Carmelo Anthony came off the bench for the Houston Rockets in the team's season-opening loss against the New Orleans Pelicans. It was a big change for him after all the years he has played as one of the top stars in the NBA. Despite the big change, Anthony is willing to do what it takes to help his team win.
Unfortunately, Anthony struggled to find himself in the Rockets' first game. He scored just nine points in 27 minutes and was open in an interview shared by ESPN about the move to the bench being a bit tough.
“It's challenging mentally more so than anything, having to prepare for the game differently. Other than that, it's a challenge all the way around. It's just a matter of how I'm going to react to that challenge and accepting that challenge, which I am, which I will do.
“For me, at this point, it's more about what I have to do for the sake of the team, instead of trying to just go out there and do whatever or trying to have a specific role. Every night will be different; but for the most part, it is a challenge, but it's something that I'll get used to quick.”
Needless to say, the Rockets need Anthony to figure things out moving forward. They need more of a scoring punch off the bench. Anthony does seem to think he should be able to get things going.
Last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Anthony had a rough season in the starting lineup. He averaged 16.2 to go along with 5.8 rebounds per game. He shot just 40.4 percent from the field overall and knocked down 35.7 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Houston needs a much better version of Anthony than it got lost night if it wants to compete with the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference.
Expect to see Anthony begin to settle into his new role with the Rockets. Coming off of the bench isn't easy after starting for so many years, but he will get the hang of it before too long.
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