LaMelephant: The LaMelo Ball Thread (#2)

[JDR720]

Kemba had some kind of knee surgery pretty much every offseason. Melo is going to have ankle and wrist surgery's. This is "normal" for him, but not in a good way. It means his wrist is still screwed up from an injury like 4-5 seasons ago and his ankles are in bad shape from a half dozen sprains.

[KembaWalker]

normal offseason after a normal season

[JustBuzzin]

normal offseason after a normal season

[JDR720]

Trading him isn't happening this offseason... but if he misses half of next season then the odds go up a lot. Especially if we get Flagg or whoever else we draft looks like a star.

We don't need him to be this teams Zion. Super talented player who misses the majority of the games. Zion has been in the league a year longer, but Melo has only played about 20 more games than he has. 214 for Zion and 231 for Melo.

[JMAC3]

If we get Flagg the decision becomes much easier. Move on. Love Melo wish him well, but he's proven he can't stay healthy.

Some may say why can't we keep him with Flagg. My response what good is 40 games of Melo with Flagg?

Flagg/Miller is good enough to build around. Whatever we get for Melo is just a bonus.

If we don't get Flagg, then we continue to gamble on Melo's health every season. Something that has not worked well in our favor so far. It is what it is.

I disagree completely here.

Getting Flagg or one of the Rutgers kids means the timeline extends and you see if he can take a more complimentary role for a more gravitational player.

Everyone is doing a disservice by forcing him to carry such a huge burden. We need to see what he's like as a third option to see if he can last.

Again I'm not concerned about the talent of LaMelo. I'm concerned we will only have him for 40 games yet again. Which goes back to my original point what good is 40 games of LaMelo with a roster upgrade?

Health is his biggest concern moving forward.

You are all over the place... first you want to trade for Zion to pair with LaMelo who is never healthy... now you are against 80 games of Flagg with 40 from LaMelo? How does 40 games from Melo + 40 games from Zion make more sense?

[JMAC3]

Honestly the thread sucks, people really up in arms over a cleanup surgery that should help LaMelo future health? Swear there is no pleasing most of the fans here.

If LaMelo played and we went 7-3 to close the year people would call the front office idiots for ruining the tank for meaningless games, but at the same time LaMelo missing these meaningless games is apparently enough to send people into spirals.

[JMAC3]

I get disagreeing with people and having different views, but some of the thoughts that get thrown around here just don't even make sense.

Hornets are one of the least talented teams in the league, we clearly need to add talent. but hey if they land the #1 pick, the best thing for them to do would be to trade away their best player who is 23 yrs old? So add talent and then immediately make sure we remove what little talent we currently have?

It just doesn't make any sense.

[fatlever]

And at the same time I would say it's odd that you seem so nonchalant and dismissive about the fact that he's having two separate surgeries one to clean up an issue from a surgery he had five years ago that's still bothering him. And the second to clean up a surgery that he had two years ago. Pretending that these are just nothing burgers that are going to make everything rainbows and unicorns going forward I think is wishful thinking. It's concerning that he's needing to have these surgeries in the first place. Yes they may not be serious surgeries only minor, but the fact that he needs them is the problem and points to a long term issue with chronic health and his inability to get fully healthy. Why would any of us just pretend that these are the surgeries that are going to fix things at next year's going to be the year he's healthy? When we have five years of data that proves otherwise.

Into your last point, I don't think anyone is actually complaining that lamelo is missing the last 10 games of the season. Is completely irrelevant here. Problem is he's missing them to have two surgeries to fix two prior surgeries. I think that's a big difference.

And no one is freaking out or up in arms about all this I just think some of us are seeing this as more concerning and pointing to a larger long term future problem. And it's unfortunate and there's no easy way out of it. and of course we all are sitting here hoping for the best next year. I'm just disagreeing with anyone who is looking at these surgeries as nothing at all to be concerned about. I think that's some serious rose colored glasses in my opinion.

