Two points for discussion while I eat this sandwich:
1. The ghost of Tracy McGrady hovers over this discussion in some relevant ways.
1a) deterrence – Many feel embittered after the McGrady experience, gaining cynicism towards all misfits. I don’t think this is wise. While I have my own reluctances, this past experience should not scare one off completely. As I have often said, “Tim Duncan isn’t walking through that door,” and talent is talent and ultimately what wins in the NBA.
1b) the comparison – to be fair, Carmelo Anthony shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same breath as the Tracy McGrady of 2005. You could state with a straight face that the team had acquired the best player in basketball, in those days. In this situation, were there to be a trade, you’d need to conjure quite an argument to convince some of the smarter basketball minds that the Rockets had acquired a player who was truly “elite.”
2. We’ve heard the anti-Melo argument, passionately posited by the stat-geek community. What are the chances that Morey has no interest? Based on his comments and his known philosophy, it’s really at 50/50, I think.
