Start Melo ???

[Epicurus]

Idolatry often trumps solid reasoning.

Respecting a player for his experience and past accomplishment is not idolatry. It's just a reasonable way to treat people. It doesn't trump or cost anything.

Doing such beyond reasonable is idolatry. And idoloary may be proving costly to the Blazers.

[d-train]

Idolatry is stupid. Intelligent people don't act against their own interests because they are unduly influenced by reverence to an individual with a diverging interest.

So, you are asserting that Olshey and Stotts are stupid. And, Lillard and CJ, our team leaders, are stupid for supporting bad management.

I strongly disagree. Of all the possible claims that Blazers are a mismanaged team, the least likely to have merit is idolatry. It's far more likely that Olshey and/or Stotts would sacrifice their own mother's to further their self interest, than they would put Melo ahead of their self interest.

[GEE]

You people can call my idea whatever you want, but I'm just trying to find a solution. I was hoping others would have some ideas for changes, but I haven't heard any except for maybe starting Little, but for who?

Melo was slated as our backup PF, with ZC starting, and ROCO at the SF. It's more natural than people think, just pull him early, earlier if he stinks, because you should rotate guys more often to legs fresh. Especially in the playoffs, his smarts will play huge in the playoffs, and he might even start playing D again, like he was earlier in the year.

Colllins coming back? Believe it when I see it, but would be the ultimate answer for the defensive woes if he could be somewhat close to his former self.

Of course none of this matters if you believe in the genius of the 3-guard offense, ehrrr, I mean lineup. Doesn't matter who you put at the 4 & 5, they are going to take a nightly beating, and I'm honestly shocked that ROCO and Kanter have survived this long.

[d-train]

The so-called 3 guard lineup with Powell isn't new. It's an improved version of the 3 guard lineup with GTJ, which was an improved version from the prior year with Hood. And, the 3 guard lineup doesn't have to be the starting lineup, but there is no reason for it not be the starting lineup. RoCo should start because we need his defensive energy to start games. The 5th starter could be Powell, DJJ, Melo, or a healthy Collins. Healthy Nurk and Collins is the defense in the paint we are missing. RoCo and DJJ are better than Kanter and Melo, but we aren't equipped to defend the paint without Nurk and/or Collins.