[Melo Thread] Woj: OKC and Melo to part ways

Yeah, when is Simmons ever right?

 

A vast majority of the board was on board with him joining last year. I know a lot has changed after seeing him in OKC and how bad overall he performed, but before that he had flashes of a person we could have really used last year. I am on the side that believes he was locked and loaded to join the Rockets and fit this scheme, but with no deal to be made he was forced into a situation that doesn't really work.

At a low price point, he is someone that we can bring here at this point that could help our team if he has that same mentality. Him and Anderson are a wash on defense so you have to have something else that stands out and his offense is something we can use. It could all blow up in our faces, but I have a feeling with CP3 and Harden he wanted to have the role we needed.

 

He was putting in work against Draymond

 

Do you really see this guy setting picks out high …. I Don't.

He's gonna want to be the guy with the ball in his hands , not the guy setting the pick for someone else to create , someone else making the decisions. Someone else decides when he gets a look at the basket.

 

Even at his most arrogant Melo couldn't be expecting to be the guy here in Houston -- Melo has said as much indicating he wanted to be off ball and was tired of handling the ball every play. I'm certain he'll want the opportunity a few times a game and that is fine.

 

I keep checking this thread hoping for an update that the Rockets have officially withdrawn themselves from the Melo pursuit.

 

Cannot withdraw from something that does not exist. Yet. Tampering, and all that.

So, wait on your fret a wee bit. Yet.

 

Instead you get KingCheetah's latest hot take on why adding Melo is a good thing -- btw did you know that he has 3 Olympic Gold metals?

 

Melo loves the pick n pop game. This sounds crazy but Melo just wants to score the rock, everything else can be worked through but in OKC was he forced to be a glue guy of sorts.

 

noooo... The pick and pop. Its what anderson does. He sets the light screen and fades to the wing. Thats where carmelo likes to shoot. If it means him rolling out and getting the ball to create a drive/3. He will do it.



Not sure you know what it is, here is a basic very simplistic version of it. Him and CP3 could eat people alive with this with mismatches. In the video they are more in the wing area fading to the corner. Houston runs this more at the top of the key and fade to a wing.

 

Russ the wonderboy, so easy to share a court with, didn't share success with Melo and now Melo has the taint but W'brook ain't? Lousy narrative IMO!!!

 

Literally every single player on the rockets outside of Joe Johnson contributed more to winning than Melo last year. I doubt Melo will contribute much in his advanced age for the exact opposite reason I believe CP3 will still produce at an all star level to 35 and maybe beyond; His Conditioning. For the last 4 or 5 years, Melo needed to lose some weight, he has not. CP3 conditions himself like very few in the NBA, and his game never relied on overwhelming athleticism to begin with. I think he could be passable if he lost some weight, but we have all heard that he has lost weight too many times for me to believe that he will go through with it.

 

Are we at the 2 yard line yet?

 

Just give me melo already

 

Classic example of when hot takes go wrong.

 

Okc Paul George trade, no one saw it coming

 

Carmelo had 28 games of 20+ points last season. At the bargain bin price, I gladly welcome Sweet Melon's unique and undeniable offensive talents.

 

This is how I can rationalize Melo on the Rox.

Start him at the 4, but limit his minutes with the starting unit (a la Kenny Smith) first to the bench early in Q1. With the 1st unit Melo should be the 4th scoring option. No worries to his ego. The bulk of his minutes will come with the 2nd unit where he can be the 2nd or 3rd scoring option (Olympic Melo).

Bring in Luc early at the 3, move PJ down to the 4.

Also mange his minutes in a way that he plays with CP3 as much as possible.

With the 2nd unit CP3 or EG should be the 1st and 2nd scoring options, then Melo/Luc/others. Defensively he is also protected by guarding mostly 2nd unit guys.

2nd Unit

CP3
EG
Luc/GG/Melo
“Olympic Melo”
Anderson/Nene/CC/Melo

 

Bringing in Melo risks creating a fairly toxic atmosphere. If his play is anything like he established last year the coach and staff would want to trim his minutes. Melo will not like anything but treatment as a potential all-star. When he was not the man in OKC he played poorly, he would not be the man here either. If Melo can't make the mental journey from the man to important piece or even just contributor he is a risk. Also how would the Rockets staff even be able to really know if he is in a different place. He would be on another team with yet another MVP.