LaMelephant: The LaMelo Ball Thread (#2)

[yosemiteben]

What do we gain by keeping LaMelo?

We don't win with LaMelo even when he plays.

As of today, we are 21 points per 100 possessions better with Melo on the floor compared to off it. For context, Kon is +4.8 compared to Melo's +21.

It's not an end all stat, but no one on our team gets us closer to winning then Melo. You want to trade a guy who is by far our most impactful player for pennies on the dollar.

I'll sum it up even better when Lamelo plays his combined record with the Hornets is 100-141 a .418 win percentage.

Again when have we actually won and made the playoffs with LaMelo?

Some questions that might help you explore the logic of your approach here:

(1) What's our winning percentage when Melo doesn't play?

(2) If we don't win games, is it a better strategy to build around players that aren't helping us play better and to trade players that are?

(3) Is your theory always that, if we don't play well, we should trade our best players for pennies on the dollar? If not, what is unique about Melo that has you feeling this way?

[JustBuzzin]

As of today, we are 21 points per 100 possessions better with Melo on the floor compared to off it. For context, Kon is +4.8 compared to Melo's +21.

It's not an end all stat, but no one on our team gets us closer to winning then Melo. You want to trade a guy who is by far our most impactful player for pennies on the dollar.

I'll sum it up even better when Lamelo plays his combined record with the Hornets is 100-141 a .418 win percentage.

Again when have we actually won and made the playoffs with LaMelo?

Some questions that might help you explore the logic of your approach here:

(1) What's our winning percentage when Melo doesn't play?

(2) If we don't win games, is it a better strategy to build around players that aren't helping us play better and to trade players that are?

(3) Is your theory always that, if we don't play well, we should trade our best players for pennies on the dollar? If not, what is unique about Melo that has you feeling this way?

1. 47-128 without Lamelo a win percentage of .266. Yeah we are worse without Lamelo, but it's still a losing record with or without Lamelo who is our best player.

2. The strategy doesn't matter because Lamelo is not guaranteed to stay healthy during a season. You can't build anything when your best player is unreliable and not available most nights. Also his max contract is a major factor in building a team around him. A player making that much money should at least be reliable to show up and work.

3. No my theory is I have seen the Lamelo era for 6 years now. I know how it's gonna end. A losing record and LaMelo playing half the games. So yeah I would like to trade his max contract for pennies on the dollar because his trade value is that low. If he had value we wouldn't be asking ourselves every year to keep him until he's healthy and build his trade value. At some point you have to move on to a more reliable foundation.

Anymore questions?

[yosemiteben]

So you recognize we'll play worse without Melo and you still want to give him away? Why? Because he gets injured?

Should every bad team give away their best / most impactful player, or just us?

[JustBuzzin]

So you recognize we'll play worse without Melo and you still want to give him away? Why? Because he gets injured?

Should every bad team give away their best / most impactful player, or just us?

Yes he's injury prone and makes max money. You can't build a successful team around a star who's unreliable to even play for half the season.

See you got it. Now you can quit questioning me every time I bring up trading LaMelo. It's specifically because of his health. You're no good if you aren't reliable to show up to work.

[yosemiteben]

So you recognize we'll play worse without Melo and you still want to give him away? Why? Because he gets injured?

Should every bad team give away their best / most impactful player, or just us?

Yes he's injury prone and makes max money. You can't build a successful team around a star who's unreliable to even play for half the season.

See you got it. Now you can quit questioning me every time I bring up trading LaMelo. It's specifically because of his health. You're no good if you aren't reliable to show up to work.

You aren't just bringing up trading him, you're bringing up giving him away without caring about the value it returns just for the sake of getting rid of him. That's what doesn't make sense to me - I'm not completely opposed to trading him, but we're not improving the net talent on the team and we're not improving by moving him for bad value.

[JustBuzzin]

So you recognize we'll play worse without Melo and you still want to give him away? Why? Because he gets injured?

Should every bad team give away their best / most impactful player, or just us?

