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Carmelo Anthony

Multiple Rockets Players, Coaches Believe Carmelo’s Time In Houston Is Ending

November 12th, 2018 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

After Marc Stein of The New York Times reported on Sunday evening that Carmelo Anthony had been informed that his time with the Rockets is coming to end, Houston GM Daryl Morey spoke to reporters, calling that report “inaccurate.” However, even after Morey’s denial, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon writes that multiple Rockets players and coaches believe that Anthony has played his final game with the franchise.

Anthony, who has missed the Rockets’ last two games with an illness, didn’t accompany the team on its flight to Denver for Tuesday’s game against the Nuggets, sources tell MacMahon.

While Morey called speculation about Anthony’s future “unfair” and said he would expect Carmelo to play when he’s healthy, MacMahon suggests the Rockets are simply treading “delicately” out of respect for Anthony and his relationships within the team. For his part, Morey didn’t entirely shut the door on the possibility of making roster changes, acknowledging that the Rockets are evaluating everyone, as Kristie Rieken of The Associated Press relays.

“I know that we’re talking about everything,” Morey said before Sunday’s win over Indiana. “We’re a team trying to win the championship and we’re 4-7 and we’re not in a good place so we’re looking at everything. We’re looking at all aspects right now.”

One source tells MacMahon that both the Rockets and Anthony entered their offseason agreement “with eyes wide open,” recognizing that if things didn’t work out, they could pull the plug. Things haven’t exactly worked out so far — Houston has a -9.0 net rating with Carmelo on the court, compared to +2.1 when he sits.

If the Rockets do officially release Anthony, expect two-way player Gary Clark to fill his spot on the 15-man roster, says MacMahon. The undrafted rookie has become a Mike D’Antoni favorite, earning an increased role as of late (25.7 MPG in his last five games). The Rockets have a +1.1 net rating when Clark plays, compared to -5.8 when he’s on the bench.

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Community Shootaround: Carmelo Anthony’s Future

November 11th, 2018 at 7:48pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Amidst all of the reports of uncertainty surrounding Carmelo Anthony‘s future with the Rockets, a larger discussion regarding his place in the league itself appears to be on its way.

After being traded from the Thunder and subsequently being released by the Hawks, Anthony signed for the veteran’s minimum in Houston, where he looked to thrive in the team’s offense predicated on 3-pointers and led by two of the best guards in the league.

Unfortunately, Anthony’s offensive struggles have carried over from his lone season with the Thunder, as he is averaging just 13.4 points per game so far and knocking down just 32.8% of his 3-pointers. Anthony has primarily come off the bench but has received a sizable role due to the Rockets dealing with several injuries early in the season.

It’s not only the traditional counting stats that paint this as Anthony’s worst season, as he is posting career-lows in PER, Win Shares per 48 Minutes and Box Plus-Minus. To make matters worse, the Rockets are significantly better when Anthony isn’t on the court. Per Cleaning the Glass, the team’s defense is 9.6 points per 100 possessions worse when Anthony is on the floor.

Considering that Anthony has been a net negative when on the floor for several years and is likely going to find himself without a team sometime soon, what is his role in the league moving forward? Are there NBA teams that would be interested in signing Anthony should he be released by the Rockets?

A common response has been that the Lakers, led by another one of Anthony’s friends in LeBron James could bring him on as another shooter. However, it remains to be seen if that would be the case considering the youth and depth the Lakers have at their disposal (as well as their interest in signing him after his slow start).

Anthony will turn 35 years old at the end of this season, making it appropriate to discuss if this should be his farewell tour. Given his inability to be a capable off-ball player on offense and his dramatic defensive limitations, it’s likely that Anthony won’t find himself on a competitive NBA team moving in subsequent years.

To win at the highest level in the NBA, teams are increasingly relying on capable two-way players, switchable defenders and/or elite shooters and ball-handlers. Anthony meets none of those descriptions, as he is a throwback isolation scorer that best operates out of the mid-range.

What say you, NBA fans? Do you think Carmelo Anthony has a place in the league moving forward? Comment below with your thoughts!

