all of the mishaps. In the 10 games played Carmelo has scored 20-plus points in 4 of those games, he’s proved that he can be a contributor for The Rockets. It’s no surprise that the media and organization changed the narrative to make Anthony the main culprit for The Rocket’s failures. Carmelo’s long time friend Dwayne Wade has came to his defence and stated his views on the whole situation. He believes that the Rockets are trying to use Melo as a scapegoat; I deem the statement to have some truth behind it due to the statistics that were viewed. The Rockets rank at 28th in 3pt percentage, and 25th in pace. In order for Houston to find a solution, they must address their problems. Wade and Anthony came into the league together back in 2003, with Wade is in his final season of his career. The future Hall of Fame guard believes Melo has a lot more to give any ball club in the league.
“Trying to make my guy the fall out guy huh? Man y’all need to stop. That’s the easy way out instead of addressing the real problem.
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Let’s turn the page over to the numbers. We have witnessed an enormous decline of The Rockets this season. Lack of productivity from their guards play can attribute to their slow start. The inconsistent shooting from Eric Gordon, Gerald Green and Michael Carter-Williams plays a vital role in The Rockets slump. MVP James Harden is slowly getting back into Rhythm and Chris Paul still hasn’t got back into playoff form. So if you ask me, the root of the problems runs deeper than Carmelo Anthony himself. Up to date, The Rockets currently sit at 28th in pace, and 25th in 3pt % (32.7). Before we blame Anthony for the dysfunctional play of The Rockets let’s pump the brakes. Coach Mike D’Antoni spoke about his team struggles after their lost to Oklahoma City Thunder and he stressed the importance of shooting at a high percentages and playing solid defense.
“Our problem is that we can’t shoot the basketball, that’s the hindrance in the problem. ”
Whether or not Anthony decides to continue the season with the Rockets is still the topic of discussion. Let’s not forget the great contributions that Carmelo has made during his 16 year career. Carmelo Anthony’s long list of accomplishments will lead him into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Melo is the first NBA athlete to win three Olympic gold medals, he is arguably one of the best international players to grace the hardwood. He has captured a NCAA title back in 2003 and was named the Most Outstanding Player. In the peak of his career Melo was seen as a dominant scorer averaging 28.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. In the last 2 seasons the media has created a misconception of Carmelo Anthony, and for that reason people like to point the finger and blame Melo for their teams failures. I think it might be time for the 10-time all-star to close a chapter in his book and move forward. He’s been able to rewrite history in the NBA and has an illustrious career. From the mean streets of Baltimore to the NBA, its safe to say that Carmelo’s success isn’t determined by his last 2 seasons, but his contributions made to the game of basketball. Do you want to see Melo finish the season in a Rocket’s Uniform? or do you think it’s time for him to start his farewell tour?
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Thanks: ESPN, Bleacher Report, NBA
Athlete: Carmelo Anthony