OT: Melo signs with Rockets

[Rocketsbaby]

Are we sure hes coming off the bench?

Honestly I do not want Carmelo coming off the bench. I believe he is a much better fit with our starting lineup where Harden/Paul initiate all the offense. The bench mob allows Eric Gordon to go to work and he's coming off one of the most productive offensive seasons in league history so the last thing I want is Carmelo to upset the apple cart.

Agree with most of your points but that bolded part is not remotely true

LOL, i added a little flair for dramatic effect but with a 3.77 ORAPM, Eric Gordon was undoubtedly one of the best offensive players in the league last year. The guy has the talent to absolutely carry an offense for large stretches and really thrives in that 6th man role.

He also bulked up a lot last year to handle his switching assignments better. People love to hate on the Rockets defense but Harden/Gordon/Paul have all bulked up to the point you can't just force a switch and then back them down for an easy bucket. This enables us to switch every pick. Does it leave some mismatches from time to time? Sure. But it also enables us to conserve energy not fighting through screens. Essentially we are banking on the fact we can score more efficiently than you can IF we don't concede a bunch of bunnies in the paint.

The Rockets style sure has a lot of haters for a team who gave up two less points per 100 possessions than the Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz... and one less point than the 76ers....

Not everyone is Victor Oladipo or Jimmy Butler and excels on both ends. Trade offs have to be made.

For the most part Game Theory Optimal Strategy in the NBA right now is to create the absolute most efficient offense as possible without sacrificing greatly on defense.

Boston gets it. They've built a stable of wing defenders who combine to form an elite defense. Then they have the shooting to surround Kyrie's iso play. They've gone slightly the opposite way. Build a competent offense with an elite defense. That could work.

What can't work is mimicking the Miami Heat and throwing a bunch of mediocre players out there and hoping they win. What isn't likely to work is tanking for ten years like Sacramento hoping you find the next Lebron James.


People can laugh all they want about signing Chris Paul for $40 million. But do you think we would be half as likely to win the title if we spent $20 million on Tim Hardaway Jr instead? Do you think you win the title by forming a starting five of guys who make $8m apiece?

Newsflash, when they play the games no one cares what kind of "value" you're getting from your backup center. Either your backup center gets the rebound or he doesn't. Either he can defend the PNR or he can not. It doesn't matter if you paid him $1.8m per year less than what John Henson got. It doesn't matter if you got a team option on Year 4.

You guys are so obsessed with getting a good "value" that you forgot what wins games and what doesn't. You're all a bunch of social security collecting value shoppers lined up at 7 AM for double coupon day at Harris Teeter. No one is trying to win 46 games here. You win in the NBA with elite talent, period. These "value" contract guys are the worst in the league because you can't win games at a high level with them. There is no price where Alex Len is a good "value" because he can't be in your playoff rotation. There are literally 800 guys in the world I'd prefer to roster who could provide a skill we might actually covet during a single possession in Game 3 of the WCF.

[-G-]

I don't think he will help in the playoffs. He can't be on the floor defensively against good teams.

[djsunyc]

that $40 mil to cp3 really hurt them. and they still have to deal with capela.

[hookshot]

I'm not worried. Harden and CP3 will make him great again.

[Rocketsbaby]

that $40 mil to cp3 really hurt them. and they still have to deal with capela.

read my post directly above yourself, educate yourself, and come back to us.

The CP3 contract was inarguably the 2nd best contract handed out in the NBA this offseason.


Once Lebron decided he wasn't interested in beating the Warriors we did the only thing we could do to remain a legitimate NBA title contender (if not the title favorite)

[OlDirtMcBert]

Most GMs in would rather slip Melo into another team’s rotation than a poison pill. He’s that bad at 75% of the game basketball. He can still score, but he’ll give up twice as much as he earns. He barely makes it over mid court for the defensive possessions, and his team would be better off if he didn’t even bother. I hope he signs with Houston, because it’d be a clear sign that window is closing up quick.

But statistically this wasn't true last year.

He was roughly 1.4 on offense and -0.8 on defense.

I really don't like Melo as a player but we are talking about a team where he's at best the 3rd option and really more like the 4th behind Capela's rim runs... he's going to have all the wide open shots you could imagine and he's not going to be asked to do much whatsoever. If he just stands in the corner, gets out of the way, and shoots 36% from 3 with decent playmaking he's still an effective offensive player.

I love Trevor Ariza over the course of his career. He was a very, very good player for years. But he's closer to DONE than great these days. He's extremely limited and basically a neutral offensive and defensive player. His defensive reputation is just that, a reputation based on years of previous outstanding play. Carmelo is a clear upgrade on offense and downgrade on defense, but not by anywhere near the severity that most people are imagining.

Now that said, Carmelo's legs are clearly not spry any longer. We don't know exactly what we are going to get. But considering we win most games by 20+ points I think going to a team where he doesn't have to play heavy minutes and can take a few nights off will really help his efficiency.

Just wait until he starts screaming like a baby until he gets crunchtime minutes from PJ. He’ll get cut. Teams need grit and toughness: the intangibles. The recipe is almost always get two superstars and surround them with talented hockey goons that can protect them. Melo still thinks he’s the guy to protect...it’ll end badly for him. The Rockets will be fine.

[SpreeChokeJob]

that $40 mil to cp3 really hurt them. and they still have to deal with capela.

read my post directly above yourself, educate yourself, and come back to us.

The CP3 contract was inarguably the 2nd best contract handed out in the NBA this offseason.


Once Lebron decided he wasn't interested in beating the Warriors we did the only thing we could do to remain a legitimate NBA title contender (if not the title favorite)

Yes in terms of regular season contract your team got value, but during the postseason he always gets injured. It's almost near certainty. So going the Chris Paul route is the same as going the scrub route except it's going to cost your team any chance of a title because the money is tied up, so when an opportunity comes up your team can't act. Read the story of how the Warriors got Iguodala. Myers was desperately trying to get rid of salary. Thankfully he didn't have to try unload a soon to be broken Chris Paul at 40 million.

[jason bourne]

How do people know? Because it's Melo. Ha ha.

https://www.cbssports.com/live/carmelo-anthony-is-not-willing-to-come-off-the-bench-for-the-rockets/984750/

[MaxRider]

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