I think situationally, that will work fine, Melo knows his defense is subpar. But, that won't be the starting lineup.
On coming of the bench... “I know how to play this game of basketball,” he said. “I’ve been playing it for a long time. When I feel like I’m ready to take that role, then I’ll take that role. Only I know when it’s best for me to take that role. I’m not going to do that in a situation where I still know my capabilities and what I can do. And at the end of the day, the people who really matter know my capabilities and what I can still do" Same old super ego Melo, wonder if he is going do another interview where he talks about his brand in a new and empty office building he purchases/lease?
I see that you still don't get what I was trying to explain to you. There are many kinds of "better." Are these role players better than Melo at helping the Rockets win? The answer is not as obvious as you think.
By "the air is humming" I think Murray meant that we're about to sign Swaggy P. The air in question is between his ears.
I do get what you were trying to say, even with your "better" counterpoint. I'm trying to say the answer IS more obvious than you think, and you're over-thinking it. Just like many posters, including myself, overthought the Paul acquisition, once bitten, twice shy, especially after watching the Lawson experiment go down in flames...
In that hypothetical I actually see him doing this Cp3 Gordan Harden Melo Tucker That makes my body tingle
Join the club. He's the best GM we've ever had. He's made a few bad deals, RA still a problem, we need someone else producing on the court in the playoffs with that $20M.
Where do you rank the Rockets in the West with Carmelo? Shannon: I think they'll be a little worse this year than last year, losing Ariza & Mbah a Moute. Carmelo is a better scorer. They still have James Harden & Chris Paul. One will always be on the court. If I listen to what Harden says, "We know what Carmelo represents. Some of us must sacrifice." He ain't talking about himself. If you remember there was speculation LeBron might join the Rockets, Harden said "We don't need anyone. We're good. The people we got here, we were close, we're good." He knows if he got LeBron, everyone has to sacrifice. You get Carmelo, Harden is still getting his 22 shots a night. Chris Paul you might have to sacrifice. Capela, you'll have to sacrifice. Why do the Rockets want Melo? It was a disaster with the Knicks. He was a much better offensive player then than he is now. Everyone can see the slippage except Carmelo. Carmelo is not the same guy he once was. He's fooling himself if he think he is. He'd be better served coming off the bench. He'll get the shots he needs. I don't know how Carmelo can get the shots he needs and play the style he needs to be Carmelo. If you let him play his way, that takes away from Harden & Chris Paul. He's a big name, I get it. I got them 2nd right now. I don't know deep down if I believe it. I don't know how you get better with Carmelo. Now you're trying to beat the Warriors outscoring them? You beat them when you held them under 100. 120-125? That's an L in your column. Skip: You just went on and on and on unmaking your case for having them 2nd. How did Houston hang in and then take control of the Golden State series? Defense. Physical, beat 'em up, knock 'em around, knock 'em off their spots led by Tucker & Ariza. Mbah a Moute does the dirty work. He's gone. Capela is sitting on the market. No one made an offer because he's restricted. I'm gonna guess he's comes back not all that happy. He had to crawl back to Houston. I don't know how happy he'll play next year. If they add Carmelo to this volatile mix, I didn't love it last year. They shocked me. I don't know how they did it. They sacrificed for each other. It was mostly Chris Paul sacrificing but when it came crunch time, it was Paul taking over the Golden State series. He's the big guts guy. He gets hurt & we know the rest of the story. If Carmelo is added to this mix, the team most likely to collapse next year is the Houston Rockets. The team I would not bet on is the Houston Rockets. Not saying Carmelo is a team obliterator TO type. He's passive aggressive in the locker room. He thinks he's a superstar. He's no longer a superstar. I don't see how he fits here. I thought they could fit him in in OKC. He took a career high 474 three point shots so he tried to become a spot up shooter. What did he say in the end? They didn't use me right. So he's gonna go to Houston with a coach he didn't click with the first time around. What does he want to do? How does he view himself? He's a ball-stopping, ball-dominate, low post dribble dribble dribble back you down, and just back a smaller defender into the bucket. If you try to incorporate any of that into Houston, it just stalls it. It stops it cold. It loses momentum & the identity built last year. I like OKC better without Carmelo. Roberson will be back. I don't like Houston nearly as much with Carmelo. I can see them being 8-10 games worse with Carmelo, without Ariza/Mbah a Moute & an unhappy Capela. I can see OKC improving by 5 games. All the sudden, here's my new mix in the West: Golden State is the most prohibitive favorite in all my years covering the NBA. They're in another universe. Then we have a second mix: I think OKC will challenge to be the best team (of the 2nd mix). Utah will be right there. Portland was 3rd seed. No worse. New Orleans got better. Houston will be fighting in the 2nd mix. There's a 3rd mix led by the Lakers, fighting for the bottom of the West with Denver, San Antonio, Minnesota. Shannon: What could Houston do against Golden State? Switch everything. Carmelo has never been known for defense. Sometimes he doesn't even try. He's not good at it when he does try. Do you want to switch everything with Carmelo? Is he really gonna fight hard over the top, fight through picks? That's not what he is. If you're gonna let Carmelo shoot 22 times a game, shoot 10-22, he'll get you 22. If he's taking 22 shots, how many does that leave for Harden & Paul? I wouldn't do it. He still sees himself as that guy & he's not. Skip: In PER, he fell to 224th. Not very good. In defensive WS, he was 77th. He tried to play some defense in OKC that I'm not sure he'll try to play in Houston. Harden led the NBA in PER. Carmelo was 224. He's 7 months older than LeBron. One guy took care of himself. Carmelo just never cared about taking care of himself. He plays like he got a piano on his back. Looks slow, bulky, looks like he's never been in peak condition. He was Carmelo & thought he could get by being Melo. Shannon: Honestly, I thought about OKC in the 2nd spot. Skip: Addition by subtraction. I can't get it through my head how Mike D"Antoni will sit still for this & how Daryl Morey thinks this will work. "Oh, I have big glaring gaping holes, insert Carmelo." He probably has Harden and/or Chris Paul knocking on his door every day, "Get Melo!" Golden State had 2 great stories: DeMarcus Cousins knocked on their door and now hearing Carmelo is going to Houston. Houston is in trouble. Shannon: Houston shouldn't answer. "Nobody's home!" Skip: Disaster waiting to happen. Shannon: I just don't see how it'll work. Skip: Maybe Daryl will put his foot down and say "Sorry guys, we can't risk this." He should. They'd be better as is without him. Shannon: In that case, you should have kept Mbah a Moute.
^^^ Clutchfans will hate on Skip and Shannon here, but they're mostly correct. Melo does not upgrade over Ariza and Luc, nor does he provide the elements that made the Rockets successful in the playoffs against Golden State.
Lucky for us he's replacing Anderson and not Ariza/Luc. Ennis was added for that, and we are still looking for additional help.
