RealGM

Where would a team built around a prime Iverson, Kobe, and Melo core rank in 2024? Assume a good coaching staff and a median cast of role/supporting players.

I don't believe in Melo/AI working well on the same team, let alone with prime Kobe running the show and needing the ball. Easily outside the top 5 for me.

Between the three, I'd choose Kobe >>> AI > Melo as an individual. But the fit between them sounds problematic.

Horrible chemistry. Very weak off-ball play. Mediocre D at best from 2/3 of that crew.

rand wrote:Where would a team built around a prime Iverson, Kobe, and Melo core rank in 2024? Assume a good coaching staff and a median cast of role/supporting players.

A median cast for the amount of cap space they would have or a median cast in general

How many basketballs do they play with?

Two of those three give 100% on the court. They would get angry with the third person and not pass him the ball, who will then pout and cry that his legacy is being destroyed.

If Kobe could effectively play point then I think it could be interesting. Young Melo was a decent enough slasher and not TERRIBLE defensively. Iverson's streaky shooting remains a problem, but might be mitigated by modern pace and space offenses.

But overall just seems like three Iso-heavy volume scorers without a strong secondary role glaring at the coach for not calling their number more often.

SkyHookFTW wrote:Two of those three give 100% on the court. They would get angry with the third person and not pass him the ball, who will then pout and cry that his legacy is being destroyed.

I don't believe Iverson had any personal issues with Anthony.

How do they develop before becoming that threeway?

Iverson did look a willing passer with Carmelo. And I think with a better team he'd have developed into more of a point guard. His passing was never bad either, above average if anything.

Still a horrible fit.

I guess I'm the only one who sees them as championship favorites? The fit is horrendous, egos would clash, but that's just an overwhelming amount of talent. I might put Melo as a sixth man

Whether it could possibly work would depend on some coach working a miracle to get them to play well together. AI accepting much more of a pure pg role and Kobe being ok with sharing the ball with both. I don't think it would work. None of the 3 would be happy and you aren't winning with 3 unhappy stars.

Rishkar wrote:I guess I'm the only one who sees them as championship favorites? The fit is horrendous, egos would clash, but that's just an overwhelming amount of talent. I might put Melo as a sixth man

No, I think they absolutely would be contenders. They'd just have a middling regular season, but it isn't uncommon for people to greatly down play how much talent matters.

The coaching matters. You'd need the three to buy into playing very specific roles that are not their natural instincts, and if they don't buy in, it just wouldn't work.

But if AI could play point, and Melo accepts his role as Heatles Bosh? Contenders for sure.

I just saw a clip on IG asking AI who he most would want to play with, and he said Doncic bc he's a big point guard, and would allow him to do more of what he did in '01 with Eric Snow as his "big" co-guard. It's been 25 years since that season, and he played pure point in Denver, but still has the SG attitude. And he's seen how the league has morphed into allowing for scoring lead guards like Steph, Dame, Luka, SGA, etc. and he still wants to play 2-guard.

Melo took home gold three times as a stretch 4, and probably has similar thoughts about his NBA game - that he's the alpha, and people should let him ISO in the elbow every play.

Kobe's probably the only guy who would sacrifice his raw stats for rings, and even then, only if he's the one taking the last shot.

Interesting hypo, and if it works, it's a monster squad. But it's at best 50/50 if it works.

pancakes3 wrote:The coaching matters. You'd need the three to buy into playing very specific roles that are not their natural instincts, and if they don't buy in, it just wouldn't work.

But if AI could play point, and Melo accepts his role as Heatles Bosh? Contenders for sure.

AI wasn't an ideal point choice. His passing was all about basic penetrate and pitch. He was definitely no game manager, which is the reason behind the instant change in Denver when he was replaced with Billups. He was a shooter, through and through, even as a PG, regardless of what he said about Eric Snow.

Melo took home gold three times as a stretch 4, and probably has similar thoughts about his NBA game - that he's the alpha, and people should let him ISO in the elbow every play.

He did it in New York once he discovered the joys of catch-and-shoot 3balls, but the problem with him was never which position he was labeled with on the floor. It was about his style of play. He'd be the third of three iso-heavy players in this little exercise.

Kobe's probably the only guy who would sacrifice his raw stats for rings, and even then, only if he's the one taking the last shot.

History disagrees with that one. He actually fought for a larger and larger role on a winning team. It worked out overall, but he had to be checked at points and ultimately it blew up in part due to that issue.