can Melo gaurd LMA and Blake? players that really killed us last year?

Do we though? I mean most thought when we replaced Asik with Dwight we would make it out of the first round.

 

T jones isn't a player that is meant to be an offensive focal point so your argument is invalid... All T jones does is the dirty work, he is not being used to create match up issues.

 

So honestly, who do you see as a better upgrade at the 4 (or heck any position for that matter) that you'd rather go after? Keep in mind the cost of what it would take to get such a player too......

 

So you're saying that TJones' inability to force LMA to play any kind of defense whatsoever is okay because he's a role player. But Melo's ability to force Marc Gasol off the court is apparently sign of his bad defense?

 

And on a new note, being as how we disagree with how melo is still an upgrade defensively, what do you say about how he does offensively, you said that they were not even guarding him and others matched up against him that werent as good. Do you think that by adding Harden, teams will be able to guard them both? or will they have to send their big 4's out to the perimeter?

 

I dont know how to split ur responses up and reply to them individually in one post... so sue me. my points are still up there.

 

Until we get to the last three minutes of the game and they get five straight baskets to close us out. Unfortunately, there are situations where you need that guy to stop these types of players. The thing about Anthony, is that he can be forced into jump shots and can't post these players. What that could mean on some nights is an opponent going for 20 on 65% shooting while Anthony scores similar numbers at 45% shooting and gets toasted in the post. We need someone who can guard these guys better than what we have now. Hopefully Jones improves.

 

Heres a thought, what if we kept a starting five together longer than 70 games? Long shot in Houston but man could you imagine?

Again Melo never forced Gasol off the court, Tim Hardaway Jr draining treys from the suburbs did. And yes a 22 year old with less than 100 games experience not being able to run someone off the court is perfectly acceptable.

 

Agreed. Hes a bad defender- but definitely much better at guarding power forwards. Not our perfect fit defensively- but he can be servicable. All the more reason to get a backup 4/5 to replace Omer.

 

Okay so you think the best option is to keep jones in as the starting 4. We still have to do something with Asik. He wants to be traded and even if you keep him for the remainder of his contract what do you do with the cap space? Something has to be done with Lin and asiks contracts? You think waiting for jones to improve is the best use of D12's time here? It's not an invalid argument by any means.....just trying to be clear on what your perspective is. You'd rather stay put with jones and either let Asik/Lin expire or use them to upgrade the bench since you're arguing to keep the starting 5 intact?

 

Kenyon Martin, Barganni and Amare were guarding the 5s and in the games that Chandler missed Martin matched up against LMA and Griffin.


Melo is a good offensive player but he isn't really efficient, and he forces a lot... he is way to similar to Harden for my liking.

 

First off you go all in on Lebron, cause he is the king and you have to! so we will have to clear some space to show him we are serious, i dont think we will clear it all until we have some sort of confidence that he is coming here similar to Dwight last year.

but after that probably fails i would get rid of Asik and Lin (one or both are already gone at this point)... and then look to improve our depth with some 2 year contracts with only the first year guaranteed, hope for the best this year and go all out for LMA in 2015.

I just don't think Melo is worth the contract he is going to get.

 

Actually....

Melo's efficiency rating has been in the top 10 the last 2 seasons

http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/stats/2014/Advanced_Stats/Qualified/per/All/desc/1/Regular_Season

 

I think that basketball breakdown video is from 2012, people have said his defense is average or decent this year and at the PF position.

As been said the Knicks were terrible and it's been said Melo was the lone bright spot. Even Steven A Smith whose a tough Knick critic and even Bayless gives him credit.

[youtube]f_c4zV4PXJ4[/youtube]

I believe I've seen people post data from Synergy (I may be wrong, can someone who has it check?) Melo was stronger on defense in isolation and post up situations, both of which would be what killed us with T Jones on LMA in the playoffs. Again I'm not 100% though.

 

which is where he should be... there is something about him, when he plays against us I'm not afraid of him, like I know he will probably put up 30 but it will hurt his team in the process.

Plus we dont even need help on offense

 

please dear god show me a play in which he was matched up against a real power forward... i have been looking at Knicks videos all freaking day

 

You can always use more offense.. its not like scoring too much in a game hurts you. and it just so happens he is also an upgrade on defense. not saying that his defense is spectacular or above average but it beats anything we got..

Also, I dont see us getting anyone better. (If Lebron Opts in). Bosh out, Love no way, waiting for LMA to say no next year sounds stupid... who else is there? And I think melo is far more of an upgrade than keeping jones and filling the bench. IMO.

 

Not just going at you, but I think we are the most common posters on this thread so I figured I would just keep going.

You are right in that he doesnt necessarily match up against the PF's all the time, but I think if his team can handle them while he goes nuts on offense and the boards then we can do it even better. also they are not matching up against him either but with harden and howard also there, who is gonna cover who? one of the bigs has to come out on Melo and I dont see that working out for them too well at all.

 

Okay fair enough, I can respect that perspective. I wouldn't be terribly opposed to that approach either (the latter.....on the former I'm all over going after LBJ as I think anyone would be), I just think it's also a pretty big risk to wait on another big name like LMA since the odds of him coming here are a lot less right now than Melo. Who knows what could happen next year. Maybe LBJ, Love or LMA shakes loose, but maybe they all stay or get dealt in packages we can't compete with.

For me the risk with Melo is low in that he's available now and can be had for little to nothing. To wait and hope for something better is much risker IMHO......

 

Clutchfans folks in general WAY overreact to our defensive performance in the playoffs this year. Did we play great D? No. Did we play well enough to win? Yes.

The reason we were knocked out is LMA had 2 MONSTER career defining type games against us AND Lillard hit a miracle shot against us.

Those types of things happen. Its the NBA playoffs. I'm not sure that having anyone short of an all NBA defender on LMA would have made a difference. And I sincerely doubt you would consistently see that kind of performance from LMA again. He's capable of it, but if it was easy to CONSISTENTLY do it, he already would have.

Yet, you see folks here talking about making FRANCHISE ALTERING/DEFINING changes to the Rockets based on this one 6 game series. Its overreacting and wrong headed.

I'm not the biggest Carmelo fan ever, but if we get the chance to bring him to Houston, you do that every day and twice on Sunday. And I don't think for one second how well he would guard LMA. Not one.