NBA Rumors: Houston Rockets Used Carmelo Anthony As ‘Scapegoat’ For Early Struggle In 2018-19 Season
Last summer, Carmelo Anthony signed a veteran minimum deal with the Houston Rockets with the hope that he could revive his NBA career and help James Harden and Chris Paul win an NBA championship title. When he joined the Rockets, Anthony expressed his willingness to accept any role that coach Mike D’Antoni planned on giving him. Unfortunately, after 10 games, the Rockets decided to end Anthony’s stint in Houston, saying that the fit they envisioned when the veteran small forward signed a contract didn’t materialize.
Carmelo Anthony’s departure from the Rockets has been filled with controversies and has become an unrestricted free agent since. The 10-time NBA All-Star is yet to find a new home. In his recent article, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that some people close to the Rockets’ organization believe that the team didn’t treat Anthony fairly. A source who spoke to The Athletic, as quoted by Bleacher Report, thinks that the Rockets used Anthony as a “scapegoat” for their struggle to win games early in the 2018-19 NBA season.
“A lot of the blame was put on Carmelo, but he really should have thrived with the offense and system if the season started properly health-wise. Melo was the scapegoat.”
Carmelo Anthony may have somewhat contributed to the Rockets’ inability to consistently win games early in the 2018-19 NBA season, but it’s definitely unfair for him to take all the blame. It’s worth noting that when the regular started, some of their Rockets’ core players, including James Harden and P.J. Tucker, were dealing with injuries.
Damian Lillard wants to see Carmelo Anthony get a farewell season: "#StopPlayinMelo." https://t.co/aId5z7kjsW pic.twitter.com/ppnZHnp4sP
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) July 30, 2019
Despite all the things that happened to him during his brief stint with the Rockets, Carmelo Anthony remains professional. Another source close to the Rockets’ organization sympathized with Anthony and praised him for building a good relationship with his teammates and coaches.
“He was amazing here, a real teammate and great with the coaches. It’s unfortunate what happened.”
As of now, Carmelo Anthony is still hoping that a team will give him the opportunity to play for another season. In an appearance on The Breakfast Club, which is currently available on Youtube, Anthony’s trainer, Chris Brickley, said that Melo still has lots of gas left in his tank and is still better than “60 percent, 70 percent of NBA players walking around.”
Brickley assured NBA teams who are having second thoughts about signing Carmelo Anthony that the veteran small forward wouldn’t be demanding a huge role. Brickley said that Anthony just wanted the same farewell tour his close pal, Dwyane Wade, had before he permanently ended his NBA career.
