Houston Rockets point guard Chris Paul is happy to join forces with Carmelo Anthony, but he has expressed his dismay over what he described as “disrespect” to one of his closest friends.
Anthony signed a one-year, $2.4 million deal with the Rockets this offseason, but the signing was met with plenty of criticisms due to the 34-year-old’s declining game.
Paul, however, doesn’t understand all the negativity surrounding Anthony and expressed his thoughts on the matter during an appearance on Friday’s edition of “The Jump.”
“Obviously, I’m a little biased because that’s one of my closest friends,” Paul said. “But, you know, the disrespect that comes at him at times is unbelievable, you know what I mean? So for us, having one of the best players to ever play the game on our team, that’s a no-brainer.
“I think that’s up for all of us, you know, some of the smartest guys to play the game, to figure out how to make it work. With Melo, we just hoop, you know what I mean? If you’re open you shoot it. If not, you pass it, you dribble—it’s a fun way to play basketball.”
Anthony’s lone season with the Oklahoma City Thunder last year was a disappointment. The 10-time All-Star averaged a career-low 16.2 points per game during the regular season, shooting only 40.4 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from beyond the arc.
The 2018 playoffs were an even bigger struggle for Anthony. In the six-game series loss to the Utah Jazz, Anthony averaged 11.8 points while shooting a woeful 37.5 percent from the floor and 21.4 percent from 3-point range. The Thunder had an offensive rating of 98.6 when Anthony was on the court compared to 116.8 when he was on the bench.
Despite having a down year with the Thunder, Anthony was recruited by Paul and the Rockets. Being paired with two elite playmakers in Paul and reigning MVP James Harden could give Anthony his best, and maybe last chance to be a productive and positive player in the NBA.
The post Chris Paul could not believe the ‘disrespect’ for Carmelo Anthony appeared first on ClutchPoints.
