[ESPN/Spears] Is this it for Melo? [How/When the decision was made to pull the plug]

I think Anthony does want to change his game to fit his changing role going forward, but he just hasn't been able to so far.

Veteran role guys who get solid rotation minutes play decent D, help on rebounds, and make the right passes, as they wait patiently for opportunities to contribute offensively. Or else they're specialists who get limited minutes but give a quick burst offensively or defensively off the bench.

At this point in his career, Melo obviously doesn't fit either mold for an ideal veteran role player. It doesn't mean he can't develop into one, but he's going to be facing some growing pains.

 

Yeah, because the Rix wouldn't of worked out early season new player on roster jinx eventually. This reeks of a lot more. Like Will said.

 

Post a link to where you got this from

 

I hope you're not be the same person who this has been gone over with multiple times. You can't just place a player into the 0/27 moment and say "look, he could have helped" when you have to take into account the butterfly effect.

Ryan Anderson averaged 5.7 mpg and was DNP for the Rockets game 4 and 5 wins. Melo would need to have that same role, so now he's supposed to have that role, no offensive rhythm in the series, then be the savior in game 7? Just out of nowhere be in rhythm and also get the minutes? What are the chances of that, and then how relevant is it actually?

Melo would have had to play through the first 6 games (and through the whole playoffs) to be relevant. To make things about the same he wild have 6 DNP's in 16 games and 8.7 mpg going into game 7.

Look at how Anderson was targeted and dismantled in his few minutes. Who says you're still able to go up 3-2 and then be tied 3-3 if Melo is in the actual rotation? If he had the same role as Anderson, then is this that very relevant for discussion? The chances of that guy then helping is pretty irrelevant.

Similarly, Melo is just as likely to miss a lot of shots or dissappear in the game, just like he did for OKC in the post-season. He could have taken poor shots and been picked on defensively and the Rockets aren't even in the same spot that they were before going 0/27. You put Melo in and everything else changes.

This theoretical just randomly adding a guy into a situation without acknowledgement of how he affects everything before that lacks the perspective of reality.

 

I am starting to miss the clutchfans civil war over LOFs...

 

He would be victimized by the Warriors every second he was playing defense. I wish him the best going forward, he handled things professionally.

 

Why do people retire? Let's use common sense.

To spend more time with family and because they are tired from working too hard and from the mileage.

60-65 are the best years for retirement.

Jeff is 65, Mike is 67. Mike feels he wants a championship before retirement.

Jeff obviously has many priorities.

So the retirement has little to do with Melo at least.

Why did he come back with the people in the organization begging him to? Ask Daryl!

 

It happens to be in the same article where they say MDA and Bzdelik had it out for Melo and wanted to take revenge on him. Please post that link.

 

This article was designed to be a puff piece but I think it hurt him more in the long run because of the simple fact that he got beat out for minutes by Gary Clark, and James Ennis.

What value does Melo give a contending team at this point given what the article and the narrative of the media concede?

Melo imo looked in better shape this year vs last, and still looks to have a couple more years of being a high scorer IF the offense runs through him. His problem is his inability to guard anybody even if he’s trying which he genuinely was this year. He just always got scored on every time. I watched shot after shot, and couldn’t believe how with even decent one on one defense, opponents just feasted on him.

On the other end, he’s not taking pressure enough off of the ball handler and actually clogges the perimeter. Which is why Paul and Harden suddenly can attack now.

I do feel for Melo though. The guy can play still, but is just such a difficult fit on the court. I honestly have no idea what team he adds value to at this point.

 

It's hilarious hearing the Rockets spin this as if Melo did nothing wrong. They keep saying he's innocent, but reality says, if he didn't suck he'd still be playing. His history with Bzdelik can't help either.

Rockets are lying to keep Melo cordial and his trade value highest as possible.

 

Everything, I mean EVERYTHING I've read say Melo wanted to stay. The coach & the GM confirmed he was a professional here. He was surprised by being getting waived. This notion he wouldn't accept his role is false

 

Silly. He wanted Carmelo if he could use him now and then to score some buckets-- sort of like they hoped to do with Joe Johnson who was absolutely washed up. Carmelo was not going to happily accept that and or it would be too much of a distraction. For instance note how you just reacted.

