Report: Rockets Have Carmelo Anthony as Excited as He's Ever Been Before Season

After a disappointing season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Carmelo Anthony is apparently in a much better mood as he approaches his first year with the Houston Rockets.

The key has been his chemistry with new teammates James Harden and Chris Paul, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. 

"They’ve worked out a lot this past summer and everyone who was around the workout is telling me this is as excited as Melo is gonna be going into a season," Charania said on the Good 'N Plenty podcast (h/t Moke Hamilton of Rockets Wire).

Anthony signed a one-year deal with Houston earlier this month, joining a team where he should have a much more comfortable time than last year.

"I don’t know how familiar he was with Russ," Charania added. "I think they had a relationship, but I don’t think his relationship with Russell Westbrook and Paul George was to the level that him, James Harden and Chris Paul are, especially Chris."

The Thunder were expected to be a top contender in the Western Conference last season with Anthony and Paul George joining forces with Russell Westbrook. Unfortunately, they could only earn the fourth seed in the playoffs and were eliminated in Round 1.

Anthony averaged a career-low 16.2 points per game while missing the All-Star game for the first time in nine seasons.

Although his numbers might not improve in Houston, where there's a squad with a lot of mouths to feed offensively, his familiarity with Harden and Paul could go a long way toward easing his transition to the new team.

Winning also helps keep everyone happy, and the Rockets have high expectations after finishing with the best record in the NBA last season.