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Latest On Carmelo Anthony

November 11th, 2018 at 4:21pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

As rumors continue to swirl surrounding Carmelo Anthony‘s future with the Rockets, Marc Stein of The New York Times has reported that Anthony’s tenure with the team is expected to come to an end very soon (via Twitter).

Anthony missed the Rockets’ game against the Spurs on Saturday with an illness and was once again declared out for the team’s game against the Pacers on Sunday. As was reported earlier in the weekend, Anthony and the Rockets have had discussions about his role with the team moving forward.

Anthony has appeared in 10 games for the Rockets this season, averaging 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while struggling with his shot (just 32.8% on 3-pointers).

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Texas Notes: Anthony, Gordon, Harris, Gasol

November 11th, 2018 at 10:25am CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets’ discussions with Carmelo Anthony are related to a possible reduction in playing time moving forward, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Eric Gordon returned to the lineup Saturday night after missing three games with a hip injury, and rookie Gary Clark has moved into the rotation with his impressive play, particularly on defense. That may leave even less time for Anthony, who is already averaging a career-low 29.4 minutes per game in his first season in Houston.

The Rockets have been using Anthony as a backup power forward, hoping to expand his minutes when the matchups permit it. However, the team’s offense has been so bad that it has been forced to keep games close through defense, which isn’t Anthony’s strong point.

Feigen adds that the illness that kept Anthony out of Saturday’s game was legitimate, not a negotiating ploy. However, he states that Anthony will have to decide whether he wants to remain with the franchise if it means an even smaller role.

There’s more this morning out of Texas:

  • Gordon should get a little break from trade rumors now that Jimmy Butler has been dealt to the Sixers. Frequently mentioned as part of an offer to Minnesota, Gordon told Kelly Iko of The Athletic that he understands the business side of the league. “All I can do is go out there and play,” he said. “The only tough thing is some of your friends always come to you with, ‘Do you think you’re gonna be traded?’ That’s the only annoying thing. At the end of the day I’m just a basketball player and I have to control what I can control.”
  • A hamstring injury that forced Devin Harris to miss 10 games may have sparked the Mavericks veteran to consider coaching, relays Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Harris, who returned to the lineup Saturday, said he got a different perspective on the game while sidelined. “I’ve kind of been forced to in our situation, just trying to help get everybody on the same page, what I see as a player, what I see that the coaches want and try to mend that together,” he said. “I see what drives Coach crazy sometimes, but I also see the players’ frustrations.”
  • The Spurs aren’t releasing much information on Pau Gasol‘s condition, but he probably won’t be with the team on its three-game road trip, tweets Jabari Young of The Athletic. The team is calling it “soreness,” but Gasol had a walking boot on his left foot last night.
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Carmelo Anthony Discussing Role With Rockets

November 10th, 2018 at 9:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

There are signs that Carmelo Anthony‘s stay in Houston may not be a long one, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Anthony and the team are having discussions about his current role and “how they might still be able to proceed together for the rest of the season.” Wojnarowski adds that talks remain fluid.

Houston has been among the league’s most disappointing teams with a 4-6 start, and much of the blame has fallen on Anthony, who signed as a free agent over the summer. The Rockets have opted to use Anthony primarily off the bench, as he has started just two of 10 games and is averaging a career-low 29.4 minutes per night.

The shooting problems that plagued him last year in Oklahoma City have followed him to Houston, as he is hitting just 40.5% from the field and 32.8% from 3-point range. His effort on defense has also been questioned as the Rockets have fallen into the bottom third of the league in defensive rating after being seventh overall last season.

Parting ways with Anthony wouldn’t present a huge financial loss for Houston, which signed him to a veteran’s minimum contract. He received full payment from the Hawks on his $25,534,253 salary when they waived him in July after acquiring him from the Thunder.

The Rockets had been trying to add Anthony for several years, meeting with him as a free agent in 2014, then attempting to trade for him in the summer of 2017. Anthony had told the Knicks that Houston was the only team he would waive his no-trade clause to join, but he relented near the start of training camp when the Thunder made an offer.

