I wouldn't say so much marketing but I think Houston is trying to play chess with the league on cap relief and Denver is clearly trying to use Houston as leverage. As for talent and helping a team rebuild quickly, Houston isn't the best offer for Denver but Denver is trying to put pressure on NJ and any other third team. Denver is pushing to get rid of all their long term deals and that message is very clear as we seen in every article that's out there. As I stated in another thread, Denver must be careful before NJ pulls out completely in the Melo talks. Denver can't afford to not work a deal with NJ. That Warriors pick along with the other number one pick is important to Denver. Denver doesn't want either AB or Martin. From everything I've read, Denver wants Ty Lawson to take over the PG spot. Why do you think we've seen them rumored to trade Harris to another team? Martin has a long term deal that Denver doesn't want. Morey is trying to get Houston's name out there for everyone else to see. That's why most NBA writers has constantly brought up the fact that Houston is looking for a star. The more others teams see how many expiring contracts Houston can offer and risks Houston is willing to make, the more options Houston has to strike a deal. I would bet money on it that Morey has at least three to five teams his hoping to target. Morey and the Rockets love to use the media more then any team I've seen in a while. I do agree though, we have way to many wings on this team. I think the more glaring hole we have right now is in the middle. I love what we see out of PatPat but Houston needs a center badly. As of right now, it's unclear whether or not Morey can address this before the trading deadline. Even if we land a Melo, Iggy, Granger or any other wing, Houston will continue to struggle on the defensive end unless they can land a guy with size.
We give NY back their pick and Jordan Hill and throw in the Toyota Center and they give us Madison Square Garden. Then Melo gets to play in New York and Morey gets his star Rocket. I should be a GM.
I like. Call Melo's bluff. See if he can resist the guaranteed money from not signing the extension. Or if he insists, plenty of time to re-trade him before the deadline (like 'Sheed when he was in ATL for a couple of games).
I don't know about that. We obviously have a huge hole in the middle, grown even larger with Chuck out, and rarely have a problem scoring. If we aren't going to get that "superstar" player anytime soon, why not fill the hole? I was a lot higher on Anthony when it looked like we'd have Yao for at least the second half of the season. Since we aren't, something along the lines of Freak's idea has a certain amount of logic, IMO. And a question... do you consider Anthony a "borderline" superstar? Because I doubt anyone would question selling the farm to get Chris Paul, who doesn't come with an asterisk.
The point ur really missing is Favors trumps anything and everything the rockets have now and in the present future. If someone told you this kid could be the next dwight howard, isnt that worth more than anything the rockets can offer aside from 5 1st rd picks? If they get 3 1st rd picks no matter where there at from nj, plus favors, they still have a very large expiring (martin) and a smaller expiring (smith) plus a solid role player on a rookie deal in affalo. The rockets are just going to either have to make a move into the top half of the draft like CD did or save up big money and make a serious push like those teams did this summer.
The Rockets are 7th in offense right now, and that's with whom I consider to be their most important offensive player (Brooks) missing the vast majority of the season. Defense has to be the overriding concern. I'd rather we spend our assets to shore up that end of the floor. Carmelo's offensive game is overrated, IMO. Plus, he's a 1-on-1 ISO player, which is not a natural fit for the offense we like to run.
anthony is a borderline superstar; did you watch the year when denver went to the WCF? the guy was ridiculous. the reason i don't think he's a full-blown superstar is b/c he isn't the all-around players that the true superstars are (but those guys are only a handful - lebron/wade/kobe/paul/deron/dwight). i don't even consider kevin durant a true superstar (yet anyways). but playing under a proven coach and a good system, melo may improve in those areas. i don't know. but carmelo can carry a team on his back. he may not "transform" an offense, but that's b/c he's not a playmaker ala lebron. he's a scorer, but unlike martin, that can generate a pace and score in a variety of ways, and force double teams. and he can provide the post presence offensively that we desperately lack. not many perimeter players have a legit post game like melo does. thirdly, getting a defensive center is easy once you have the "star." look at the heat. they are making due with what? joel anthony? dampier? look at the celtics when they got their big 3 together. kendrick perkins was basically a no-name that is now considered one of the best interior defenders in the game. again, all you need is to get a defensive-oriented mindset. jordan hill and patrick patterson can easily become better defensive players and really make this team a better team defensively if the coaching staff emphasizes that part of the game. but i believe adelman thinks the only way we can win is to outscore people. again, i always feel it's easy to get good role players if you have the star system in place (unless you're incompetent like we were with tmac/yao).
