Melo is still washed

[fbalmeida]

LOL, the mid-range J as a closing option in a 1 pt game, is actually analytically correct. The problem with mid-range Js are related to the points per attempt ratio, as well as what happens when you miss them mid-game. None of that matters when you're closing a game.

Wrong, correct thing would be to drive all the way to the basket for the bucket plus and1. Melo chose a terrible shot and should be benched for it.

This is pretty funny if sarcastic

I'll go right ahead and invoke Poe's Law.

[OdomFan]

His game winner was a MIDRANGE shot. Are we seriously going to count that in his favor? Yeah he won, but he took an inefficient shot that the NBA has largely phased out. To me his game winner just proves how washed and out of touch he is, he doesn't belong in the NBA

LOL, the mid-range J as a closing option in a 1 pt game, is actually analytically correct. The problem with mid-range Js are related to the points per attempt ratio, as well as what happens when you miss them mid-game. None of that matters when you're closing a game.

Wrong, correct thing would be to drive all the way to the basket for the bucket plus and1. Melo chose a terrible shot and should be benched for it.

wow, i'm glad you're not a NBA coach.

[Mylie10]

It's funny to hear people say, "He doesn't belong I the league!" And things like that. There are so many horrible dudes in the League, Melo isn't even close to being that bad.

However, if your were to say, "The days of Melo demanding to be a starter are over" is more understandable and not many teams were going to line up, and secure a starting spot for him.

I'm glad he's helping them, because they need it. Good for him.

[BNM]

LOL, the mid-range J as a closing option in a 1 pt game, is actually analytically correct. The problem with mid-range Js are related to the points per attempt ratio, as well as what happens when you miss them mid-game. None of that matters when you're closing a game.

Wrong, correct thing would be to drive all the way to the basket for the bucket plus and1. Melo chose a terrible shot and should be benched for it.

wow, i'm glad you're not a NBA coach.

Actually, I wish he was - of every other team except mine!

[Hipster Doofus]

Was at this game. Melo was ballin, the best player on the court. His jumpshot is a thing of beauty and he jumps so high when he shoots it. Beautiful.

[macNcheese3]

“Washed up Melo” hit a game winner..

[Marcus_Shart]

Wrong, correct thing would be to drive all the way to the basket for the bucket plus and1. Melo chose a terrible shot and should be benched for it.

wow, i'm glad you're not a NBA coach.

Actually, I wish he was - of every other team except mine!

It could be Dan Tony?

[BNM]

Melo killed the Raptors tonight. This game could have gotten out of hand numerous times throughout but Melo wouldn’t have it. It was fitting he made the game winning shot.

Great game from Melo, but Pascal would have made him his bitch if he was playing.

LOL, at TOR fan playing the injury card after his team blows a 12-point 4th quarter game at home against POR, of all teams. Face it, your team choked and you got beat by a 35-year old who is washed and doesn't belong on an NBA roster.

Your four guys have minor nagging injuries and have missed a combined total of 37 games. Nurk has missed that many by himself (this season), and POR's four currently injured rotation players have missed a combined 85 games (and counting). VanVleet and Powell are both listed as day-to-day. Gasol and Siakam have strained muscles that will heal with rest - no surgery required, not season ending, not career threatening.

Nurkic - compound fracture of both the tibia and fibula last March, season ending (last season), surgery required, potentially career threatening.
Collins - torn labrum, surgery required, out at least 4 months, possibly season ending, out since October 27.
Hood - ruptured Achilles, season ending, career threatening, out since December 6.
Labissiere - knee injury, not traveling with the team, out since December 28.

The Blazers least serious injury appears to be worse than TOR's most serious injury. So yeah, blaming the loss on TOR injuries is borderline comparing a hang nail to an amputation.

[fbalmeida]

Melo killed the Raptors tonight. This game could have gotten out of hand numerous times throughout but Melo wouldn’t have it. It was fitting he made the game winning shot.

Great game from Melo, but Pascal would have made him his bitch if he was playing.

LOL, at TOR fan playing the injury card after his team blows a 12-point 4th quarter game at home against POR, of all teams. Face it, your team choked and you got beat by a 35-year old who is washed and doesn't belong on an NBA roster.

Your four guys have minor nagging injuries and have missed a combined total of 37 games. Nurk has missed that many by himself (this season), and POR's four currently injured rotation players have missed a combined 85 games (and counting). VanVleet and Powell are both listed as day-to-day. Gasol and Siakam have strained muscles that will heal with rest - no surgery required, not season ending, not career threatening.

Nurkic - compound fracture of both the tibia and fibula last March, season ending (last season), surgery required, potentially career threatening.
Collins - torn labrum, surgery required, out at least 4 months, possibly season ending, out since October 27.
Hood - ruptured Achilles, season ending, career threatening, out since December 6.
Labissiere - knee injury, not traveling with the team, out since December 28.

The Blazers least serious injury appears to be worse than TOR's most serious injury. So yeah, blaming the loss on TOR injuries is borderline comparing a hang nail to an amputation.