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Northwest Notes: Mitchell, Anthony, Jokic

November 9th, 2018 at 7:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Donovan Mitchell‘s emergence as a potential superstar allowed the Jazz to quickly move on from the loss of Gordon Hayward in free agency, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN examines in a post on Hayward’s return to Utah on Friday. Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey and coach Quin Snyder felt they could retool the roster and become a playoff contender again but had no idea Mitchell would emerge as a franchise player in his rookie year, Wojnarowski continues. Mitchell provides the Jazz with a selling point to recruit another star in free agency and he’s well on his way to a max contract extension in 2020, Wojnarowski adds.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • Carmelo Anthony‘s season with the Thunder was a humbling experience, a high-ranking Rockets official told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Anthony bristled at the thought of coming off the bench with OKC but is now at least tolerating a second-unit role with Houston. “Last year, I didn’t know what to expect coming into the situation,” Anthony told MacMahon. “It’s different when you’re clear on what is needed to be done or what you have to do or what’s needed of you. It’s a big difference.”
  • Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was fined $25K for using “derogatory and offensive language” when discussing Bulls rookie center Wendell Carter, Sean Highkin of Dime Magazine tweets. Jokic made the comment after Denver’s 108-107 overtime victory on Wednesday.
  • Floor spacing, 3-point shooting and defensive intensity have been areas of concern for the Jazz. The Thunder continue to deal with outside shooting woes. David Yapkowitz of Basketball Insiders takes a closer look at issues involving each Northwest club.
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Knicks Notes: Robinson, Knox, Vonleh, Carmelo

November 2nd, 2018 at 5:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Coach David Fizdale is committed to making rookie Mitchell Robinson his starting center, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Robinson has replaced Enes Kanter, who will enter the free agent market next summer, because Fizdale feels the second-round pick is a “superior natural defender” and he wants the whole team to have a defensive mindset. “He’s going to be our foundation, our anchor of our defense for the future,” Fizdale said. “Let’s get this guy going right now and really commit to the development of these guys and to what it’s going to take to get them to where they need to be for us to be the team we’re going to be later.”  By making an early commitment to a youth movement, Knicks appear to have gone into tanking mode early, sacrificing wins this season to improve their draft position.

We have more from the Knicks:

  • First-round pick Kevin Knox will likely return on Monday from a left ankle sprain, Berman writes in a separate story. Knox has only played three games and with Fizdale cancelling practice on Thursday, he won’t play against the Mavericks on Friday, according to Berman. Even if Knox practices on Saturday, he’ll likely be held out of playing Sunday against Washington because the team doesn’t want him playing back-to-backs right away, so he’ll return against Chicago on Monday.
  • Noah Vonleh has emerged as Kristaps Porzingis‘ fill-in as the starting power forward, Berman notes in another piece. Vonleh signed a partially guaranteed $1.6MM contract that doesn’t fully guaranteed until January 10th but he’s jumped ahead of Mario Hezonja, who signed a one-year, $6.5MM contract in the offseason, in the pecking order. Vonleh only has a cap hold of $1.62MM but he doesn’t want to look too far ahead. “I definitely want to be here in New York, but that’s up in the air,” he told Berman. “I have to focus on this season and go from there.”
  • Carmelo Anthony believes the franchise’s reputation scared away top-shelf free agents during his time with the team, as he told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “The perception of the organization. I think it probably scared a lot of people away,” he said. “Scared some people away. Not knowing the nuances and the ins and outs of kind of what was going on, who is in charge, who is not. So it was more than just basketball when it came to people making those decisions.”
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Texas Notes: Mbah a Moute, Anthony, Mavericks, DeRozan

October 21st, 2018 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Luc Mbah a Moute only played one season with the Rockets, but he admits it’s going to be an odd feeling when he faces his former teammates tonight, relays Mirjam Swanson of The Daily Bulletin. Mbah a Moute came to Houston as a free agent last summer at the urging of Chris Paul, then returned to the Clippers over the offseason after receiving a one-year, $4.3MM offer.

“It’s always, always [weird],” said Mbah a Moute, who has been with six organizations in his 10-year career. “Especially that team, we had a really good team and a chance to do something special, so it’s going to be weird, but I look forward to it.”

Mbah a Moute provided a strong defensive presence off the bench for the Rockets. He averaged 7.5 PPG and shot .364 from 3-point range, but a late-season shoulder injury limited his effectiveness in the playoffs.

