How thankful are you now that the Melo trade didn't happen?

unless I am mistaken . .. . . Melo is under contract for next year. . . .for 28 million
unless he opts out
Which he won't
he'd be stupid too

http://www.spotrac.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/carmelo-anthony-2283/


Rocket River

 

Please tell me that we all recognize how different it is to play with Westbrook vs playing with Harden. It seems a lot easier for teammates to thrive next to Harden because he is unselfish. Throw into the mix that Chris Paul is also a very unselfish player. Melo would have had an amazing year with the Rockets if he stuck to his guns.

Now if/when Carmelo leaves the Thunder (buyout, opt-out, free agency, etc.), and the Rockets are thriving with the Beard and CP3, he will come here and have an amazing year statistically.
There is a reason Team USA is constructed as it is. Great player's jobs get easier when playing with other Great players. Some may say we dodged a bullet. I say we would have broken GS record for most wins in a season.

 

I am still thrilled that Cancerello Anyballforme didn't come to the Rockets.

DD

 

westbrook has nothing to do with the way melo plays the game. he plays the exact same was he did in NY. thats not what the rockets want. you're right harden and cp3 are unselfish. The problem is Carmelo is not. hes a selfish player, always has been. "who me?"

 

Do you really think Carmelo is still a "great" player?

He has over 1000 games on those legs, and check out his PER over the last 5 years.
24.4
21.5
20.3
17.9
14.5

PER isn't everything, but god damn that's alarming, and it really looks like his age is beginning to catch up with him. He has always been a poor defender, but offensively he was dominant so you could build decent teams with him. Now he is a 40% shooter that requires 20 shots a game, that plays even crappier defense than before because of his old ass body. I see what you are saying, but I don't know man.

I still think he could be a fantastic 6th man and play for 5-6 more good years If he would simply check his ego at the door.

 

With how Ryno is doing this season, I wouldn't want to take the gamble to see if Melo changes his game permanently. The saying "A leopard doesn't change its spots" exists in its myriad of variations for a reason.

 

He definitely not GREAT anymore. Sorry if that is what my message is implying. I just think he's way better than Anderson. I love Anderson's professionalism this season and he's playing better due to CP3... but Melo is better. There is a reason played out of his mind on Team USA though. Of course he isn't that young anymore or as skilled but he's shown that he can operate in an environment of multiple stars.

 

I get what you mean... But Oladipo thrived when he didn't play with Westbrook. Durant left Westbrook. Carmelo is having a terrible year with Westbrook. Get what I mean?

 

referencing team usa means nothing when it doesnt translate into actual NBA play. those are two completely different levels of competition

 

The whole notion right now is that he would ruin chemistry with the Rockets because he is not willing to be a team player. Referencing Team USA shows how he was able to play with multiple stars. I understand his stats in those games don't apply.

 

its easy to say that when the level of competition is far inferior. of course things are all well when you blow out teams from the start. the nba isnt as simple. you dont just win based on name alone. you have to take into account fit and chemistry and translate that into winning basketball

 

Absolutely agree with that. I just think that with the COLLECTIVE talent on OUR team (AND adding MELO), the competition is inferior most nights.

 

i bet thats what okc believed when they got pg13 and melo

 

Melo didn't suddenly play like that after he joined Westbrook. His game has not changed throughout his whole career. Yes, he played worse playing with Westbrook both because he's a year older and because Westbrook take the ball away from him. But his playing style has not changed.

One can argue that he would not be the same playing with Harden and Paul. But that's pure speculation. He has never played with these guys before. What makes us believe that he would change? You and other people bring up the Olympics. But (1) How many games did he play in the Olympics, compared to how many games has he played in the NBA? (2) What was the competition level of the Olympics compared to the NBA?

Yes, Melo is a better player than Ryno. But he is not a better 3pt shooter. He is better at creating for himself. But with Harden and Paul (and to a lesser extent Gordon), creating offense is not one of the top priority for us. Floor spacing is. And Anderson is actually a better floor spacer than Melo. And Anderson does not have the risk of clashing of ego. The Dwight experiment is a big lesson for all of us to learn. I think Morey learned it.

In summary, at best, Melo is better than Anderson, but only marginally in our system. I would not gamble a potential disastrous cancer just for a slim chance of getting marginally better.

 

Not really and I think you are missing the point here. Neither Oladipo or Durant were known as selfish, inefficient chuckers. Melo however IS known as an inefficient chucker. That is who he has been his ENTIRE career outside of a short stint in the Olympics. The argument for bringing Melo here has very little to do with his performance WITH Westbrook, but rather CP3 convincing Melo to sacrifice his selfish playing style and playing like he did during the Olympics. Is it possible that he will do that over the course of the season and playoffs? Maybe, anything is possible, but the entirety of humanity's history argues against that. For better or worse, people typically do not change much once their habits are set.

 

Very thrilled, he is over the hill and around the bend. He doesn't do a lot of things well anymore. When his shooting is off, that is about it. I doubt he is the best teammate either.

 

I’ve watched Melo for years. What’s going on in OKC goes beyond refusing to adjust his game. He was already a step slower in his last two years in NY and declining. He couldn’t draw as many fouls nor defend as well as before. Before he was a huge mismatch at the PF position. Now he’s just average speed and undersized. Playing with Harden and Paul isn’t going to reverse aging or make someone magically play defense. He played a very physical style on offense his whole career and he just can’t do it anymore. It’s like expecting KG on the Brooklyn Nets to turn back the clock.

We weren’t expecting Melo to outshine Ryno in regards to spot up shooting, but we were hoping he would provide us with a good matchup against GS by being able to create his own offense. I highly doubt that would happen at this point. Anyone pining for Olympic Melo is living in the past. The hoodie is a meme at this point.

 

He and LeBron are the same age . . . smh
They were considered 1 and 1a when they were drafted
I was a big fan of his . .. . he is such a disappointment

Rocket River

 

Correct, Melo will opt in and play his last year of that contract and then he will want to resign with the Thunder on one last contract. By that time, he will have nothing left and neither will they except a payroll too big to rebuild and too devoid of stars to send him packing. He already hates it there just like NY but the money is all he cares about.

 

I don't think it's terribly surprising how bad Melo has looked this season, he's stuck on a team with Westbrick who always makes his teammates look worse.

Now that said, I'm sure Melo would be playing better than he has thus far this season if he was in Houston, but I'm not sure that even a Melo for Ryan Anderson straight up trade would have made the team better. I'm fine with Melo wasting away in OKC.