The nature and seriousness of the Raptors' injuries, i.e., the fact that they are not career threatening nor long-term, has exactly zero impact on the team's performance in games the injured players miss.

If you're not playing, your impact on the games you miss is going to be exactly the same regardless if your injury is a fractured spine or avocado poisoning.

[BNM]

Great game from Melo, but Pascal would have made him his bitch if he was playing.

LOL, at TOR fan playing the injury card after his team blows a 12-point 4th quarter game at home against POR, of all teams. Face it, your team choked and you got beat by a 35-year old who is washed and doesn't belong on an NBA roster.

Your four guys have minor nagging injuries and have missed a combined total of 37 games. Nurk has missed that many by himself (this season), and POR's four currently injured rotation players have missed a combined 85 games (and counting). VanVleet and Powell are both listed as day-to-day. Gasol and Siakam have strained muscles that will heal with rest - no surgery required, not season ending, not career threatening.

Nurkic - compound fracture of both the tibia and fibula last March, season ending (last season), surgery required, potentially career threatening.
Collins - torn labrum, surgery required, out at least 4 months, possibly season ending, out since October 27.
Hood - ruptured Achilles, season ending, career threatening, out since December 6.
Labissiere - knee injury, not traveling with the team, out since December 28.

The Blazers least serious injury appears to be worse than TOR's most serious injury. So yeah, blaming the loss on TOR injuries is borderline comparing a hang nail to an amputation.

The nature and seriousness of the Raptors' injuries, i.e., the fact that they are not career threatening nor long-term, has exactly zero impact on the team's performance in games the injured players miss.

If you're not playing, your impact on the games you miss is going to be exactly the same regardless if your injury is a fractured spine or avocado poisoning.

Still seems disingenuous (aka: lame) to use the injury excuse when TOR is missing two starters and POR is missing three. TOR still should have won. They led the entire game, most of it by double digits and were playing at home. They blew a 12-point lead with less than 8 minutes to go. The guys in POR uniforms stepped when they needed to, the TOR guys didn't. They completely folded with the game on the line.

But yeah, injuries...

[fbalmeida]

That injuries have impacted both team's potential performances yesterday is a trivial fact.

Sure, Toronto should've won. They botched it in the end. It happens. Not sure what you're all riled up about here.

[VanWest82]

LOL, at TOR fan playing the injury card after his team blows a 12-point 4th quarter game at home against POR, of all teams. Face it, your team choked and you got beat by a 35-year old who is washed and doesn't belong on an NBA roster.

Your four guys have minor nagging injuries and have missed a combined total of 37 games. Nurk has missed that many by himself (this season), and POR's four currently injured rotation players have missed a combined 85 games (and counting). VanVleet and Powell are both listed as day-to-day. Gasol and Siakam have strained muscles that will heal with rest - no surgery required, not season ending, not career threatening.

Nurkic - compound fracture of both the tibia and fibula last March, season ending (last season), surgery required, potentially career threatening.
Collins - torn labrum, surgery required, out at least 4 months, possibly season ending, out since October 27.
Hood - ruptured Achilles, season ending, career threatening, out since December 6.
Labissiere - knee injury, not traveling with the team, out since December 28.

The Blazers least serious injury appears to be worse than TOR's most serious injury. So yeah, blaming the loss on TOR injuries is borderline comparing a hang nail to an amputation.

I don't think this was directed at me but seeing as you quoted me...what a terrible post.

For starters, no one is comparing the long-term severity of Toronto and Portland's injuries except you. But you can still make the case that Raptors were more banged up for this game. Portland at least had five NBA players starting, including Melo who has arguably saved their season. Your biased take regarding him makes everything you said after difficult to take at face value, especially your description of the Raptors injury situation which you completely misrepresented for the purpose of going down this weird "my injuries are worse than yours" rabbit hole. Siakam and Gasol are out indefinitely and have been for weeks, and Powell suffered yet another subluxation of his shoulder. Calling him day-to-day like he just sprained a finger or something is ridiculous.

Raptors had Pat McCaw starting and playing 36 mins. Someone named Oshae Brissett played 23 off the bench. Matt Thomas, Stanley Johnson (arguably the worst Raptor in recent memory), and Terrence Davis played a combined 40 mins. The current state of their rotation is pretty dire. Chris Boucher is arguably their third best player right now.

Raptors did choke in the fourth but credit Melo for an incredible game. Like I said, it might have been a blow out if not for him.

As for the comment by Raps in 4, Siakam is by far Toronto's best player. If Lillard had missed the game it would have been comparable. But he played and so did CJ. Meanwhile Raptors 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 6th best players are all hurt. I think it's ok to be frustrated about that. /rant

[GreatWhiteStiff]

I hereby welcome this new washedgod overlord to Melonto, Canada as the raptors proud new father.

In response to the above post, to be fair to McCaw, nurse would probably play him 24 minutes with a complete roster. That doesn't necessarily mean he isn't a bad player however.

