Before last season, Carmelo Anthony literally laughed off the idea of coming off the bench. Even after a disappointing year with the Thunder, he called coming off the bench out of the question.
But now that Anthony is headed to Houston…
This is a huge revelation. Considering it’s leaking now, I assume Anthony is on board.
He admitted he was initially reluctant to agree to a buyout, because it’s the sign of a finished player. But he did it. Coming off the bench would be getting over another hang-up.
A reserve role should maximize Anthony’s contributions. His shot creation is most useful when not paired with James Harden and Chris Paul, guards who are better than Anthony with the ball in their hands. And Anthony’s defense is less likely to get exploited by backups.
Why did Anthony suddenly reverse course? It probably doesn’t hurt to have teammates he respects like Paul and Harden.
This surely won’t be easy for Anthony, who has started all 1,054 of his games in his 15-year career. If it doesn’t go well immediately, he might chafe at it. But credit him for at least trying to come off the bench (again, assuming him signing with Houston proves he approves this plan). This looks like progress for him.
I wouldn’t rule out the possibility Anthony, 34, has just declined too much to help a team as good as the Rockets. But a bench role gives him the best chance.
Houston will certainly start Paul, Harden and Clint Capela. Without Anthony, expect two of P.J. Tucker, Ryan Anderson, James Ennis and maybe even Gerald Green at forward.