Carmelo: "I'm not going to (come off the bench) in a situation where I still know my capabilities"

Is there anyone specific you think they should target?

 

Imma just wait until we play a game to make judgments.

 

There is a part of me that is optimistic about Melo in this team, given that I live in CO and saw a lot of him struggling to be a consistent winner through the Iverson years, only to blossom playing with a cerebral, true PG once Billups joined the Nuggets. So maybe the same thing will happen once he moves on from Westbrook and into the CP3 and Harden system.

But then, there is a part of me that is skeptical because he is (seemingly) past his prime, so even if he buys in, he might not be physically able to contribute to winning basketball like he did during his Chauncey/Nuggets years. I've also never liked his public persona, as he's always given off an aura of entitlement and most importantly, has clashed with some of the best coaches in history of the game, including the current Rockets coach. It always seems to be all about him and not for the team.

At the end of the day, as others have mentioned, the risk is worth the reward, considering the low cost and the big losses of our two defensive wings leaving a huge gap in our starting lineup and rotation. All things staying as is, we are going to be a very different team next year; we'll just have to wait and see whether it'll be better or worse, but if I had to bet, I would put my money on worse.

 

If I remember correctly, we had a very high success rate for plays after a timeout. Additionally, we have an unwritten rule of trying to shooting the ball 7 secs or less into the shotclock. Less clock means more possessions and shot attempts.

 

There's no doubt that the media just rehash every quote into oblivion.

 

I expect Chris Paul to coach him more than MDA.

 

I'm not going to put any stock in the quote. I'm already a doubter, but I don't need to feed my confirmation bias. Let's see what happens when the games are on.

 

We had both EGo and Lou Williams on the team at the same time and they both came off the bench behind Beverley and Ariza. It's not like you can only have one bench scorer. You didn't hear those guys complaining about their role either.

It's not about talent. Whether someone starts or is a reserve should be determined by how they best impact the team. Iggy was a much better player than Harrison Barnes but he was willing to come off the bench because GS hummed when he ran the second unit. Same with Manu coming off the bench for a number of years behind 3 and D guys. These were all-stars willing to give up starting spots. Some players only give lip service to sacrificing for the team, like Dwight. Melo isn't even willing to go that far.

 

What is the hold up??

 

Yeah because Lou worked out so well...

We need a starter. We lost Ariza. Melo is the obvious replacement. If you don't start Melo because he's not ready mentally to come off the bench, then he'll probably check out. I'd rather have a Melo that's locked in and starting than a Melo who doesn't give a **** and coming off the bench.

If you want the best team you can have, you start Melo. I'm not sure you close out 4th quarters with Melo, but he's a proven scorer in the beginnings of games.

 

Physicals and the Hawks. He still hasn't been waived yet.

 

People take for granted CP3's ability to lead. Look how he and James evolved their chemistry and look at the results. The naysayers were wrong. People are just looking for ways to discredit the move so they don't have to risk anything. In the end, they'll get to celebrate if the experiment is a success and be right if it's a failure. The point is, Morey and Co. have made this team better year after year no matter who joined the team. Last year's performance landed farther than any other season. So, you think all of a sudden they're going to drop off this year? The core is CP3, Harden, and Capela. You add Melo and that takes away the pressure on offense. Harden is gonna be harden. CP3's assists go through the roof. Mello gonna get his. Capela is gonna have a monster year defensively and he's gonna keep getting his ooops. What's not to like?

 

nobody has taken cp3's leadership for granted, not anyone credible for that matter. The outsiders that didn't think it would work weren't questioning his ability to lead. They were questioning the actual fit with harden and the way this team plays under MDA's system. There's a difference there

 

1. I think it's more than semantics (otherwise why would Melo care?) but yeah if MDA figures out a way to balance the rotation then that's what matters. I just think we would get a better balance with him coming off the bench. We'll see.

2. I wouldn't say he's "washed" but some might depending upon how they define that term. Obviously, as a Rocket I hope he still has a lot to contribute.

3. It's only fun for a bit. It gets old fast. "Harden needs to improve conditioning / stay away from clubs / not flop / take the shot / pass the ball / take charge of the team / be a team player / play harder *clap clap* / etc etc."

 

Well there isn't anyone that is realistically a replacement for Ariza on the market atm, so its not surprising its a more wait and see approach that DM is taking.

 

1. Why do you think there'd be better balance? A lot of us think the plan is to pair him with Paul to battle 2nd units so wouldn't starting him and having his spacing out there to start as well be beneficial. If you bring him off the bench then he's probably bouncing between the two units which is what EGO does correct?

2. I think he does have a lot more to offer especial in a secondary role.

3. Did Harden really have his jersey retired at the strip club?

 

Are EGo and Melo not able to play at the same time? I don't see the issue with that.

Hope so!

He's the MVP at everything he does.

 

It should be noted here that I'm still talking about my ideal Rockets team which would have a starting caliber 3+D wing that we don't currently have and don't seem to have any candidate lined up. So take this for what it is... me just talking about best case scenario, not me saying I'd rather Ennis start over Melo.

Ideally:

CP3
Harden
3+D Wing
PJT
Capela

EGo
Melo
Ennis
Center
GG
Melton

 

Thats fair, depending on the 3+D wing that could work well.

 

I'd just prefer at least 2 of the 4 on the court at all times in Paul/EGO/Harden/Melo