 

You and I (and the Rockets and the fans on the board) know "wanting to stay" is a subjective thing. You know it so well that I don't even have to explain it and everyone gets it. I am sure there are conditions under which Melo wants to stay, and conditions under which Melo doesn't want to stay. Nothing is unconditional. Neither you, me, Woj or Shams are aware of those details. Just like we don't know that there's a conspiracy to get Melo out.

Now, this is a message board and we are here to theorize and debate and discuss things that often are not proven. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm just saying, if you get to theorize, everyone does. If others don't get to, then why are you doing it?

Here's what we know for a fact: Melo says he wants to stay. The organization says they are happy not to let him go. He is the biggest net negative in the rotation. We keep hearing through sources like Woj - which you trust so dearly - that Melo for the 3rd time is the victim of mismanagement. These are the only facts. Anyone who wants to draw conclusions would immediately see: this is a constant for Melo and not for the Rockets. This is every team he's been on that he becomes "mismanaged". The Rockets don't have a 100% record in mismanagement of players.

To take a guy like MDA - who runs his players into the ground, risking their careers and giving 0 f*cks about reputation to eek out half a win - is going to give up a better winning scenario for revenge would be radical fantasy, especially given the facts exist to show that not playing Melo consistently benefits our differential tremendously. Why jump to a fantasy when there's a clear motive? If MDA and Morey want to win, this is the logical decision.

 

Dude, Melo is not Ryan Anderson. He's not going to average 5pts ever. James & CP handle 99% of the rock, they needed another option when they got wore down. A 3rd option is valuable, even if it's only for 10-12 minutes in a 7 game series. If you can score in this league you'll see the court

Melo's a better defender than Ryan Anderson. The switching defense wasn't his weakness here. He's not a good defender, but you can also argue you're possibly getting a good 8-12pts as opposed to NOTHING from Ryan Anderson. Melo's going to score Ryan Anderson's wont even take the shot. The points you get from Melo's defense you'll pick up a points

Don't bring up OKC. We're not the same team & have a different system. Our guards pass & open up looks for others. A scorer would have a field day getting wide open looks. Melo's no different than Swaggy P last year. I'm not sure why you can't comprehend having as many offensive weapons as possible

 

I think Melo should go back and finish his career with the team where he was the most loved. The place where the fans still root for him.

 

From what i saw, melo was a bigger whole defencively than ryno ever was. Losing 2 defensive specialists and adding his negative defence just made the hole even bigger. It's plain to see he just doesn't fit the current system. If luc and ariza were still here He might still work, but no ones there to bail him out so good riddance.

 

What if Carmelo does not find a team and remains on the roster and let's say in December he rejoins the team accepting a minor role? and start making impact on the court? just imagine this story and melo lifting the trophy along with the rockets I say dream does not cost anything

 

I think this happened mainly because of the Rox early struggles.
If the team was 10-2, it is likely that it would have bought more time for this partnership.

At the end of the day, it is mostly circumstances that dictated outcome but Morey was never someone to overreact, so I bet it was in his calculus to pull the plug early before it got out of hand when he first got Melo. Hence the low fanfare and such.

Chemistry and rhythm are fragile ecosystems.

 

Use some logic here. If the rockets are assholes and Melo is such a stand up guy, benching Melo and giving Clark his minutes would have been far better for Houston in the long run. If anyone gets injured you have insurance, if Clark starts to slump Melo could earn his time back... and, if Melo is as great as you want us to believe he would accept that role perfectly. No animosity would be present between Melo and the team because ultimately the two would have the same goal of winning.

No, what's more likely what happened is Houston explained to Melo his minutes would get cut dramatically in favor of Clark. Melo did not want DNPs because he is still looking for a deal next year and that would hurt him. Melo said he wouldn't do that. The rockets are doing a him solid by letting him step away, and then when the timing is right waiving or trading him to where he wants to go. It's not that there's a good or bad guy in this, there just isn't a fit between the two. Marriages that end in divorce don't always need someone who cheats or lies, sometimes they just end because the two aren't right for each other.