Connect with us

Houston Rockets

Potential Rocket Profile: Carmelo Anthony

Taking a look at how New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony would fit with the Houston Rockets.

Published

on

Carmelo Anthony Houston Rockets This will be Houston’s second go at pursuing Anthony in the past four years and our second Photoshop of Carmelo as a Houston Rocket

Player Overview

From the moment Dwight Howard arrived, the “stretch four” concept has both tantalized and eluded the Rockets. Despite elite defense from Omer Asik, the Rockets never found a consistent way to make their offense run at peak efficiency without a power forward with mobility and perimeter skills. That’s why Terrence Jones quickly played his way into the starting lineup, and why other players such as Ryan Anderson in New Orleans have been popular potential trade targets.

Along those lines, it would seem that probable free agent Carmelo Anthony — yes, the seven-time All-Star and 2013 scoring champion – has all the “stretch four” qualities the Rockets are searching for and then some.

In short, Anthony is a bonafide scorer who commands respect all over the floor and makes the game easier on offense for everyone around him. Though he turned 30 in May, his game doesn’t seem to be overly dependent on athleticism. Judging by PER and Win Shares, the Knicks forward turned in the two finest seasons of his entire career during the past two years. If anything, he seems to be making further improvements, including the highest 3-point percentage (40.2%) of his career in 2013-14.

By all indications, Anthony is likely to opt out of his contract by June 23 and become a free agent. The Rockets have reportedly gained “significant momentum” as Anthony’s preferred destination, now resting alongside Chicago on the top line.

Rocket Perspective

Before we delve too far into the fit, let’s start with the obvious: the Rockets are chasing a player who can be the “third-best player on a championship team”. Anthony, who averaged 27.4 points/game and 8.1 rebounds/game in 2013-14 for the New York Knicks, is clearly someone of that caliber.

For two consecutive postseasons against Oklahoma City and Portland, we’ve seen what Kevin McHale chooses to do when Houston’s back is against the wall. They go small, believing it’s the best way to maximize spacing and give James Harden room to operate. That’s the reason Harden and Chandler Parsons each spent considerable time guarding LaMarcus Aldridge this year, and why Parsons frequently picked up Serge Ibaka a season ago.

The main problem, of course, is that neither Harden nor Parsons is thick enough to hold his ground in the post and offer much resistance. Enter Anthony, who at 6-foot-8, 236 pounds and built like a bull, has actually proven to be a very capable post defender. He won’t remind anyone of Tim Duncan on that end, but he could mesh perfectly with how these Rockets want to play – especially with Howard available behind him for help. And on offense, especially in a half-court setting, his presence would lift them from being one of the best to a potential juggernaut.

While many discount Anthony as a ball-stopping scorer, take a look at how he has played in Olympic action and All-Star games when surrounded by top talent. In the 2012 Olympics in London, he set the all-time US record for points in an Olympic game (37), doing it in just 14 minutes (what?), and ultimately guided the team to a gold medal. Flanked by a similarly-talented roster in the 2014 All-Star Game, he hit eight threes to set an All-Star Game record. Those performances suggest Anthony would have the potential to thrive playing alongside an elite scorer such as Harden.

While it’s believed that the majority of his time in Houston would come at power forward, Anthony’s versatility with the forward spots could allow the Rockets to manage Parsons’ minutes more closely as well. Parsons averaged nearly 38 minutes/game during the season and 42 minutes/game in the playoffs – numbers that likely compromised his energy on the defensive end of the floor.

Conclusion

The Rockets do not have major cap room at the moment, but continue to operate as if trading Asik and Jeremy Lin for that space is a mere formality. They may not quite reach the level of space needed for Anthony’s full-max deal (almost $23 million), but Anthony is reportedly willing to make some financial sacrifices if it can be shown to him that it enables his new team to have a better supporting cast.