[fbalmeida]

Forget the injuries. If the refs had called the obvious offensive foul on Bazemore's illegal screen on Lillard's last 3pt, the Raptors would've won, instead of losing and having to take it all out on the poor Hornets tonight.

[GreatWhiteStiff]

It's funny to hear people say, "He doesn't belong I the league!" And things like that. There are so many horrible dudes in the League, Melo isn't even close to being that bad.

However, if your were to say, "The days of Melo demanding to be a starter are over" is more understandable and not many teams were going to line up, and secure a starting spot for him.

I'm glad he's helping them, because they need it. Good for him.

I mean he was out of the league entirely, and only came back into the league because of several injuries. I'm not sure how likely it is that he would've come back if not for that. Obviously right now I'd say he's looking like a rotational player though, and I'm pretty sure he'll have a spot next year if he so desires.

[BNM]

Read on Twitter

dude has been amazing....rought night for the stat geeks, looks like we have to invent another meaningless stat about how Carmelo is done

uh...his boxscore averages are awful. you don't need to be a stat geek..you could also watch him play defense - which you probably don't.

Yes, I agree, you should watch. As someone who has watched every minute of every POR game this season, I can tell you Melo's defense has been fine. Not stellar, but not horrible, or even bad. Certainly passable, and to me surprising that it hasn't been worse, given his age and reputation.

And, just to make sure my eye test was valid, I just checked the DPiPM and DRPM metrics. He ranks solidly in positive territory in both and comfortably in the top 1/3 of all players in both.

DPiPM: +0.29, 151 out of 478 rated players
DRPM: +0.71, 137 out of 455 rated players

I'm not saying he's a great defender, but he certainly hasn't sucked.

[Roy The Natural]

Forget the injuries. If the refs had called the obvious offensive foul on Bazemore's (Whiteside) illegal screen on Lillard's last 3pt, the Raptors would've won, instead of losing and having to take it all out on the poor Hornets tonight.

I'm going to push back on this. Much of the Raptors lead was built in the 1st quarter. Much of that was due to favorable reffing. The Ratpors had the "refs on their side" for about 3 quarters. They were hurt by some bad calls in the end. But they were mauling Portland most of the night without getting called, and were getting to a lot of touch fouls on their end.

Obviously that illegal screen should have been called. Obviously Lillard getting elbowed in the head, and knocked out of the game on a drive to the basket should have been called as well. Kent Bazemore was kicked out of the game after a missed obvious foul. There were missed calls all around. But let's not act like a couple of calls in the 4th was the start of the bad reffing, or indicative of the reffing over the course of the game.

On the injury front. I'd give the Blazers an edge. Not even due to severity. But mostly due to the localization of them all being inf the frontcourt. But it's unimportant. Both teams are banged up. Neither team can truly make a case that they had it noticably worse for just last night's game.

[Raps in 4]

Melo killed the Raptors tonight. This game could have gotten out of hand numerous times throughout but Melo wouldn’t have it. It was fitting he made the game winning shot.

Great game from Melo, but Pascal would have made him his bitch if he was playing.

LOL, at TOR fan playing the injury card after his team blows a 12-point 4th quarter game at home against POR, of all teams. Face it, your team choked and you got beat by a 35-year old who is washed and doesn't belong on an NBA roster.

Your four guys have minor nagging injuries and have missed a combined total of 37 games. Nurk has missed that many by himself (this season), and POR's four currently injured rotation players have missed a combined 85 games (and counting). VanVleet and Powell are both listed as day-to-day. Gasol and Siakam have strained muscles that will heal with rest - no surgery required, not season ending, not career threatening.

Nurkic - compound fracture of both the tibia and fibula last March, season ending (last season), surgery required, potentially career threatening.
Collins - torn labrum, surgery required, out at least 4 months, possibly season ending, out since October 27.
Hood - ruptured Achilles, season ending, career threatening, out since December 6.
Labissiere - knee injury, not traveling with the team, out since December 28.

The Blazers least serious injury appears to be worse than TOR's most serious injury. So yeah, blaming the loss on TOR injuries is borderline comparing a hang nail to an amputation.

Raptors are missing their best player. Portland isn't missing their best player.

Raptors are missing their defensive anchor C. Portland is missing their defensive anchor C.

Raptors are missing their starting SG. Portland isn't missing their starting SG.

Missing Pascal, Fred, and Marc is the equivalent of missing Dame, CJ, and Nurk. Good luck not choking away games when your best player is missing, let alone 3/5 starters.

I don't give a **** about the loss. But this game isn't some indictment of Melo not being washed. It's Melo getting hot and going up against a depleted roster (two of whom are elite defenders).

[Drou]

I'm happy for Carmelo

[fbalmeida]

I've been a fan of the NBA since before there were dinosaurs in it, and I can't recall the officiating ever being as bad as I've seen it this season.

Note to refs: try not dropping all of your acid right before games.