Yes he's injury prone and makes max money. You can't build a successful team around a star who's unreliable to even play for half the season.

See you got it. Now you can quit questioning me every time I bring up trading LaMelo. It's specifically because of his health. You're no good if you aren't reliable to show up to work.

You aren't just bringing up trading him, you're bringing up giving him away without caring about the value it returns just for the sake of getting rid of him. That's what doesn't make sense to me - I'm not completely opposed to trading him, but we're not improving the net talent on the team and we're not improving by moving him for bad value.

I feel like im talking to a brick wall around here.

How do you expect to get any value with a injury prone player on a max contract?

Do you think Zion has value around the league?

I keep telling yall Lamelo has no value. He can't stay healthy long enough to improve his value. So yeah we unfortunately have to make the tough decision to trade him for pennies on the dollar or keep him and keep playing the injury game while also losing games in the process.

Shame on me for wanting to start fresh and move on from the max contract player who's only available half the season. Shame on me!

I like LaMelo the person I really do. The kid is a cool personality doesn't get in any trouble. The kids love him he's very popular. I get it, but from a basketball perspective I feel we are both wasting each other's time.

[Liver_Pooty]

Yes he's injury prone and makes max money. You can't build a successful team around a star who's unreliable to even play for half the season.

See you got it. Now you can quit questioning me every time I bring up trading LaMelo. It's specifically because of his health. You're no good if you aren't reliable to show up to work.

You aren't just bringing up trading him, you're bringing up giving him away without caring about the value it returns just for the sake of getting rid of him. That's what doesn't make sense to me - I'm not completely opposed to trading him, but we're not improving the net talent on the team and we're not improving by moving him for bad value.

I feel like im talking to a brick wall around here.

How do you expect to get any value with a injury prone player on a max contract?

Do you think Zion has value around the league?

I keep telling yall Lamelo has no value. He can't stay healthy long enough to improve his value. So yeah we unfortunately have to make the tough decision to trade him for pennies on the dollar or keep him and keep playing the injury game while also losing games in the process.

Shame on me for wanting to start fresh and move on from the max contract player who's only available half the season. Shame on me!

I like LaMelo the person I really do. The kid is a cool personality doesn't get in any trouble. The kids love him he's very popular. I get it, but from a basketball perspective I feel we are both wasting each other's time.

Thing is you dont start fresh. You have to take in contracts in return to match his (and highly doubtful they are good ones)

[JustBuzzin]

You aren't just bringing up trading him, you're bringing up giving him away without caring about the value it returns just for the sake of getting rid of him. That's what doesn't make sense to me - I'm not completely opposed to trading him, but we're not improving the net talent on the team and we're not improving by moving him for bad value.

I feel like im talking to a brick wall around here.

How do you expect to get any value with a injury prone player on a max contract?

Do you think Zion has value around the league?

I keep telling yall Lamelo has no value. He can't stay healthy long enough to improve his value. So yeah we unfortunately have to make the tough decision to trade him for pennies on the dollar or keep him and keep playing the injury game while also losing games in the process.

Shame on me for wanting to start fresh and move on from the max contract player who's only available half the season. Shame on me!

I like LaMelo the person I really do. The kid is a cool personality doesn't get in any trouble. The kids love him he's very popular. I get it, but from a basketball perspective I feel we are both wasting each other's time.

Thing is you dont start fresh. You have to take in contracts in return to match his (and highly doubtful they are good ones)

2 options

1. Trade him for cheap and move off the injury games and get some actual healthy bodies.

2. Keep him and keep hoping he can magically cure his ankle issues.

I choose option 1.

[JMAC3]

Yes he's injury prone and makes max money. You can't build a successful team around a star who's unreliable to even play for half the season.

See you got it. Now you can quit questioning me every time I bring up trading LaMelo. It's specifically because of his health. You're no good if you aren't reliable to show up to work.

You aren't just bringing up trading him, you're bringing up giving him away without caring about the value it returns just for the sake of getting rid of him. That's what doesn't make sense to me - I'm not completely opposed to trading him, but we're not improving the net talent on the team and we're not improving by moving him for bad value.

