In a Shocking Turn of Events, Melo Might Be Coming Off the Bench After All

Today, the Houston Rockets officially signed Carmelo Anthony to a one-year contract.

Melo is far removed from his days of being a number one scoring option, but I don’t think he’s accepted that yet. Remember when he said there was no way he would come off the bench this year? Yeah… about that:

Of course, Carmelo Anthony will compete for a starting spot in training camp, but ultimately could come off the bench — based on whatever Mike D’Antoni decides makes most sense for Rockets. https://t.co/1Gn2eJlhye

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 13, 2018

ESPN is trying very hard not to slant a negative view of Melo here, so Woj is sugar coating this a bit. But he’s basically indicating that Anthony will not be a starter for the Rockets this upcoming season. Sure, he may be “competing” for that job, but does he really have a shot? The man is 34 years old and coming off the worst season of his career. Hell, you could have put my dog out there for OKC last year and he would’ve been more effective than this washed-up version of Carmelo Anthony. I’d start guys like Eric Gordon, James Ennis, and PJ Tucker before even considering giving that spot to Melo. He hasn’t done anything in the last two years to deserve it.

My only question is this; How will Melo react to transitioning to the final phase of his career? Most guys of his stature don’t take it so well. If he wants to extend his career, he should focus on one thing (3-point shooting) and try to be a specialist for Houston. It worked for guys like Ray Allen and Shane Battier. I think that’s the only way this move can put Houston back at the level they were at last year, let alone beyond it. It’s also the only way Anthony has any shot of sticking around in the NBA. If he doesn’t get his head out of the glory days, he’ll be playing in China by February.

-Nick Cherico (@NickCherico2)