I agree but these type of players don't fall off trees everyday....so our #1 agenda should be acquiring this guy and I think we still should enough assets for Morey to work with to make this a better defensive team.
and last of all, for those who say we are a great offensive team (5th in ppg), that's not the case. it's due to the pace we play. we're 20th in the L in fg%. we just get a lot of possessions ala golden state. so it's misleading for people to say our offense is great and we can overlook that area. we score points, but how do we score points? sure people can bring up melo is a career 46% shooter (but that's great for perimeter players nowadays). again, he draws DOUBLE TEAMS in the post and can create HIS OWN SHOT vs anybody, anywhere. having an offensive player of that caliber will force teams to change the way teams defend us. and we can either speed it up or play slow. good teams can play any style. and only when we have that type of offensive player can we afford to do that. now? all we can do is run run run.
I'm shocked that someone who posts as much as you on this board doesn't understand how to measure a team's offense statistically. Edit: [rquoter] Chron.com Q/A (3 years ago): durvasa: What's the best way to rate a team's offense and defense, statistically (e.g. ppg, FG%)? Do you think one side of the ball is any more important than the other historically? And in particular, is it true that defense is more important than offense in the playoffs? Thanks, and good luck with the rest of the season! Daryl_Morey: best way to judge offense and defense is points/poss scored and given up per possession. Defense historically has been moderately more important but you generally have to be top 10 at both and very good at something. We are currently 2nd in defense and 17th in offense. [/rquoter]
I think the fact that it's easier to obtain a defensive-minded center than a closer like Melo makes Melo the higher priority if we can get him. Melo + C we get by trading away Battier/Martin > C + Battier/Martin
Some people in this site and NBA fans/analysts will be surprised about what Melo will be be from this point of his career reaching the 30 year old mark. IMO he will age better then LBJ (I am talking about his game). With age, players tend to jump lower, run slower, etc, etc. There is one thing that only get´s better, that mid-range shot, the 3 ball, and the post-up. Melo is elite from mid-range, he is the best post-up player for his position, and he lacks consistent 3ball shooting. People say that LBJ is CLEARLY better then Melo, I agree, but from now on, the gap will decrease (very slowly)..... I think Melo is a "victim" of his attitude during the regular season. He only plays threw the season, he relies on his huge talent to be productive. Look at him when playing the big teams or against great players, his attitude changes completely, he is more aggressive, more dynamic. And of course when he goes to the playoffs he is another monster, more aggressive, more heart, etc. I like Melo´s future as a player, I can only hope DM manages to bring him in...... I bet people would immediately change some ideas they have about him (some of these ideas are legit). PeAcE
I completely agree with your analysis on the wing situation. Brooks skills are damn hard to replace, off the bench or starting. And Lowry is the perfect guy to counter what Brooks doesn't do well, not to mention he can guard most SG's pretty effectively. Terrence and Courtney are two defenders that need to stick around, and are very capable of filling in to a team that is already offensively stacked. I hope we can find a certain young center.
Good player? Yes. Fit into the team? No. Yes I understand that you build the cast around the star. But I really do not want to see the whole team change for a Melo....
