Why Houston has been spending more time courting Melo over Chris Bosh is beyond us as the two-time champion is everything the Rockets ever needed and wanted. Houston’s defense is that Carmelo Anthony would be a bigger audience draw and that Bosh would be the harder free agent draw. But with Miami mulling over its future, the time is now for H-Town to swoop Bosh off his feet.
As Adrian Wojnarowski reports, the versatile big man has been courting attention from teams not named Miami, especially when it comes to a major payday.
Chris Bosh’s reps have made recent calls on market to reconfirm that max slots would be available to him, sources tell Yahoo. Answers: Yes.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 5, 2014
Bosh was always in Houston’s crosshairs but their main target, rather foolishly, has been Melo. While Melo would surely be a good fit in Bayou City, it’s Bosh who’s the right fit.
Firstly, the Rockets aren’t slouches on offense, having tied with the Clippers for the most points scored per game (108.0) in 2013. In terms of offensive efficiency, they were ranked fifth, or one above Portland, who had their number in the playoffs. With Melo, they’d essentially be improving on the front they’ve already seen isn’t enough to outlast other good offensive teams with suspect defense. As a ball-dominant star, Melo would also be a hamper to James Harden‘s game who is another ball-dominant player. Howard isn’t on either of their levels but also demands a minimum amount of touches per contest. It would quickly devolve into a battle of personalities in Houston.
With Bosh, they’d help shore up their defense in a way that would almost negate Harden’s abysmal efforts on that front. A Howard-Bosh tandem would make them especially effective in aggressively defending the pick and roll, therefore, making them a team to contend with. Bosh doesn’t quite have the range Melo does but shows the capacity to shoot the three-ball when needed and would have more freedom than in Miami to play the inside-outside game he’s known for playing. Yeah, people tend to forget that he wasn’t always strictly a jump shooter. In Bosh, the Rockets would still be able to put the ball in the hands of Howard and Harden without the fear that their star forward is resenting the move. As Bosh has proven time and again in Miami, he remains a player committed to the good of the team even if it means sacrificing his game.
Houston has seen moved away its attention from Melo to Bosh as it’s become clear that the former might be staying in NY.
As ESPN reported late Thursday, Houston already courting Bosh in anticipation of Melo staying w/NYK. Must trade Lin to make Bosh big offer
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 5, 2014
But with Houston not the only team interested in Bosh’s talents, the knowledge that he was their Plan B might not sit well with a probable Hall of Famer like Bosh. For many reasons, it was he who the Rockets should have been courting all along. Chris Bosh has always been Houston’s answer.
