Official Melo Doubters Thread (not just another Melo thread, well sorta)

Love the optimism, but by year end we will have half the site referring to the few remaining supporters as MOFs (Melo Only Fans)!

 

It's all good. The Olympics return in evey 4 years so I this term has been overused.

I am all for using him in a limited role.

The Rox season hinges on the healthy legs and arms of a certain Chris Paul. Harden is good but not as good of a leader.

The Rox made their bed with this 160 million Chris Paul deal for the next years. For better or worse.

 

fify

 

The Maloofs were semi horrible. Good name.

 

He's by no means a "perfect fit," and his defense has always been below his athletic talent, but Carmelo is a player.
There will be stretches on offense that he can dictate play and that is only going to help Harden and CP3.

Even in the GS matchup, while he's not guarding anyone well, Carmelo will take either Durant or Iguodala off of Harden. And if Curry switches on to him, Carmelo can score or draw more defenders (which is more than we could say for Ariza or even Capela in these matchups).

I think on the whole this is a positive move.

 

Yeah, he’s ok...

 

We need two more Melo threads at least if we do sign Melo:

The "I've grown to hate Carmelo Anthony" thread
The "Sending positive vibes to Melo" thread

But we will also see:
the "I love Carmelo Anthony, I'm serious" thread

At the end of the season, or when he gets dumped, there will be:
the "Official Carmelo Anthony Appreciation" thread

 

@Zboy @YOLO

@DreamShook

@Os Trigonum

@anyone

 

I cant imagine a scenario in the playoffs when Melo is asked to play defense and doesn't.

I just dont see it happening. Not if CP3 is doing the asking.

 

Melo doubters, how would you like your crow served?

 

If the Rockets are thinking efficiency on offense, then there will need to be some decently drastic changes in his game for that. At the least you want him at a TS% of 55% of higher, but ideally Rockets would want 57-58%+. That's not going to happen with Carmelo doing heavy mid-range.

The eFG% on 36% 3PT is good but that's still just getting you to 54%. Over his last 3 seasons with less explosiveness and lift, Carmelo has only managed 55% FG at the rim. So with just 3PT and at the rim , you're only about league average TS%. Add FTA, let's say a very generous 4-5 FTA, and now you're efficient, but that's assuming absolutely no mid-range which is unrealistic since he will be used in the post and he will use his turn-arounds, and some of those shots are what get him some of his FTA.

Carmelo generally shoots about 43-44% FG from mid-range, so how small of a percentage of his FGA is going to come from there?

Is he going to improve at the basket or from 3PT? Hard to tell, catch and shoot isn't his greatest strength he can do it but he's rhythm guy, so that's a factor for 3PT%. So just depends on how it all comes together.

 

Some players put up stats only. Some players are winners only, with no stats. Some players give you both. Some players give you neither but fill out a bench better than g-leaguers.

I am NOT in the camp that Melo never contributed to winning. Earlier in his career, he was so good, that even though it was a stats first effect, it also contributed to winning.

I however AM in the camp that at this point in his career, you'll be lucky to get the stats, and that's it. He's now played with Chauncey, Kidd, AI, Porzingis, Amare, Westbrook and Paul George among others, and has won 3 playoff series across 16 seasons of NBA basketball... which is less than the likes of Clint Capela, Jaylen Brown, etc.

That's different than a Barkley, Stockton, Nash type. It's more of a TMac level. But he has gotten to the playoffs a lot.

The only way the Melo experiment works is if he mentally buys into playing a bench role, potentially as a guy of importance AFTER Harden, CP3, Clint, and Eric Gordon, and buys into switching defense, and otherwise focuses almost exclusively on shooting percentage. History has shown me that is unlikely to happen, but we shall see.

 

Man... if he works out and his production can be anywhere around Gordon's, we could really have another run at it.

 

The potential fatal flaw in DM's entire master plan is that he actually doesn't seem to care about traditional measures of efficiency in his quest to get efficiency through style.

Meaning... sure, the Rockets have had one of the best points per possession offenses in league history the last few years, but its been entirely stylistically driven, which has haunted them in the playoffs.

With opportunities to add even more dead-eye shooters in the past (JJ Redick being prime example) he's got hesitant for financial or other unknown reasons.

This year, as an example, Wayne Ellington signed a 1 year deal for $6.2 million. That would have fit just fine under the MLE. Sure, Ellington isn't a defender, and isn't a forward, and isn't a ballhandler ... so, still sign Ennis. Ellington has shot 37% or higher from 3 in 7 of his 9 years, 39% or higher in 5 of those years, and 39% on 7.5 threes a game last year.

Regarding Melo, he really only fills one hole/need, and that's the fact that he can play 3/4. He's not an efficient scorer, not a good defender, doesn't excel on the boards, doesn't play with pace, doesn't do the little things that go unaccounted for, etc. It's a head-scratcher.

 

Let's take a look at exactly what we'll be doing...

This isn't a bad coach (McHale) trying to fit a stubbornly square peg (Dwert) into a round hole.

This is one of the greatest offensive coaches the game has ever seen working one of the greatest offensive players the game has ever seen into an existing, established system with two respected elite players running the show.

I know, sounds soooooooooooooooo terrible.

Make no mistake, Carmelo Anthony is a superstar-level talent and will make an already elite offense even better. Just imagine the vaunted Warriors defensive late in Q4 of a close game when they have to decide who to focus on: Harden, CP3, Melo, EG or Clint.

As for his famously lazy defense, Biglydick will work it out, and peer pressure will make a difference in Melo's effort. Guys like him and Harden put forth the effort on D when they are on contending, cohesive teams. The Thunder (and the Knicks) never fit that description. Our defense may give up another 3-5 ppg, but our offense will more than make up for it.

I told the doubters way back when that MDA was going to be a great fit here. I'm saying the same about Melo. No need to save this thread so you can serve me crow when I'm wrong, because I won't be.

TL;DR: Melo is a massive upgrade offensively over Ariza. Everything else is just pointless worrying.

 

So is this the place where I can redeem my crow voucher?

 

He's yet to determine if the time is right or not.

 

I'm a doubter. Hell, I'm a bit of a doubter about the Beard's heart, and CP3's old body. But I'm a SERIOUS doubter about Melo. I'm also a bit of a homer too though, so I'll try to supress my doubts, and I'll root like hell for him.