Houston Rockets: 4 players that have something to prove

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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – APRIL 25: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder pushes Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz during game 5 of the Western Conference playoffs at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on April 25, 2018 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. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) /

1. Carmelo Anthony

Obviously, the Rocket that has the most to prove next season is Carmelo Anthony. Phil Jackson basically ran him out of New York after the 2016-17 season and the Thunder were in a hurry to trade him after just a season.

Over his career, Anthony has made 10 All-Star games and averaged 24.1 points per game, which is third in the NBA among active players behind LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Now, Melo is about to begin his 16th season at 34 years old, so his wheels don’t quite spin as fast as they used to.

But still, last season Melo averaged 16.2 points per game, which was by far the lowest scoring output of his career. This guy can still get buckets at a high level, and he can definitely help the Rockets in the right role.

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No one expected James Harden to turn into the superstar that he did after the trade from Oklahoma City. No one expected Chris Paul and Harden to have as much success as they did last season as a duo. No one expected four years ago that Clint Capela was anything more than a draft and stash player after he appeared in just 12 games in his rookie season and shot 17.4 percent from the free throw line.

And now, no one expects Carmelo Anthony to contribute much of anything to the Rockets next season. Spot the trend?