Carmelo Anthony on joining Rockets: ‘I feel the most comfortable now’

Carmelo Anthony recently discussed his transition with the Rockets, saying he initially feels more comfortable with Houston than he did in any of his previous moves.

A lot has been said in the media about how Carmelo Anthony will fit in with the Rockets.

Some say he should come off the bench, some think he should start. Other analysts have even speculated about how Anthony won’t like coming off the bench, or how he won’t like being a fourth or fifth option on some nights.

Although, Melo isn’t bothered by all of the noise. He chose to come to Houston, no one traded him to the Rockets against his will. He wants to be here, and he’s feeling positive about his short time in Houston so far, as he told the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen.

“I don’t really care about somebody telling me how I think,” Anthony said. “A lot of people talking about me don’t … know how I am, never talked to me before, don’t know how I think. It’s funny to me to hear a quote from somebody saying he feels like this, he feels like that, he should do this, he should do that, he said this, he said that. I haven’t talked to anybody since the exit meeting last year. It’s funny to watch it, listen. I chose to be here. Also, the organization wanted me here. It’s a win-win for all parties. Whatever way you spin it, it’s a positive.”

Melo averaged career lows in points, field goal percentage and minutes last season with Oklahoma City. That’s not particularly positive, but we have to remember that Anthony is going into 16th NBA season and that he is now 34 years old, not 24.

Anthony is in a different point in his career, so it’ll take some time for him to adjust to his new role. Although, that’s not holding Anthony back, nor is it making him feel uneasy. In fact, Anthony said that he feels most comfortable now as he continues to acclimate himself with Houston, via the Houston Chronicle.

“It wasn’t so much my game; it was the situation that changed. Going to New York was very different from going to OKC. This situation is a lot different from all the other situations. Each situation is unique. I feel the most comfortable now. I had time to get my feet wet and think about it and visualize what I need to do.”

Playing with Chris Paul and James Harden will make life easier on Anthony. If Melo ends up becoming Houston’s sixth man, he’ll have even more opportunities playing against the second units of other teams.

People tend to look at Anthony and talk about what he can’t do or how he isn’t a great defender. Everyone seems to quickly forget that Ryan Anderson, whose mobility is more limited than Anthony’s, started 50 games for the Rockets last season, but Houston still had a top ranked defense. At the end of next season, fans will look back and realize that signing Anthony for the veteran’s minimum was a steal.