[JMAC3]

And at the same time I would say it's odd that you seem so nonchalant and dismissive about the fact that he's having two separate surgeries one to clean up an issue from a surgery he had five years ago that's still bothering him. And the second to clean up a surgery that he had two years ago. Pretending that these are just nothing burgers that are going to make everything rainbows and unicorns going forward I think is wishful thinking. It's concerning that he's needing to have these surgeries in the first place. Yes they may not be serious surgeries only minor, but the fact that he needs them is the problem and points to a long term issue with chronic health and his inability to get fully healthy. Why would any of us just pretend that these are the surgeries that are going to fix things at next year's going to be the year he's healthy? When we have five years of data that proves otherwise.

Into your last point, I don't think anyone is actually complaining that lamelo is missing the last 10 games of the season. Is completely irrelevant here. Problem is he's missing them to have two surgeries to fix two prior surgeries. I think that's a big difference.

And no one is freaking out or up in arms about all this I just think some of us are seeing this as more concerning and pointing to a larger long term future problem. And it's unfortunate and there's no easy way out of it. and of course we all are sitting here hoping for the best next year. I'm just disagreeing with anyone who is looking at these surgeries as nothing at all to be concerned about. I think that's some serious rose colored glasses in my opinion.

Really? Because I see a bunch of people complaining about the number of games he played, talking about time to move on from LaMelo. I mean it is pages of it... so yeah if he plays the final 10 games instead delays the surgery which would have been pretty easy to do. Plays 57 games and we fall to 4th or 5th in worst record standings is anyone happy?

My guess is probably not. They would find something else to complain about.

Just like if Melo didn't play but we didn't get updates on these minor surgeries. Then everyone would be mad at the front office for not sharing every detail, but when they do share the details it is negative too..

Again, most the time there is no winning with this fan base.

Anyone who thinks LaMelo is failing the franchise more than the Franchise has failed LaMelo doesn't understand what is happening. The team continues to give him BS rosters, BS coaches, a bottom payroll all why they stockpile assets... but then we want to complain the team is bad.... I mean it is so obvious to anyone with half a brain why we are bad.

I had hope this year that maybe Lee would be good, we might actually attempt to improve the roster if we got off to a bad start, but no we leaned further into being terrible and traded for bad players, on bad contracts for more picks that further put the current roster in a worse spot for LaMelo.

[KembaWalker]

im way past the point of being optimistic about his health or copium of "he would have played if the games mattered"

like, hes wearing down, playing like total ass and in chronic pain from 2 extremely long term injuries while playing a part time schedule already, and you're telling me hes gonna somehow be ready to play and play well in some hypothetical late season games that matter or even get us to them? how exactly is that gonna work? lol.

we're never going to play games that matter with him playing like he has been the last 2 months and we're not going to play games that matter if he has to be on a babied part time schedule all year

[KembaWalker]

Again, most the time there is no winning with this fan base.

yeah silly Hornets fans and their crazy high standards

[JMAC3]

im way past the point of being optimistic about his health or copium of "he would have played if the games mattered"

like, hes wearing down, playing like total ass and in chronic pain from 2 extremely long term injuries while playing a part time schedule already, and you're telling me hes gonna somehow be ready to play and play well in some hypothetical late season games that matter or even get us to them? how exactly is that gonna work? lol.

we're never going to play games that matter with him playing like he has been the last 2 months and we're not going to play games that matter if he has to be on a babied part time schedule all year

The games don't matter because the team is terrible other than 2 NBA players. Jalen Brunson is going to miss 30 games to end of the year, but when he comes back guess what the games will matter because the Knicks didn't leave the franchise in 7 gleaguers fate when he went down with injury.

LaMelo could have played like the best player in the league for the final 25 games it wouldn't have mattered, but hey let's figure out a way to pin this on our best player. Can't be the **** roster around him that has won 3 games all year without him lol

I mean again it is so obvious what the issue is

[JMAC3]

Again, most the time there is no winning with this fan base.

yeah silly Hornets fans and their crazy high standards

I mean this is out of context, you know it. but hey trolls gonna troll

[SWedd523]

yeah silly Hornets fans and their crazy high standards

To be fair, "no winning" is pretty much par for the course around here.


We're so used to being trash and so used to problems that people have somehow managed to manufacture sunshine out of the year this team and Melo had.

Even better, they'll gaslight you for calling attention to it.


nothingtoseeherefolks.gif

[JustBuzzin]

I disagree completely here.

