NBA: Ranking all 30 starting small forwards for 2018-19

28. James Ennis III, Houston Rockets

There’s a possibility the Houston Rockets start Carmelo Anthony here instead, but the worst-kept secret in the NBA last year was the fact that at this stage in his career, Melo is best suited as the designated sixth man on a contender.

For that reason, for the sake of playing Anthony in his more effective position at the 4, and for the sake of Houston’s defense, starting James Ennis at the 3 makes more sense. Ennis probably shouldn’t be the starting wing on a title contender, but desperate times call for desperate measures after both Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute left in free agency.

Ennis should bring defensive energy, and as a career 35.9 percent 3-point shooter, there’s hope he can help spread the floor within Mike D’Antoni‘s offense. However, last year his long range accuracy dipped to 33.3 percent, and his raw numbers — 7.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game — weren’t particularly inspiring.