NBA Offseason Roundtable Part 1
Apr 11, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) shoots a free throw against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Knicks beat the Raptors 108-100. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
WHO WILL BE THE FINAL TWO TEAMS GUNNING IT OUT FOR CARMELO ANTHONY, AND WHO WILL WIN HIS SERVICES?
MS — Carmelo’s decision will come down to the Bulls and the Knicks — call me crazy. Ultimately, It’d be foolish for Melo to not sign with the Bulls. I just can’t see him turning down such a great opportunity.
GM — The Chicago Bulls and the Houston Rockets will make a push for Carmelo Anthony. I’m assuming Anthony would enjoy pairing up with all-stars James Harden and Dwight Howard, but at the end of the day I believe that the Bulls will land Anthony.
RW — The Bulls and Rockets will battle it out for Melo. I think he ends up there. The Rockets will make a run; there is no doubt about it. The fit next to a ball dominant guard in James Harden, who plays as much defense as Anthony, is not ideal, however
JA — The New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls. He’s staying in New York, because they’ll pay big for another running mate for Mr. Anthony … another all-star maybe.
DA — Chicago and New York, and the Knicks, unlike their performance in the playoffs, will actually win. ‘Melo is another of those “keep chasing ‘dem checks” guys, a player that appears more motivated by money and achieving marginal success. And that suits him just fine. He’s a brilliant scorer, but one-dimensional enough where he’s more of a complementary piece on a team rather than the foundation for one…so far. He’ll re-sign for money but I trust Phil Jackson to build a team by luring role players to Big Apple. Anthony could sign with Chicago and go deep in the playoffs but it’s more likely he’ll be this generation’s Barkley, Malone or Ewing – great players that retired without a ring.
BO — Tough… I’m going to say it will be between Miami and Chicago, but I think Melo will choose Chicago. If you look at the rosters, yes, Miami has LeBron James, but Chicago has a much better supporting cast compared to Miami. The Bulls will have to move some people around to be able to sign Carmelo, so it won’t be exactly the same as what it is right now. If you don’t think Miami signing Melo is a possibility, I’m guessing you didn’t think LeBron and Bosh would end up there in 2010 either. It’s definitely in the works.
AL — Chicago and Houston. The Bulls appear to be the strongest contenders, but I think Houston should be higher on his list. The Bulls tire tread is getting thin, we’re on the 4.0 model of Derek Rose, so there will still be bugs to work out. The Rockets are not perfect, they will have to shed some of those assets to gain Melo, but they could pull into another gear that would be fun to watch.