http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/01/11/nets-carmelo-anthony-trade-nuggets-al-harrington-rockets/ On this roller coaster we've all come to know as the Melo-Drama, the brakes were being applied by the Nuggets yet again on Monday just as they were back in September. Once again, the deal New Jersey thought it had to land Carmelo Anthony wasn't enough. Once again, the Denver duo of 30-year-old team president Josh Kroenke and first-year executive Masai Ujiri was asking for more no matter how it affected their popularity. Once again, the question of why Anthony is letting the Nuggets wield the kind of leverage that should be his came into question. Yet there was one major difference in the latest turn of this ride that has lasted so long now: the embattled new Nuggets' brass appears to be more in control than ever. • Melo Waits for Meeting With Denver's Brass • The Works: Who Wins This Trade? • Carmelo: Trade Rumors Just 'Speculation' • Nuggets Respond to New Jersey Rumors • Chauncey Billups to Seek Buyout if Traded With the framework of a trade between Denver, New Jersey and Detroit in place Sunday that would have gone down as one of the largest in league history, the Nuggets kept pushing to make it even bigger on Monday after it was reportedly nearing completion. According to sources with knowledge of the negotiations, the Nuggets' insistence that the Nets take back forward Al Harrington and his deal that runs through 2015 and has a combined $28 million remaining is the cause of the latest delay. The Nuggets were already set to acquire prized rookie forward Derrick Favors and veteran point guard Devin Harris along with Anthony Morrow, Ben Uzoh, Quinton Ross, Stephen Graham and two first-round draft picks, but they're making an aggressive move to shed future salary and speed up a rebuilding process that -- as Cleveland has learned the hard way in the wake of LeBron James' departure -- is always far more painful when the team left behind doesn't make the most of the superstar's exit. And while the move certainly prompted some criticism from team executives and agents who believe the Nuggets should already be content with the trade in its Sunday form, there were others who lauded Kroenke and Ujiri for an approach that just might work after all. "It wouldn't surprise me at all to see them walk away from the table again and frustrate everyone," an executive not involved in the three-team discussions told FanHouse on Monday afternoon. "But the last time they frustrated everyone, their offer got better. Everyone can b**** and moan about how it's going, especially (the Nets) ... but (the Nuggets) are trying to do what's best for them. And so far -- like the strategy or not -- it seems to have worked for them. There has been no pausing of this DVR just yet, though, so the drama plays out in the present with emotions running high from all around. The Nuggets, who are expected to trade Harris (owed $18 million combined in the next two seasons) should the deal go down and would thus belatedly benefit even more from the trade -- refuse to buckle under the immense pressure and have let it be known that they won't be bullied into rushing such a monumental move. If the inexperienced pair of personnel men are, in fact, able to maximize Anthony's value while withstanding the unenviable combination of this situation and their team's recent on-court struggles, it would be an accomplishment not many would have predicted just a few months ago. Houston Hopes to Enter Picture Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets, according to league sources, remain engaged with the Nuggets on the periphery about a possible Anthony deal as a possible Plan B for Ujiri and Kroenke. While the specifics of their latest talks are not known, the significant changes that have occurred since Denver's four-team deal with New Jersey, Utah and Charlotte fell apart are worth reviewing because of what they might mean. In late-September, the Rockets, who have the built-in disadvantage that we discussed on Friday of being a Western Conference rival of Denver's, had very little urgency to do an Anthony deal and even less to offer. Specifically, forward Luis Scola was not yet available to be traded, as the veteran who signed a five-year, $47 million in the summer could not be dealt until Dec. 15. And while the Nuggets are clearly looking to shed future salary that isn't deemed relevant to their future plans, their frontcourt needs far exceed any other area on the roster and sources say Scola has a favorable reputation among their decision makers. What's more, the expiring contracts of Yao Ming ($17.7 million), Shane Battier ($7.3 million), Jared Jeffries ($6.9 million), Chuck Hayes ($2.3 million) and Aaron Brooks ($2 million) offer plenty of financial flexibility when it comes to the Nuggets' possible savings. Houston can at least match the Nets on the number of picks offered as well, as it has the right to swap their first-round pick with New York in 2011 and owns the Knicks' first-round pick in 2012. Ironically, the Rockets lost their chance to up the ante on the picks front by giving New Jersey their lottery-protected 2012 first-rounder in last month's trade that also involved the Lakers. The possibility for increased incentive on Houston's part can't be overlooked either, as the Rockets have gone from learning Yao would be out for the season (and perhaps his career) with an ankle injury to seeing their team lose five straight and fall to 16-21 on Sunday (they broke the streak with a win over Boston on Monday). While it's not known whether Anthony would consider signing an extension with the Rockets, sources have maintained for months that Houston has a confidence, or at least guarded optimism, similar to that of the Nets when it comes to that aspect of the deal. Yet the Nets remain in a class all their own as potential suitors, seemingly unfazed by the frustrations and forced to face a new reality as this longest of rides continues on. Barring an announcement from Anthony that he will only sign an extension with New York or that he'll join his dream team as a free agent this summer, there's no question who's sitting in the operator's chair. The Nuggets, like it or not, are in control.
Closer to 3 years younger. Odds are, Favors will be a better player than Patterson. But, hey, that's okay. As long as Patterson is a good player.