Anthony and his wife are said to love New York City as a home, and the Knicks can offer him a 5th year on his contract that other teams cannot. But Anthony’s rumored top priority is to win titles, and there’s little Phil Jackson can say this summer to prove the Knicks’ status as a near-term contender. Because of that, the perception in league circles is that Anthony is likely to depart, just as Howard did from Los Angeles a summer ago.

If the decision comes down to the Bulls and Rockets, the selling points for each will be evident. The Bulls will offer a slightly more glamorous city, a proven coach in Tom Thibodeau and a potentially easier path to the NBA Finals. The drawback, of course, is that much of Chicago’s plan depends on the health of Derrick Rose and his knees.

Meanwhile, the Rockets will offer a team with two superstars already in place, both healthy and close to the prime of their careers. Neither play Anthony’s position. And in Howard’s case, Anthony already signaled an interest in prior years to playing alongside him.

If Anthony’s top priority is truly winning titles – not merely advancing to the Finals courtesy of a weak Eastern Conference, or winding up in a glamour market – the Rockets have to like their chances.


 Clutch also contributed to this profile.

Houston Rockets

Houston Rockets Draft Decisions: Who Will Be the #3 Pick?

Published

on

By

Houston Rockets Podcast

It’s officially NBA Draft Week!

The weeks of speculation are coming to an end as we’ve just about arrived at the 2024 NBA Draft. The Rockets hold picks #3 and #44 and could be quite active on the trade market.

Dave Hardisty and David Weiner paired up on the ClutchFans podcast to discuss the options before the Houston Rockets as they approach the June 26th NBA Draft. Is it really down to Donovan Clingan and Reed Sheppard as options? The pair also discuss trade-down options and whether Devin Carter could be intriguing to Ime Udoka. And are the Rockets a darkhorse for a Paul George trade?

The podcast premieres at 8:00am CT! Come join us!



CLUTCHFANS PODCAST: SPOTIFY | APPLE

Continue Reading

Houston Rockets

Podcast: Houston Rockets options with the #3 pick of the 2024 NBA Draft

Published

on

By

Houston Rockets 2024 NBA Draft prospects Zaccharie Risacher Stephon Castle Reed Sheppard Donovan Clingan

The offseason is now underway.

The forecast looks good for the Houston Rockets, but… there’s pressure as well this offseason because there are a handful of other West teams that might have rosier futures. Ime Udoka wants to win and win big. As we are about five weeks away from the NBA Draft, what are the Rockets looking to do this summer?

David Weiner joined Dave Hardisty on the ClutchFans podcast to discuss the Rockets shockingly landing the #3 pick and their options in this draft, including Reed Sheppard, Donovan Clingan, Zaccharie Risacher, Stephon Castle, Matas Buzelis and others. They also discuss the possibility of some big game hunting in Houston.


CLUTCHFANS PODCAST: SPOTIFY | APPLE

Continue Reading

Houston Rockets

Podcast: Steven Adams, Mikal Bridges and Trade Possibilities for the Rockets

Published

on

By

Houston Rockets Trade Deadline 2024

The Houston Rockets already made one deal, acquiring center Steven Adams from Memphis for a handful of second-round picks, but we still have several days left before this Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline.

Are more deals on the way?

Rumors of interest in Mikal Bridges have swirled, with the Rockets holding precious (and unprotected) first-round picks from Brooklyn. They also could use some help inside this season, which Adams can not provide. Shooting is always in demand.

David Weiner joined Dave Hardisty on the ClutchFans podcast to discuss the Adams trade, its impact on the Rockets in 2024-25 and beyond, the Mikal Bridges rumors, the Brooklyn picks, other trade possibilities and options for Rafael Stone moving forward. Also discussed is the play of Houston’s core 6 prospects: Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and Jalen Green.


CLUTCHFANS PODCAST: SPOTIFY | APPLE

Continue Reading

Houston Rockets

Rockets trade for center Steven Adams

Published

on

By

Steven Adams Houston Rockets

The Rockets made a surprise trade on Thursday, sending the contract of Victor Oladipo and three second-round picks to Memphis for center Steven Adams.

