Houston Rockets: 3 goals for Carmelo Anthony in 2018-19 season

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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – APRIL 15: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the game against the Utah Jazz during Game one and Round one of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 15, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1. Win the Sixth Man of the Year Award

Again, Mike D’Antoni hasn’t officially decided if Anthony will start or not. But it makes more sense to just bring Anthony off the bench. Houston could start James Ennis for defensive purposes and have Anthony and Eric Gordon lead the second unit with Chris Paul running the point. That’s a heck of a lineup to run against opposing benches.

In our recent interview with Rockets broadcaster Matt Bullard, he told Space City Scoop’s Michael Knight that James Harden and Chris Paul want Anthony to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

“If he is able to embrace that role, he could easily be Sixth Man of the Year. Wouldn’t that be a great accomplishment for everything he’s done in his career up to this point now to embrace a different role? I know James and Chris have been talking to him about that, saying that [they’re] gonna try to get [Carmelo] Sixth Man of the Year and that will be just another accolade to look back on when he’s an old man.”

Next. Interview with Rockets broadcaster Matt Bullard

Winning such an award is probably a lofty goal for Anthony. After all, he’ll have to share touches with Harden, Paul and Gordon, who was the runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year last season. But after all of the criticism that Anthony has faced in recent months, winning the highest award for a bench player, a role that he previously rejected, would be one heck of a way to have a bounce back season in Houston.