There’s more NBA news from the Lone Star State:

  • Carmelo Anthony seems like an uncomfortable fit with a Rockets team that emphasizes 3-point shooting, and a look at the stats shows he will have to change his game to be effective in Houston, according to Ben Alamar of ESPN.
  • The future the Mavericks envision was on display in Saturday’s win over the Timberwolves, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. First-round pick Luka Doncic had 26 points and six rebounds, while last year’s star rookie, Dennis Smith Jr., poured in 19 points, including the game-winning shot. “Hey, if that was a peek at the future, it’s looking good,” said J.J. Barea. “Great win. And you see Luka. He just plays the game. And Junior, he had foul trouble, stuck with it and made the big shot. He took a tough shot and made it. They’re tough.”
  • DeMar DeRozan has adapted quickly to his new situation with the Spurs, relays Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express News. DeRozan had a difficult time changing teams after nine seasons in Toronto, but he’s averaging 28.0 PPG through his first two games with San Antonio. “He’s absorbed everything we’ve given him so far, knowing full well it’s a new system,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “It will take some time for him to feel totally comfortable, but he’s highly intelligent. It’s the NBA, it’s not rocket science so he’s picking it up pretty quickly.”
  • Former Spurs forward DeJuan Blair is back in the organization after being drafted by Austin in Saturday’s G League draft, McDonald adds in the same story.
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Southwest Notes: Carmelo, Rockets, Ding, Mack

October 18th, 2018 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Heading into the 2018/19 season, Carmelo Anthony – who has resisted accepting a bench role in the past – told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols that he’s ready to make that adjustment for his new team. However, in his first game in a reserve role for the Rockets, Anthony scored just nine points in 27 minutes on 3-of-10 shooting. After the loss, the veteran forward admitted that there would be a “learning curve” for his new role, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com relays.

“It’s challenging mentally more so than anything, having to prepare for the game differently,” Anthony said. “Other than that, it’s a challenge all the way around. It’s just a matter of how I’m going to react to that challenge and accepting that challenge, which I am, which I will do.”

As Anthony gets used to playing on the second unit in Houston, let’s round up a few more notes from around the Southwest…

  • The Rockets have promoted front office executive Monte McNair, changing his title from vice president of basketball operations to assistant GM, the team announced in a press release.
  • The Mavericks signed and waived camp invitee Ding Yanyuhang twice before the regular season began. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks confirms to Hoops Rumors, Ding’s first Exhibit 10 contract with Dallas only included a $5K bonus, whereas the second deal bumped that bonus to the maximum allowable $50K. Ding will earn that money if he spends at least two months with the Texas Legends, the Mavs’ G League affiliate.
  • When DeMarcus Cousins went down with his Achilles tear last season, it was something of a turning point for Anthony Davis, who recognized that he had to take his game to another level and carry the Pelicans. Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com has the story, along with the quotes from Davis and head coach Alvin Gentry.
  • The Grizzlies‘ signing of Shelvin Mack was something of an afterthought in an offseason that also included the acquisitions of Jaren Jackson Jr., Kyle Anderson, and Garrett Temple, However, Mack opens the season as Mike Conley‘s primary backup at point guard, as Jason Munz of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details.
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Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Anthony, Mirotic, Mavs

October 10th, 2018 at 10:30pm CST by clarkcrum

The Pelicans, suffering through lingering injuries, are still looking to establish a new identity, writes William Guillory of The Athletic. For example, the team was without Nikola Mirotic and Darius Miller early on this preseason, but when both returned Friday, newcomer Julius Randle sat out because of a minor back injury.

Given the above, it’s no surprise that the Pelicans are winless through their first three preseason games, with head coach Alvin Gentry saying his team was unimpressive in Friday’s loss to the Knicks. “I didn’t think we played very good at all.  We didn’t have ball movement… That’s not who we are at all.”

Fortunately for the Pelicans, they still have time to figure things out before the season starts, and Randle did suit up and play in tonight’s game. Ultimately, the team believes it has all the pieces in place to compete in the Western Conference and build on last year’s success. We’ll begin to find out if they can when they visit the Rockets one week from tonight to open the 2018/19 regular season.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

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