I feel like im talking to a brick wall around here.

How do you expect to get any value with a injury prone player on a max contract?

Do you think Zion has value around the league?

I keep telling yall Lamelo has no value. He can't stay healthy long enough to improve his value. So yeah we unfortunately have to make the tough decision to trade him for pennies on the dollar or keep him and keep playing the injury game while also losing games in the process.

Shame on me for wanting to start fresh and move on from the max contract player who's only available half the season. Shame on me!

I like LaMelo the person I really do. The kid is a cool personality doesn't get in any trouble. The kids love him he's very popular. I get it, but from a basketball perspective I feel we are both wasting each other's time.

Haven't you been talking about trading for Zion for like 12 months straight?

[JustBuzzin]

You aren't just bringing up trading him, you're bringing up giving him away without caring about the value it returns just for the sake of getting rid of him. That's what doesn't make sense to me - I'm not completely opposed to trading him, but we're not improving the net talent on the team and we're not improving by moving him for bad value.

I feel like im talking to a brick wall around here.

How do you expect to get any value with a injury prone player on a max contract?

Do you think Zion has value around the league?

I keep telling yall Lamelo has no value. He can't stay healthy long enough to improve his value. So yeah we unfortunately have to make the tough decision to trade him for pennies on the dollar or keep him and keep playing the injury game while also losing games in the process.

Shame on me for wanting to start fresh and move on from the max contract player who's only available half the season. Shame on me!

I like LaMelo the person I really do. The kid is a cool personality doesn't get in any trouble. The kids love him he's very popular. I get it, but from a basketball perspective I feel we are both wasting each other's time.

Haven't you been talking about trading for Zion for like 12 months straight?

For Bridges and fillers hell yeah. I'm not actively pushing for it tho.

Opinions can change throughout the season. The emergence of Kon has me thinking about the future and rebuilding around him as the core piece.

As much as LaMelo fits he's just not available enough to build towards anything.

I don't see why people are so hesitant to move on. It's been 6 years he's shown us who he is.

[Chapelchilla]

It is not that Melo isn't a really talented player, he is. He is also - not a good defender, doesn't like to drive and dish, a streaky gunner, often injured and about to make 50 million. If we can get a mid-good level defense and passing first PG, a couple 1st rounders and some future cap space I would take it. Tank the year and have a core of Kon, Miller, high lotto pick (Boozer, Peterson, Wilson), new PG and plenty o cash.

[Braggins]

They have plenty of assets to put together a team that doesn't completely tank when he doesn't play. They should try to put together a roster thats pretty good without him and really good with him and hope they can get a run of good health out of him. At least thats what I want to see. They aren't going to get good enough value out of him in a trade until he can put in a run of healthy play that leads to some team success, so they might as well maximize the odds of that happening but actually putting together a competent team imo.

[Bassman]

Here is my concern, and it’s even more about Jeff Peterson, Charles Lee and the organization; what is the tipping point for them to really explore a Melo trade, or listen seriously to same? Obviously the return now and likely into the future will never equal the paper value of a #3 pick who has a box of skills like him. Injuries, lack of efficiency and reputation bring the price down. I fear they will wait too long until Melo is completely damaged goods, and practically untradable.

Those of us wanting a deal this season before the deadline are not nuts…we see his stock falling, and believe a stretch of decent play and health could be the right time to sell. Best buyers are those ready to start over, who could gamble on a talented dynamic personality as the face of their rebuild, while giving up some decent vets who won’t be part of that. Hornets get some quality role players in return who can help facilitate building around Miller and Kon. Charlotte remains in this upcoming lottery, hopeful for some crazy “luck” like other fortunate sons have received.

[fatlever]

Read on Twitter

?s=20

still stirring the poy

[JMAC3]

Read on Twitter

?s=20

still stirring the poy

He also dropped his engagement post like 4 hours after this rumor dropped, seems fishy to me that dude was literally engagement farming haha.