The deal came together quickly and the Rockets had a small window to get it done, hence why this trade was made with a week to go until the trade deadline.

The Price

When you consider that Memphis did this for cost savings primarily and that Adams would not play for any team in the league this season, the price seemed a little high to me. The Rockets gave up the OKC second-round pick this year, which is no big loss, but they also give up the better of Brooklyn’s or Golden State’s second-round pick this season. That’s a pretty good pick (likely in the late 30’s). They also give up the better of Houston’s or OKC’s second-round pick in 2025. If things go as planned for the Rockets, that pick should be in the 45-55 range.

But they didn’t sacrifice a first-round pick, which would have been brutal, and they were not going to use all those seconds this season. So it’s just a matter of opportunity cost — who else could they have gotten for this package?

My understanding is they (particularly Ime Udoka) are very high on Adams.

The Rockets also did this move for cap purposes as well. By moving out the Oladipo contract, which was expiring, and bringing in Adams’ deal, which is signed for $12.4M next season, the window for the Rockets to put together a trade package for a star player is extended out until the 2025 trade deadline. They continue to wait to see which players, if any, shake loose here and become available. They want flexible (see: expiring) contracts that they can combine with assets and this gives them another year to be in that position.

The Trade

It’s not often that the Rockets acquire a player I had not considered beforehand but that’s the case with Steven Adams. The Rockets sorely need a big with size that provides more traditional center strengths, making Clint Capela, Robert Williams, Nick Richards or Daniel Gafford potential candidates, but Adams was overlooked for a few reasons.

First, the 30-year old big man is out for the season after knee surgery cost him the entire 2023-24 campaign, so the Rockets won’t get any benefit from this trade this season. Secondly, Adams is not your traditional center either when it comes to rim protection.

But what Adams does do, he’s really good at and he has some of the same strengths of Brook Lopez, who the Rockets tried to sign in the offseason. Adams is quite possibly the strongest guy in the league and a legitimate 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. He’s an outstanding screen-setter, something that could really benefit the likes of Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson and Jalen Green. He was also an elite rebounder last season, finishing 6th in the league in caroms at 11.5 a game despite playing just 27.0 minutes a contest.

After watching Jonas Valanciunas absolutely bully the Rockets inside on Wednesday, it should be apparent by now to everyone that this was a pretty big need.

In 2021-22, the Memphis Grizzlies finished #2 in the West at 56-26. Their top two players in Net Rating that season were Dillon Brooks (+11.0) and Adams (+8.3), key cogs in a defense that held opponents to 108.6 points per 100 possessions. They’re both now Houston Rockets.

So this adds another trusted vet to Ime Udoka’s rotation.

The question is will the 30-year old Adams return to form after the knee injury? Adams sprained the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee a year ago, which cost him the end of that season and the playoffs. He tried rehabbing it and it never got better, so surgery became the option just as this season was kicking off.

I like to think the Rockets did their due diligence on that, despite the short time it took for this deal to come together, but that’s unclear.

If he does bounce back, then Udoka has a big man he can turn to reliably in situational matchups or on nights when the younger bigs struggle. He wouldn’t be Boban or even Jock Landale in that scenario — he’s going to play, so the frontcourt depth in 2024-25 should be better. In the end, they got a starting-caliber center who will have no problems coming off the bench, and that’s what they were looking for.

Continue Reading

Houston Rockets

On the KPJ trade and future of the Rockets

Published

on

By

The Houston Rockets are back to being a professional NBA team once again.

The Rockets finally ended the Kevin Porter Jr. era on Tuesday, coughing up two second-round picks in order to unload his contract to the Oklahoma City Thunder, getting back the contract of Victor Oladipo and third-year forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. The move puts an end to a long investment and very rocky tenure with KPJ.

David Weiner joined Dave Hardisty on the ClutchFans podcast to discuss the Porter Jr. Experiment, the price paid to move him, Houston’s potential trade options moving forward, the new culture and the current state of the Rockets young core.

ClutchFans Podcast: On Apple | Spotify

Continue Reading

Trending