I didn’t think this would still be an issue; I had assumed that like Bosh, and Chris Paul, the early Carmelo to the Rockets rumors would be swept into the dustbin of unwarranted hopes. But here we are on September 23rd awaiting final word, or maybe the death knell, on the Rockets’ latest pursuit of an elite player.
Update Friday morning
In the meantime we’ve come to learn that Yao Ming will be held firmly to a pitch count of 24mpg, something which, to my befuddlement, was met with quite the reaction; correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t that common knowledge all along? I fail to see how this public pronouncement of his restrictions changes anything. Unless you were in the deluded crowd, of the thinking that the giant would ride in on a white horse and save the team to the tune of 25ppg on regular minutes, this isn’t much of a surprise. This isn’t exactly news and certainly not worthy of the outcry with which it has been met.
The biggest development has been the revelation that Daryl Morey truly does hold Carmelo Anthony in esteem, something which certainly came as quite the shock to statheads. It’s the latest proof that with Morey, maybe we’re all just overthinking things a tad too much. The Rockets’ general manager may not prescribe to as radical a philosophy as conventional wisdom would hold. (Unless of course this is all some genius scheme to snag Anthony and flip him later at the deadline for what would amount to a king’s ransom.)
Anthony wanted out, first making it clear at Chris Paul’s wedding, stating his intention to join the latter, and Amare Stoudemire, in a trio that only they themselves could regard as comparable to the super-Heat. It was later reported that Houston was one of his desired destinations with news breaking that Carmelo would be willing to extend with the Rockets. After the sh** was sufficiently cleaned from off the fan, the dust settled for some weeks and I forget what transpired during that time…
Then, Jonathon Feigen fueled the fires, actually confirming that the Rockets had interest and were in pursuit. We exhaled (or is it inhaled?). Then talk began that Kevin Martin was the centerpiece of the Rockets’ offer. Then that was retracted by some sources. Then the other day, or I think today (all of the days run together of late) that the Bulls were not willing to part with Noah, the Nets (or Avery Johnson to be exact) would not be parting with Favors, and the Knicks, as usual, would be willing to part with anyone so long as they actually had anything to trade. (Sidenote: the broader media’s coverage of Knick off-court transactions is quite possibly the greatest example of slothful, shoddy reporting in sports journalism today: the fact that they want someone, anyone in particular, does not immediately translate to them being the frontrunner for that player’s services.)
So we’re left with the Rockets who have a lot to offer, but no real blue-chip prospect in the Favors/Noah class. My uneducated guess is that Carmelo doesn’t really even want to be here, and in fact, given the sound of these reports, it almost seems like his team has identified the Rockets, given their wealth of assets and willingness to deal, as a convenient medium for leverage. But I won’t go further with that theory for fear of gaining belief in it myself and plunging deeper into depression over our prospects…
My overall thoughts remain the same: I’d unhesitatingly pull the trigger, but Carmelo remains one of my least favorite players in basketball and it would take some time for me to be won over. I don’t trust him; I don’t like him, and after the Tracy McGrady fiasco, it will take a lot for me to warm up to him as my franchise’s savior. But so it goes. As Feigen said earlier in his blog, one bad experience does not suffice as reason for shunning future risks. We’re not really in a position to shut the door on anyone given our current position in absolute basketball limbo. There’s nothing worse in sports than mediocrity, and for the most part, therein we lie mired and have been for over a decade.
Update: One other thought, which I should get off my chest here, pertains to this prevalent notion that the Nuggets would have no interest in Aaron Brooks. I do not know whether the Nuggets have interest in Aaron Brooks. But the fact that they have Chauncey Billups and Ty Lawson does not somehow serve as a reason for them not having interest. Teams can, you know, trade players. This sentiment has been one of the more bizarre lines of reasoning that I’ve seen in some time.
Saw something equally ridiculous the other day: a blurb reported the Lakers as also being in the hunt for Melo, offering Odom and Bynum, but then deduced that the Nuggets would likely not have interest as LA is the team they are trying to catch. Somewhere in that thought process, it didn’t click that the Nuggets wouldn’t exactly still be contenders if dealing Melo…
Final thought is on this custom, or I guess presumed custom, of not dealing within one’s own conference. That would make sense for contenders, or playoff teams, but would be a pretty foolish strategy for a team about to commence a pretty brutal rebuilding period. If the Rockets have the best offer, I don’t think Denver is going to walk away simply over the two extra games they have to face us…
