Melo Expected to Come off Bench in HOU
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Houston Rockets are expected to bring newcomer Carmelo Anthony off the bench for the 2018-19 NBA season.
Wojnarowski reported last week that Anthony would sign a one-year, $2.4 million contract. Melo was adamant about starting in Oklahoma City so it’ll be interesting to see if he’ll accept his new role in Houston without any pushback. The Rockets led the league in uncontested 3-pointers in 2017-18 and Anthony hit 37.3 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes, so it’s possible the move works out for him.
According to oddsmakers from BetNow.eu, the Rockets are currently 10/1 to win the NBA championship next season. The Golden State Warriors remain the odds-on favorite at 10/17, followed by the Boston Celtics at 6/1. Listed right behind the Rockets are LeBron’s Lakers at 18/1, followed by the 76ers at 20/1 and the Toronto Raptors at 30/1.
Only the Warriors have better odds to win the Western Conference than the Rockets, too. The Warriors are currently 5/11 to repeat as conference champions while the Rockets are 5/1 to pull off what would be an upset. The Lakers, meanwhile, are 8/1, then there’s a massive drop to the next team, the Thunder, who are 25/1 to win the Western Conference title next season.