Getting Flagg or one of the Rutgers kids means the timeline extends and you see if he can take a more complimentary role for a more gravitational player.

Everyone is doing a disservice by forcing him to carry such a huge burden. We need to see what he's like as a third option to see if he can last.

Again I'm not concerned about the talent of LaMelo. I'm concerned we will only have him for 40 games yet again. Which goes back to my original point what good is 40 games of LaMelo with a roster upgrade?

Health is his biggest concern moving forward.

You are all over the place... first you want to trade for Zion to pair with LaMelo who is never healthy... now you are against 80 games of Flagg with 40 from LaMelo? How does 40 games from Melo + 40 games from Zion make more sense?

It doesn't make sense. It's just a huge gamble on 2 talented players. If y'all can gamble on LaMelo's health every year why not add another super talented player. At least it makes the season more exciting getting 40 games of Melo/Zion together. The way I look at it we are gambling either way.

I just hope we get Flagg he would solve a lot of issues moving forward.

[JustBuzzin]

I get disagreeing with people and having different views, but some of the thoughts that get thrown around here just don't even make sense.

Hornets are one of the least talented teams in the league, we clearly need to add talent. but hey if they land the #1 pick, the best thing for them to do would be to trade away their best player who is 23 yrs old? So add talent and then immediately make sure we remove what little talent we currently have?

It just doesn't make any sense.

So you're assuming we get nothing of value in return for LaMelo?

I mean the guy you want us to all believe in can't even get us legit value back? I wonder why!

But none of us are making any sense lol

[JustBuzzin]

Jmac quit calling people trolls because they have a different opinion.

Show some accountability. Melo can't stay healthy. It's fine to admit that. You can't keep dodging the obvious season after season.

I'm not demanding we trade Melo, but at some point we have to seriously consider moving on. Not because of his game, but simply because of his HEALTH!

Not once have I every questioned the player. I was praising Melo more than anyone earlier in the season. This idea that I'm a Melo hater has to stop. Go on the GB nobody defends Melo harder than me.

[JMAC3]

I get disagreeing with people and having different views, but some of the thoughts that get thrown around here just don't even make sense.

Hornets are one of the least talented teams in the league, we clearly need to add talent. but hey if they land the #1 pick, the best thing for them to do would be to trade away their best player who is 23 yrs old? So add talent and then immediately make sure we remove what little talent we currently have?

It just doesn't make any sense.

So you're assuming we get nothing of value in return for LaMelo?

I mean the guy you want us to all believe in can't even get us legit value back? I wonder why!

But none of are making any sense lol

Oh we would get stuff back for him... what do you think our buddy Jeff Peterson is going to ask for? The guy that was sending our starting center away for a 2031 first, or traded for what appears to be future picks in 26/27/28. Anyone who thinks the Hornets are moving Melo from some other player of equal talent swap hasn't been paying attention to 90% of NBA trades or any of the trades Peterson has made. Those are 2k trades, not what NBA teams do or what Peterson has shown is his preference.

The offer for Melo would likely be a bunch of random future firsts, which make the team worse in the short term.

[SWedd523]

I just don't understand why it has to be all or nothing.


Was Melo surrounded by a whole lotta ****? Yes.

Did Melo also have an incredibly disappointing season with on court regression and continued injury concerns? Yes.

They are not mutually exclusive. There is no chicken and egg.

Anybody who expects Melo to be a full-time guy from this point on is bordering on delusional.

That doesn't necessarily mean trade him for a tub of cheese balls. It means they need to be realistic and stop building a team around him as if he's James Harden.

[JMAC3]

Jmac quit calling people trolls because they have a different opinion.

Show some accountability. Melo can't stay healthy. It's fine to admit that. You can't keep dodging the obvious season after season.

I'm not demanding we trade Melo, but at some point we have to seriously consider moving on. Not because of his game, but simply because of his HEALTH!

Not once have I every questioned the player. I was praising Melo more than anyone earlier in the season. This idea that I'm a Melo hater has to stop. Go on the GB nobody defends Melo harder than me.

I mean I am going to call people trolls who do nothing but try to stir the pot, be negative and purposefully look to take things out of context for reaction...