LaMelephant: The LaMelo Ball Thread (#2)

[fatlever]

Read on Twitter

lol

[Snidely FC]

You can improve the team if you improve the players

Lamelo Ball should be a stud. Reminder he is still only 23

Melo has had ankle issues but many on here point to his unserious personality as the reason he can't won't possibly lead this team to wins

Melo may appear inimically unserious but I think the problem is the coach, Charles Lee. I think what this team needs is a serious coach.

Look at what Carlisle has done for Hali. If I were in charge I'd be looking for a coach with some gravity who knows what the heck he's doing and knows how to get the preternaturally gifted Melo to play a winning style of ball. A coach who knew how to deploy Melo - and I'm not talking about a usage rate of 35% launching 3s - would be the quickest avenue to organic growth and more wins for this team

[Bassman]

Melo will always be a kid at heart. Can he be THE leader of a team and the class fun guy at the same time? I’ve never seen that formula work out anywhere. You do need guys to keep things fun within a team. But you’ve got to have those leaders who push and hold everyone accountable.

I know Melo loves to hoop. I don’t know how badly Melo wants to win. I know Melo gets to the practice court and works on his game. I don’t know if Melo puts much time in at the gym to build muscle and gain foundational strength. I know Melo cares about this team and his Charlotte homestead. I don’t know if that’s enough.

I’d love it if Melo came back to the practice floor later this year showing defined muscle gain and a more mature approach while still injecting his fun within the team. Ultimately Ball cannot be who he isn’t. Few players are born with the burning desire for greatness, and an Alpha dog approach a la Jordan. But this team is FULL of players with a “just wanna have fun” vibe.

[Snidely FC]

I think that people forget that coming into the league Melo was a one of a kind prospect: a gifted ball handler and passer, he was a showman with the ball

Melo's passing has been reined in by successive coaches who wanted less turnovers. Fair enough but he came into the league as someone people talked about as potentially an all time gifted passer and playmaker and now people talk about moving him off ball as a SG.

The offense Lee deploys is ridiculous use of Melo's natural gifts. Again I offer Hali and IND as an example they are coached to share the ball with Hali the head of the spear, not to stand on the 3 pt line and play hero ball and chuck. They run and they share the ball. The style befits their skillsets.

Melo can keep his loosy goosy persona but he can play a style where he leads by passing not chucking, that's what I'm talking about, a coach showing him and the other young guys on the roster how to win playing team first basketball (we saw glimpses of this team passing the ball under Borrego it can be done)

[MasterIchiro]

I think that people forget that coming into the league Melo was a one of a kind prospect: a gifted ball handler and passer, he was a showman with the ball

Melo's passing has been reined in by successive coaches who wanted less turnovers. Fair enough but he came into the league as someone people talked about as potentially an all time gifted passer and playmaker and now people talk about moving him off ball as a SG.

The offense Lee deploys is ridiculous use of Melo's natural gifts. Again I offer Hali and IND as an example they are coached to share the ball with Hali the head of the spear, not to stand on the 3 pt line and play hero ball and chuck. They run and they share the ball. The style befits their skillsets.

Melo can keep his loosy goosy persona but he can play a style where he leads by passing not chucking, that's what I'm talking about, a coach showing him and the other young guys on the roster how to win playing team first basketball (we saw glimpses of this team passing the ball under Borrego it can be done)

Out of all his coaches, JB was best for Melo. He'd visit the home in Providence and swim, eat pizza, just be a kid, be himself.

[Bassman]

So daddy posted a video message, which is very interesting:

“If you want a championship, listen to me! I’m making it very easy. Everybody trying to go out and make these trades…hey, Melo should be over here, Melo should be over here. I don’t care where you put Melo. But what I do tell you, if you put him with his brother, he will go to his original spot, which is the two. He loves to score, but the only person he’ll move over from the one spot is his brother, Lonzo. Get Lonzo and Melo, and Gelo - can’t nobody beat my three boys playing fast. So the Clippers, bring them dang Ball boys home and let’s go get this championship and quit messing around. All you fans who want a championship back in L.A…YES! Whole new arena with the Ball boys? You’re going to want to come and watch that show. But if you want a championship, (Steve) Ballmer, I’m talking to you…go get them Ball boys and let’s ball!”

