1. More Fire Power for the Second Unit
Placing the three-time Olympic Gold Medalist on the bench will provide a huge upside for the Rockets. Adding the former 2013 scoring champion to the second unit can help provide balance to the team. When teams play against the Warriors and build a double-digit lead, they often lose the lead and the game due to an inefficient second unit.
Throughout the league teams struggle to build consistency or rest their players because of their lack of bench depth. Last season, Houston was one game away from making their first NBA Finals appearance since the 1994-95 season.
Obviously, the injury to CP3 was a huge blow and not too many teams would have been able to overcome losing their star point guard. Yet, building a strong second lineup helps in situations like that. Now, the signing of Melo will not guarantee a Finals appearance. However, getting him to buy into a bench role would be significant.
.@carmeloanthony putting that work in đź’Ş
(via @Cbrickley603, https://t.co/QZTDyAL18b) pic.twitter.com/ROOf15Q477
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) July 24, 2018
Consider Coming off the Bench
If D’Antoni decides to take his new forward out of the starting lineup, the second unit could include Anthony, Michael Carter-Williams, Eric Gordon, James Ennis III and Nene. Not to mention once Brandon Knight and Gerald Green come back healthy the lineup could change.
Out of all the potential players on the second unit, Gordon is the only player that averaged more than Anthony last season. Accepting a bench role could provide Melo with a chance to develop an offensive rhythm, lead the second unit and take as many shots as he wants.
Despite coming off the bench, the New York native would most likely finish the game with the starting lineup in crunch time situations. Another perspective could be that the new Rocket comes off the bench for most of the regular season and starts during the playoffs.
Think about it, prior to winning his first championship, Andre Iguodala was demoted to the sixth man during the 2014-15 regular season and then started in the postseason. Oh yeah, not to mention he won Finals MVP. The reality is that coming off the bench could be a learning experience for Anthony as he enters his 16th season.
What do you think Anthony’s role should be on the Houston Rockets?
*All stats for this story are from stats.nba.com.
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