HOUSTON -- Though Warriors general manager Bob Myers is fond of saying “You can never have too many shooters,” don’t expect him to pursue Carmelo Anthony.
And if Anthony comes to the Warriors, as DeMarcus Cousins did four months ago, don’t expect Myers to roll out the welcome mat.
Anthony’s meandering journey to the Basketball Hall of Fame -- interrupted this season by a 10-game stop in Houston -- officially ended Thursday with the Rockets concluding it was a failed experiment.
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SIGN UP HERE “The fit we envisioned when Carmelo chose to sign with the Rockets has not materialized,” Houston general manager Daryl Morey said in a statement, “therefore we thought it was best to move on as any other outcome would have been unfair to him.”
Anthony’s departure was addressed by Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni shortly before tip-off of Thursday night's game against the Warriors at Toyota Center.
“Anytime you part ways with a player when things don’t quite fit as a puzzle -- because it’s a puzzle -- pieces are different for every puzzle, and this one wasn’t fitting together for whatever reason,” he said. “It wasn’t for lack of trying or a lack of want on both sides. It just didn’t work out.”
Anthony, 34, has scored 25,551 points in his career, ranking him third on the active list (behind LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki) and 22nd on the all-time chart.
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Though several teams might be interested in adding Anthony, there are several reasons the Warriors won’t be among them.
One, Anthony is a ball-stopper. Warriors coach Steve Kerr is notoriously allergic to ball-stoppers.
Two, Anthony at this stage of his career is an atrocious defender, inferior in most ways to former Warrior Nick Young.
Three, Anthony has resisted the notion that he’s a part-time player at best. That vibe wouldn’t play with the Warriors.
Four, Anthony’s best offense is behind him. His shooting percentage declined in each of the past four seasons, and he was on that trajectory this season. He was an elite scorer in his prime, which ended as a member of the Knicks in New York.