The Houston Rockets are a top-three team in the Western Conference on paper. The problem is that the gap between them and No. 1 is still so big. The Golden State Warriors have established themselves as the dominant champion in the NBA and there is no reason to expect their reign to come to an end next season. Houston is in a tough spot attempting to build a roster that is capable of competing with the Warriors despite limited remaining pieces to choose from. Carmelo Anthony is one name that continues to pop up in rumors regarding a move to the Rockets. However, it might not be the best fit either.
Here is a look at why the potential addition of Carmelo Anthony will not solve Houston’s problems.
Chemistry Problems
There were plenty of doubters that voiced their concerns when Chris Paul joined the Rockets this offseason. After all, James Harden has been the primary ball handler in Houston, which is what Paul was with the Los Angeles Clippers last season. It could take some time for those two to establish a higher level of chemistry. It would be a major issue if chemistry issues prevented the Rockets from reaching their peak potential. The addition of Carmelo Anthony in Houston could make things even more difficult as the team would once again have to adapt to the addition of another star player that wants to have the ball in his hands.
Defensive Issues
The Rockets need to be better defensively in order to compete with Golden State. Anthony will not help them in that area. Houston allowed an average of 109.6 points per game last season, which made them one of only three playoff teams to finish in the bottom third of the NBA in that category along with the Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards. Anthony seemed to lose a step defensively last season and there is no guarantee he is able to bounce back with better play at that end of the floor. At 33-years-old, there are obvious doubts that Anthony can be a better defensive player if he moves to Houston.
Wavering Commitment
Anthony has been in the social media spotlight this offseason with videos showing him working hard to get in shape for a shot with another team. However, there are obvious question marks about where that intensity and focus has been over the past couple of years in New York. Carmelo Anthony hasn’t been the face of the franchise that the Knicks expected him to be. The fact that they missed the playoffs last year is a testament to how Anthony has underachieved. The Rockets have to be worried about Anthony’s potential wavering commitment.
Lack Of Flexibility
In order to sign Carmelo Anthony the Rockets would have to shed even more salary, which would hurt their depth. Houston ranked second in the NBA with an average of 115.3 points per game last season. After adding Paul to their starting five, it’s clear they need to worry about their depth and adding players that can perform at a high level at the defensive end. Anthony doesn’t fall in to those categories. Plus, his addition would prevent the Rockets from adding more of those types of players. With chemistry, defense, commitment, age and lack of flexibility all in mind, it’s clear the addition of Anthony won’t solve Houston’s problems.
How Much Better Can The Offense Get?
There’s the general perception that Carmelo Anthony makes the Houston Rockets better at the offensive end. On defense, they would have to work some things out but with Anthony, Chris Paul and James Harden, the Rockets would have a near-unstoppable big three on offense. The issue is how much better can the Rockets offense be? We’re not exactly talking about a team that struggled in that category last season.
Taking a look at the numbers, the Rockets were second in the league in offense with 115.3 points per game. They also led the league with 14.4 three-pointers per game as well as 26.5 freethrow attempts per contest. Maybe they can improve in terms of field goal percent – both from two and three – as they were outside the Top 10 in both categories, but there isn’t much room to grow otherwise. They were already killing it offensively. How much better can that really get?
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