Media, 2 months ago: Carmelo Anthony is washed and brings drama wherever he goes. He will not make this team better, but he might make it worse. Media, this week: You can't blame all the Rockets' problems on Carmelo Anthony! Seriously, he may not be the main problem, but the drama is too high a price to pay if he's not going to be part of the solution.
Maybe Melo finally let reality set in that the 20 point nights he's had for this team is empty stats..that his career has always been just empty stats. Maybe Melo sat there in the locker room, staring off into oblivion, because he sees that not even a shot-happy team with one of his BFFs running the show has a place for him. Maybe Melo is taking time off because he don't know if he can accept that Father Time has finally, officially wow. Maybe he's sitting back right now watching the Twitter world defending him, his basketball brothers stroking his ego, talking heads actually on his side and saying to himself , "**** y'all. I'm still Melo. Let's go to another team"
Yes Melo is being scapegoated. I agree with D-Wade, LeBron, Paul G, CP3, Dame, Evan Turner who have all come out and said much the same that Melo is the scapeGOAT. People told me last season not to like Ilyasova for the Rockets. He is too old, too slow, gives you poor defense.... Bucks with Ilyasova adapt and kick-a**, Rockets with Melo could do as well. Rockets have been doing the same with Melo. Defense has been top 5 in last 5 games.....four of which with Melo. I have watched all the games with the exception of the Spurs game (after 1st quarter). Melo has reduced his midrange shots after the first weeks of the season. The Blazers game had Melo shooting about 4 mid-range shots that were ugly and awful.....I’m guessing the Spurs games was garbage shooting as well. Bullard, Drexler and Calvin say Melo was playing sick bs the Spurs. Who knows for sure? All of the Rockets were missing layups, FT’s and 3-pt shots. Melo is to blame? Rockets haven’t given Melo nearly enough Post Ups than I wanted. Post Ups not not woven into the D’Antoni scheme and needs to be designed or forced into the system. CP3 has had a post play schemed for him on the right block.....did Melo shy away from post ups or did D’Antoni not call the play? Did the Rockets really want to bring in Melo and not run post ups and take away his mid-range shots? Really......we all saw how that worked with making Ty Lawson just a spot up 3-pt shooter; not very smart or good as they lack rhythm or a feel for the game when just relegated to spot shooter. LeBron will probably add Melo and they will do well. Melo will probably abuse us in the post. Having said all that I like Gary Clark getting as many minutes as possible. PG play: CP3/Harden/Gordon/Gerald Green/Brandon Knight Wing play: Ennis/Gerald Gordon Big Man play: Capela/Tucker/Gary Clark/Hartenstein/Nene I’m hoping the Rockets can bring in some more wing help along the season. MCW needs to be cut. Wing is still our biggest weakness. Just my humble opinion. Melo got sick from the blame.
Melo could just accept his role behind Clark, show up, shut up, and be ready.....but he isn't doing that because his pride is getting in the way. This scapegoat thing is an imaginary narrative.
Rockets weren’t using Melo correct. Gary Clark serves better for that spot up shooter “only” role. Melo can get more post ups else where. The “Freedom of Movement” rule or enforcement allows rim play to be more formidable in today’s game. Rockets failed to tap into that source.
You're conflating "won't work out" with "risky". And you're equating the actual "Melo Lover" -- Chris Paul -- with everyone here who believes Paul should get a shot at Melo, if he wants, because there was no risk to letting Chris try. We aren't Melo Lovers ... we are Chris Paul "lovers." And if he wanted a shot at Melo (clearly he recruited him and talked MDA into it), then like MDA, we all said, "Ok, Chris." But it's a short leash. There was no risk in dropping him out of the rotation like a dead Ryno after 10 games... unless you believe this ESPN Scapegoat stuff, that all our problems are due to Melo, and the lockerroom is in turmoil like a Dwight Tornado...lulz. I trust you don't actually believe that like @Zboy does.
Difference in OKC is OKC stars Russ - PG - Adams were all playing well and had positive ratings and Melo was the only negative on the team. Currently on this team everyone is a negative. When you single out one person as the problem when everyone is playing crappy and a net negative then that is scapegoating. That is like the literal definition of it.
Smh. All these mis informed people... Melo is not being scapegoated. Melo didn't like his role/minutes with the team losing some to Clark. Melo was thinking of melo not the team. Melo wants more playing time, do what the coach/team needs earn minutes. Have a hard time believing we wanted him gone after 11 gms because of his "play" after we put up with Ryan Anderson for 3yrs. Dude is selfish and Houston will be better for it. I was one that wanted melo here and defended his signing this past summer.
Like I said I think this is sort of what happened except I think the coaching staff wants to give him a lesser role that what they talked about before he signed. Which is why I think Melo is looking around the league for a spot where he can get the minutes he wants.
cont’d from post #68 Post Ups (18/19): A Davis............9.9 (game).......32.5% (FG%) on those post ups Joel Embiid......8.6 (game)......40.7% K Durant...........6.2 (game).....57.7% Mirotic...............3.0 (game).....60.9% Melo..................2.8 (game).....73.7% Valenciunas.......2.5 (game).....81.3% LeBron James....2.5 (game).....42.9% https://stats.nba.com/players/tracking-post-ups/?sort=POST_TOUCHES&dir=1 I can see Melo joining the Lakers and Melo kicking our butts in the post. Getting Tucker/Gary Clark in foul trouble. Hopefully not......but stranger things have happened in the playoffs. You know the refs will be against us. @robbie380 Pride is not always a one way street......maybe D’Antoni has too much pride as well.
If you read codmans post regarding this mess it’s melo who wants to leave for lack of usage and family dramas not the rockets pushing him out.
Which one of our many players are you referring to? It's been a rough start for the team as a whole. If melo is dumping us, fine shame on him. If we are dumping him, horrible look. But all we have right now is conjecture.
I have no problem with what Melo can bring. Melo is the one with the problem of not being able to accept a different role when it's painfully clear he needs to.
Correct, I’m not saying Melo is not without fault in this scenario.....but almost everyone on the team is. “Scapegoat” I was saying get MCW off the court (since preseason), he was killing our spacing and allowing an extra defender to roam the paint.....clogging things up for Harden and CP3. Melo is to be blamed for those days? Rockets have been sitting MCW recently & the Melo numbers on the season are the best of his career, and that’s with playing with the second team along with MCW clogging up the paint. I’m saying when everyone was chunking up 3-pointers and missing.....couldn’t they have gone to Melo post ups? Maybe 6 times a game? Help stop the bleeding? The guy is shooting over 70% from the post ups. #whenanalyticsfailus #D’Antonipride? #Meloisthevillianjustblamehim—-scapegoat
Why is it never the guy who won't move his feet on defense or adapt to a new role, but it is always the other 14 players that need to change. **** THAT NOISE - Melo is a problem - he doesn't fit. Good riddance! DD
