Sources: Carmelo open to multiyear deal with Rockets

You know, people....

...I haven't weighed in on this thing with Carmelo Anthony considering playing for the Rockets (and for more than a season, reportedly)...

...because while I believe adding Anthony would be a great move to make, I just don't feel it will happen. Has nothing to do with what's a better deal or who's got the better assets or what situation gives Anthony the best chance to win.

The Denver Nuggets hold the cards on this thing currently. Unless they are absolutely convinced that Anthony will not stay with them (and the Nuggets' extension offer hasn't been categorically rejected by Anthony yet), they can determine who they're going to deal with moreso than Anthony.

All sign-and-trade or free agent scenarios aside, my gut feeling is that Anthony wants to move east. It is to Anthony's credit, in my opinion, that he has apparently left his options open, but the nature of free agency in professional sports at its core is that the PLAYERS decide their destination ultimately. Until something more concrete than reports or innuendo are offered, I'll keep my expectations more reasonable (like waiting to see how much is left of Yao Ming).

The Rockets are not getting Carmelo Anthony from Denver without a sizable offer of players and/or assets. Searching for reasons to discredit or overanalyze who or what Anthony is as a player or person is beside the point. Anthony is worth nearly anyone the Rockets currently have on their roster, excluding perhaps Yao. Most everyone here is willing to trade players we won't miss or draft picks who wouldn't be very high picks anyway for Anthony, as if Denver would accept something like that just because Anthony doesn't want to play there anymore.

IF a trade were to happen for Carmelo Anthony, it would center around Aaron Brooks, Kevin Martin, and/or draft picks.

I noticed that, over the past couple of seasons, Anthony seemed to mature as a player. Incidentally, much of that maturity coincided with the arrival of Chauncey Billups to Denver (a consummate professional and winner), and Anthony's experience with Team USA. If we're inclined to use a player's past to gauge his future, than recent history applies, too. It's certainly debatable if Anthony is a LEADER (although he has taken great strides towards becoming more responsible in recent seasons), but he is a player that makes a quantifiable difference, positively, for your ballclub. His IMPACT goes far beyond what his usage rate may be. A player of Anthony's caliber can't be measured accurately in that way. The game changes too quickly from possession to possession to factor any variable above one-on-one advantage. As crucial as defense is to winning, sooner or later you're going to have to score. Anthony is one of the FEW players in this league who has an offensive advantage no matter the player or situation.

You build winning teams at this level with players like that.

Throw in the fact that even George Karl has given much praise to Anthony for his improved work ethic and professionalism (even in the face of the dysfunction that is the Nuggets), when he and Anthony early on were at odds with one another, gives me hope that Anthony would work here.

At the end of the day, it's not a question of the Rockets "breaking the bank" or "overspending" to acquire Anthony. If you can get him, you get him. If the Rockets didn't need him, last season was the time to prove that. It's not acquiring Carmelo Anthony that will be the problem.

It will be the team that's fielded essentially around him afterwards. If Daryl Morey and Rick Adelman have proven one thing in the past three seasons, it's that they will get the players they want or need Kyle Lowry and Courtney Lee, surprise-surprise), I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Rockets quickly reconstructed itself around Anthony.

It's a pipe dream right now, to me. But there's nothing so wrong with Carmelo Anthony (the player or the person) that should keep the Rockets from trying to get him here.

If he really wants to be here, that is......

 

This is a great point. We are better positioned if we have Melo for the next offseason, a big reason being that we'll be more attractive to CP3.

 

I'm a sucker for sarcasm.

 

[Edit: I think satire is the word I was searching for]

 

That's statistical analysis at the Jcdenton level. At least, we know he was not serious but just a troll. Your numbers are lunacy, because you actually believe it's true.

Your first 4 rebounders using reb/per 48 have played less than 10 minutes a game or have only played in less than 10 games.

Do you really hate Carmelo that much that you believe the 12th man playing 4.7 minutes for 7 games is a better rebounder? Do you believe that Ryan Bowen, who played one game for 8 minutes is a better rebounder than Carmelo?

1. Othello Hunter (4.7 min/g for 7 games played)
2. Dominic McGuire (6 min/g for 51 games played)
3(tie). Mike Harris (7.4 min/g for 13 games played)
3(tie). Ryan Bowen (8 min/g for 1 game played)

 

I never said that any of those guys were better rebounders...just pointed out that he dropped if you put it in per 48 minutes perspective.

And, I already conceded that he was a good rebounder for a small forward.

DD

 

The guys that grab 1 or 2 rebounds in 8 minutes will cause Carmelo drop in per 48 minute stats. Of course, they will cause Carmelo to drop. The statistical sample is so tiny that when it's projected out to 48 minutes, it looks ridiculous.

It's good to give perspective, but you are putting it on the wrong perspective. Here's a photo to give you some perspective.

 

Yes, I realized that when I was looking at it.....but not all the guys that he dropped behind were small minute guys.....

Look, whatever, I already conceded the point.

DD

 

That's going in my sig.

As for Melo's rebounding numbers, ever noticed his offensive rebounding numbers are higher than guys like LeBron, Danny Granger, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Durant?

 

If we're going to **** on Melo as a star player, then the best thing to diss is his inconsistancy at range. IIRC he's around 33% from 3 right?

I could give a damn if he's just an average rebounder for a SF.

 

Battier
Jeffries
Hill
Brooks
2011 pick
2012 pick (from NY)

For Carmelo



Carmelo
Yao
Kevin Martin
Kyle Lowry
Luis Scola

Chase
Patterson
Courtney Lee
Brad Miller

And we'll still have our own 2012 pick.

:grin:

 

It's not bad, but you also have to think about it from Denver's perspective. I don't think they would want Brooks -- they have Chauncey Billups and Ty Lawson waiting in the wings. I would imagine, as Clutch suggested, it would involve Budinger and Jordan Hill along with our two NY draft picks. Just to come close to making salaries match, Battier and Jeffries would also have to be included. I could even see them possibly offering more, like JT or Llull.

Besides that, if we take on Carmelo that 3PT shooting at the PG spot will be critical. Melo commands a lot of attention in the post and perimeter, so we're going to need to be able to spread the court with guys who can shoot. Double team Melo and leave Martin or Brooks open? Please do!

 

Was AI too old when he was paired with Melo?
Or was it just that two stars didn't work out?

Surely, Chauncy and Melo were a good pairing.

 

If Morey did get to trade in Anthony, now I understand the addition of Brad Miller, Patpat and Lee. Shooters galore.

 

At the stage and at that time it didn't work. Iverson has always demanded the ball, always been the go to guy. Now that he was playing with Carmelo he has to share that spot light.

 

raj peers into his crystal ball:

Yao Ming at the top of the key, surveying his view: Carmelo Anthony posting up on his left flank. Luis Scola lining up for a 15 foot jump shot on his right flank. Kevin Martin spotting up behind the arc in his rear view. Aaron Brooks cutting to the basket down the lane.

As any man or woman can easily see, the offensive capability of this lineup is unguardable.

 

Them options on offense sounds damn good to me!

 

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I ha to post this! Melo knows his teammates in Houston will always have his back and play hard.

 

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After Aaron Brooks schooled Melo he said, "I'm impressed that's it next year I'm putting on a Rockets jersey!"

 

Maybe we ought to look at this from Melo's perspective and why sources say that he included Houston as one of his possible trade teams where he would be willing to sign an extension.