The Melo drama in Houston seems like it's almost to an end. Carmelo Anthony has not played in a while and it seems like he will not be going back to the Rockets anytime soon. With that being known, his representatives are looking for a place he can play next season.
Some teams like the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers have been tossed out there because of his friends Dwyane Wade and LeBron James playing on those teams, but the Lakers have been said to have no interest and the Heat really don't have a spot for him. So with those teams not really wanting to bring Carmelo Anthony in, where does he end up? One place that has been mentioned is Philadelphia.
The talk around the NBA is the 76ers would be interested in bringing in Melo when he is waived. Plenty have had negative responses to the idea of Philadelphia bringing him in, but there could be some value in doing so. With the trade the 76ers just made, they shipped out two of their starters for one starter in Jimmy Butler. Adding Jimmy gives them a needed star on the perimeter who can score and be a playmaker, but the fact remains they are still short on depth.
The assumption is the 76ers starting lineup will now include Jimmy Butler, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz and Wilson Chandler. JJ Redick, Landry Shamet and TJ McConnell give the 76ers some depth in their backcourt, but up front, all they have is Mike Muscala and Amir Johnson. The lack of depth is where Carmelo can slide in behind the starters. And with him going against second units, he and Reddick can definitely get their shots off and the offense can definitely run through him.
One of the main concerns always with Carmelo is the defensive end of the court. While he still has offensive skill, he surely has lacked defensively throughout his entire career. With that in mind, the good thing with him going against second units is he will not be going against the top offensive threats. That factor alone should lessen the concern on that end of the court.
Along with Carmelo Anthony going against lesser offensive players, the Sixers also can employ him with Amir Johnson on the court. While Johnson isn't the most efficient offensive player, he is definitely very sound defensively and can still clean up defensive mistakes with his footwork and his length. So while Carmelo may get beat, he has that protection behind him.
The other big concern people have is Carmelo's acceptance of a role. When he was in Houston, he said it was mentally hard for him to come in off the bench. And in Oklahoma City last season, he laughed at a reporter even mentioning the thought of him coming off the bench. If he is to come to Philly, they will more than likely bring him in off the bench.
The question is will he be willing to accept that role for the betterment of the team? At this point in his career and considering what else has happened over the last two season, he should accept that role. The fact is he is a star with diminishing skills. He can still score, but he is not the player people want to build around anymore. He realized that in Houston, even with how difficult it was for him not to start. And in Philly, there would be no reason to think he could not do the same thing. By moving to the bench and fully divulging himself into that role, he could extend his career for a couple years.
Carmelo Anthony may not be what he once was, but he can help a team. Plenty are acting like he cannot play anymore, but the fact is he can play and add something to a team, given the fit is right. Philly may not seem like a good fit on the surface, but he can definitely add a different element to this team. It should be interesting to see if it happens.
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