Courtesy: USA Today
NBA free agency is underway and there are a lot of big names this year. One big name, who finds himself in the center of attention, is Carmelo Anthony.
Anthony has opted out of his final year in New York and has a lot of options this year. With each day that passes, he is closer to leaving the New York Knicks for good. His two best options are currently joining the Chicago Bulls and the Houston Rockets. This article will examine why Carmelo should pick the Rockets.
The Rockets have already started making cap space room for Carmelo by getting rid of Omer Asik’s contract. Houston sent $1.5 million and Asik to the New Orleans Pelicans for a 2015 first round draft pick. This was a smart move that cleared $8.3 million off Houston’s books that the Rockets can save to spend on signing Anthony. Houston still has to try to unload Jeremy Lin’s contract sooner than later. He is in the last year of his contract and has $8.4 million dollars on the books for next season. Unloading his contract might be difficult but if Melo is willing to take less money to earn a chance at winning a title, then it shouldn’t be that big of a deal.
Even though the Portland Trail Blazers eliminated the Rockets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, I believe that the team is still a solid contender for an NBA championship, even more so with the addition of Anthony.
Right now, Houston looks like the best fit for Anthony. Houston can build a big three around Dwight Howard, James Harden and Carmelo Anthony in hopes of beating out the stiff competition in the Western Conference. Houston’s pitch of being a contender isn’t far off.
Anthony was the second highest scorer in the NBA last season, averaging 27.4 points per game and shot 45.2 percent from field goal range. The Rockets already have one of the best offenses in the league. As a team, Houston averaged 107.7 points per game. I believe Anthony would easily be able to fit in with James Harden and the Rocket’s offense, making them even more of a threat. I also believe that Harden and Anthony would be one of the best one-two scoring punches in the league.
Houston has one of the most talented rosters in the NBA. By joining the Rockets, Carmelo would be able to play with a super team and he would also be able to play with Superman aka Dwight Howard. In New York, Melo suffered from not playing alongside a big man. Houston has exactly the kind of big man that Melo would need to help his chances of winning an NBA championship.
Overall, the Houston Rockets are the best fit for Carmelo Anthony. Joining forces with Harden and Howard would make the Rockets the most talented team in the NBA and get Melo that much closer to earning his first championship ring.