He’s been pushing to get everyone home for a while, but this beat the drum for the Clippers doesn’t stop. Perhaps most interesting is that Melo will go to his original spot, which is the two, cause he loves to score, but will only do it for his brother Lonzo. WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT BRINGING IN A PG?

[MasterIchiro]

So daddy posted a video message, which is very interesting:

“If you want a championship, listen to me! I’m making it very easy. Everybody trying to go out and make these trades…hey, Melo should be over here, Melo should be over here. I don’t care where you put Melo. But what I do tell you, if you put him with his brother, he will go to his original spot, which is the two. He loves to score, but the only person he’ll move over from the one spot is his brother, Lonzo. Get Lonzo and Melo, and Gelo - can’t nobody beat my three boys playing fast. So the Clippers, bring them dang Ball boys home and let’s go get this championship and quit messing around. All you fans who want a championship back in L.A…YES! Whole new arena with the Ball boys? You’re going to want to come and watch that show. But if you want a championship, (Steve) Ballmer, I’m talking to you…go get them Ball boys and let’s ball!”

He’s been pushing to get everyone home for a while, but this beat the drum for the Clippers doesn’t stop. Perhaps most interesting is that Melo will go to his original spot, which is the two, cause he loves to score, but will only do it for his brother Lonzo. WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT BRINGING IN A PG?

It says we should ignore his father if we have a chance to trade up to 2 for Harper or if we love Fears enough to take Jeremiah 4.

Neither would move LaMelo off the ball right away. And we have him secured 4 more seasons. He's worth more than Bane imo.

[fatlever]

id like To think that melo's Ego isn't so big and that he's not so uncoachable that he would only move over to off ball for his older brother. Hopefully that's just lavar talking bull like usual. But the nonsense from his family about melo going to la It's only going to keep getting louder, Unless we start winning. Luckily the Clippers don't have near the assets it would take to get him there.

[JDR720]

I mean, Melo moved off ball sometimes for Terry Rozier and Gordon.

But this Clippers stuff will never stop. Melo's family are going to keep pushing it over and over and over until it happens. They may actually burst into flames if Melo signs an extension here.

[JDR720]

And if Melo gets traded, they'll all be telling everyone and their mother about how awful Charlotte is.

It's almost a no win situation.

[MasterIchiro]

Clippers hit a wall.

**** them.

[Bassman]

Clippers hit a wall.

**** them.

Agree, and also agree MI n your comments regarding Harper. My absolute #1 desire is to trade up for Harper, and I don’t care if we give up two of our worst future firsts to go with it. F*#@*%& Spurs would get the player they really want, K-Nipple, draft pick capital for the future, and they STILL have another lottery pick at 14 for more quality depth. Harper is as close to an elite pick this team may have over the next several years, and remaining at 4 just gets us a very good potential player who has gaps and weaknesses beyond Dylan.

BTW I hate Skeletor, who when asked recently about the Mavs and Spurs incredible luck, just said “odds are odds”. Sure…that’s all it is…right.

[SWedd523]

I saw a funny thing the other day that listed every team's main rival.

For Charlotte it listed: Adam Silver

[JustBuzzin]

If Lavar is going to be toxic we might as well move on. This dude can be a huge distraction if he's gonna keep talking about this. Last thing we need is drama between Melo and the franchise.

Crazy you would think the leg amputation would have humbled him, yet he's here talking about this nonsense.

[yosemiteben]

Read on Twitter

[KembaWalker]

looks like he's taking the weight room seriously this offseason

[Bassman]

Read on Twitter

I guess he didn’t read the article about how tattoos are toxic over time. Oh well, Melo only lives in the moment. He has the right to turn his body into an ink pallet.

But this is what he’s focused on. See his body beyond the ink? No muscle build out evident to me.

I’m just ready to move on. What mega deals can we get? It would be a perfect time to cash in just ahead of this draft, get an additional lottery pick, a quality vet or two, and another pick. But Peterson doesn’t have the guts to do it.

[JustBuzzin]

Covering his body in red and black to match the Clippers jerseys...

[Chapelchilla]

Dude needs to be pumping iron not ink, lol.
Twiggy

[Bassman]

Quote on Hornets SI coming from Kendrick Perkins:

The Charlotte Hornets, might need to keep an eye on them, all the way through the draft." ESPN's Kendrick Perkins said on Sunday.

"They might be moving on from LaMelo Ball, I'm hearing that. Though it sounds crazy, this draft - there's gonna be a whole lotta trades."