What’s there not to like?

A simple social media post spoke volumes Monday afternoon.

A black and white photo of Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony with their arms extended, fiving each other in a gym.

Paul posted the image to his social media accounts with the caption, “Welcome my brother.”

Carmelo Anthony Day made its way to Houston after years of speculation the All-Star would play for the Rockets.

This year, this time, it happened. And there’s no reason to believe it won’t help the Rockets get closer to their goal.

For months, the subject has been talked about. Every point — good and bad — has been made. Every pro, every con has been discussed in depth. Minds are made up. Rockets fans are polarized over it. Some think Anthony will help them win. Others think it’s all going to crash and burn.

The same thing happened last year when the

Rockets acquired Paul. And look how well that turned out.

Now Paul welcomes Anthony to the mix. If Paul sees this mix working — the same way he saw the combination of himself and James Harden working — that says a lot.

Last year’s experiment didn’t just succeed, it flourished. This year’s could be something else really special.

The basketball makes sense. Anthony’s greatest strength is his ability to put the ball in the basket. No coach in the NBA does a better job facilitating that specialty than Mike D’Antoni. Period.

Like Paul and Harden, Anthony thrives in isolation ball. He’s a great spot-up shooter. He can draw defenders.

Now, instead of having two players who make the Rockets’ offense historically good, they have three.

The biggest criticism of Anthony is his lack of defense. It’s true he doesn’t make the Rockets any better in that aspect of the game. It’s also true he doesn’t make them any worse.

The losses of Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute at the same position will hurt the Rockets defensively, but neither played a big role in helping the Rockets win in the game that mattered most last season. In Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, when the Rockets lost to the Warriors 101-92, Ariza went 0-for-12 and Mbah a Moute didn’t play.

Both did a lot for the Rockets all season, but in that game in particular, it’s easy to picture the Rockets with Anthony. And it’s easy to picture them winning. The Rockets can’t get ahead of themselves. They have to get back to the conference finals to even have a shot at the Warriors — who you can pencil into the series.

The basketball is there. The Rockets are definitely good enough to get back.

But outside of the actual action on the hardwood, the Rockets got a lot better.

There’s something to be said for players like Paul and Anthony. Paul could have played anywhere. Anthony could as well.

They are consummate professionals. They’re respected among the league for good reason.

They have been All-Stars, have won awards, have played together on Team USA and brought home gold medals.

Neither has won an NBA title. Both want to badly.

They both see Houston and see the possibilities. D’Antoni’s system. Reigning MVP Harden. Up-and-comer Clint Capela. A general manager dedicated to improving every year in Daryl Morey. They see commitment to excellence and to winning.

Now Paul and Anthony are teaming up to do that together.

“Melo, like a lot of the guys on the team, we always play like we have something to prove,” Paul said in an interview with NBA TV. “And obviously the friendship, brotherhood that Melo and I share. It’s always nice to play with a guy that you’re that close with.”

So the players will be good to go. The chemistry is there.

The one big concern about this signing is how well Anthony and D’Antoni can get on after their well-publicized friction in New York.

Anthony is in a different part of his career. So is Paul. Both are stars, but the Rockets are Harden’s team. He is the face of the franchise and that won’t change.

Anthony doesn’t have to be the man. He can be himself. And when all parties are on the same page — and D’Antoni says they are — the past no longer matters.

The Paul-Harden experiment was a hit. Now a new one begins. And if this one works the way it can, the Rockets might finally have enough to get over the hump the Warriors throw in front of them every season.

Welcome to the Melo era in Houston.