Which Trio would you prefer?

[JamesEarlCash]

Anyone calling Deng an offensive player forfeits their right to have their basketball opinion respected.

Deng is the 9th highest scoring small forward in the league at 14 points per game. It is on below average efficiency, but to ignore his scoring is strange.

lol I SWEAR if it were any other player you wouldn't be calling them an offensive player. First of all, luol averaged 16.5 PPG which made him the 35th highest scoring player in the NBA. On a team in dire need of offense since it was without it's star player, the offensively skilled powerhouse that is luol deng averaged 16.5 ppg on 42.6% shooting. I have NEVER heard someone with those numbers referred to as an offensive player.

[JamesEarlCash]

It's cut and dry. Melo with Rose and Asik under Thibs on the Bulls or the current trio?

I've already answered this question, and despite your best efforts, you have not changed my opinion.

of course

[kingkirk]

the offensively skilled powerhouse that is luol deng averaged 16.5 ppg on 42.6% shooting. I have NEVER heard someone with those numbers referred to as an offensive player.

Jamal Crawford

2012-13

16.5 PPG
43.8 FG%

An offensive player.

[JamesEarlCash]

the offensively skilled powerhouse that is luol deng averaged 16.5 ppg on 42.6% shooting. I have NEVER heard someone with those numbers referred to as an offensive player.

Jamal Crawford

2012-13

16.5 PPG
43.8 FG%

An offensive player.

He comes off the bench to play under 30 minutes so his averages are going to be lower. He also actually has an ability to create offense and handle the ball. Deng is a spot up shooter.

[chadrucf]

Anyone calling Deng an offensive player forfeits their right to have their basketball opinion respected.

Deng is the 9th highest scoring small forward in the league at 14 points per game. It is on below average efficiency, but to ignore his scoring is strange.

lol I SWEAR if it were any other player you wouldn't be calling them an offensive player. First of all, luol averaged 16.5 PPG which made him the 35th highest scoring player in the NBA. On a team in dire need of offense since it was without it's star player, the offensively skilled powerhouse that is luol deng averaged 16.5 ppg on 42.6% shooting. I have NEVER heard someone with those numbers referred to as an offensive player.

That is strange. ESPN's stats are not accurate.

The 7th highest scoring small forward at 16.5 points. He's above average at his position in scoring on below average efficiency. The point is he's not ALL defense.

[JamesEarlCash]

Deng is the 9th highest scoring small forward in the league at 14 points per game. It is on below average efficiency, but to ignore his scoring is strange.

lol I SWEAR if it were any other player you wouldn't be calling them an offensive player. First of all, luol averaged 16.5 PPG which made him the 35th highest scoring player in the NBA. On a team in dire need of offense since it was without it's star player, the offensively skilled powerhouse that is luol deng averaged 16.5 ppg on 42.6% shooting. I have NEVER heard someone with those numbers referred to as an offensive player.

That is strange. ESPN's stats are not accurate.

The 7th highest scoring small forward at 16.5 points. He's above average at his position in scoring on below average efficiency. The point is he's not ALL defense.

8th highest scoring small forward doesn't mean anything. After the top 3 guys, nobody is remotely impressive. He is the 35th leading scorer in the NBA. If Melo, KD, and LeBron make up 3 of the top 4, then an offensive SF shouldn't be 35th. 35th playing 39 minutes a game doesn't make him an offensive player.

[chadrucf]

lol I SWEAR if it were any other player you wouldn't be calling them an offensive player. First of all, luol averaged 16.5 PPG which made him the 35th highest scoring player in the NBA. On a team in dire need of offense since it was without it's star player, the offensively skilled powerhouse that is luol deng averaged 16.5 ppg on 42.6% shooting. I have NEVER heard someone with those numbers referred to as an offensive player.

That is strange. ESPN's stats are not accurate.

The 7th highest scoring small forward at 16.5 points. He's above average at his position in scoring on below average efficiency. The point is he's not ALL defense.

8th highest scoring small forward doesn't mean anything. After the top 3 guys, nobody is remotely impressive. He is the 35th leading scorer in the NBA. If Melo, KD, and LeBron make up 3 of the top 4, then an offensive SF shouldn't be 35th. 35th playing 39 minutes a game doesn't make him an offensive player.

So there are less than 35 players in the league who have any offensive game at all? Again, the point is he is not ALL defense.

[kingkirk]

Jamal Crawford

2012-13

16.5 PPG
43.8 FG%

An offensive player.

He comes off the bench to play under 30 minutes so his averages are going to be lower. He also actually has an ability to create offense and handle the ball. Deng is a spot up shooter.

You are changing the argument.

You said a player putting up 16.5 and 43% wasn't an offensive player. I just showed you one that is.

The point the poster was making was that Luol isn't just a defensive player. He is an all round player.

[JamesEarlCash]

That is strange. ESPN's stats are not accurate.

The 7th highest scoring small forward at 16.5 points. He's above average at his position in scoring on below average efficiency. The point is he's not ALL defense.

8th highest scoring small forward doesn't mean anything. After the top 3 guys, nobody is remotely impressive. He is the 35th leading scorer in the NBA. If Melo, KD, and LeBron make up 3 of the top 4, then an offensive SF shouldn't be 35th. 35th playing 39 minutes a game doesn't make him an offensive player.

So there are less than 35 players in the league who have any offensive game at all? Again, the point is he is not ALL defense.

In that case, neither is Rose nor Melo. Melo's defense this past season was at least on par with Deng's offense and I STILL don't know why you are calling Rose all offense. You don't want to go down that road.

[JamesEarlCash]

8th highest scoring small forward doesn't mean anything. After the top 3 guys, nobody is remotely impressive. He is the 35th leading scorer in the NBA. If Melo, KD, and LeBron make up 3 of the top 4, then an offensive SF shouldn't be 35th. 35th playing 39 minutes a game doesn't make him an offensive player.

So there are less than 35 players in the league who have any offensive game at all? Again, the point is he is not ALL defense.

In that case, neither is Rose nor Melo. Melo's defense this past season was at least on par with Deng's offense and I STILL don't know why you are calling Rose all offense. You don't want to go down that road.

He used raw PPG standings which is skewed by minutes. He also doesn't take into account skillset and how valuable someone actually being able to dribble the ball is. You might as well say Deng is a better offensive player than nate robinson.

[League Circles]

Melo doesn't pass the ball and isn't a good defender.

Taj and Omer is a very large offensive downgrade from Noah and Boozer. Very large.

I definitely think the lineup with Melo is a worse offensive lineup - though it's probably as good or better defensively because Omer and Noah are close, and the upgrade from Boozer to Taj on D is bigger than the downgrade from Deng to Melo on D.

Thing with Melo is - he's as good of a one on one scorer as we have in the league, but he doesn't play a team game. Basically, with him you choose an either-or approach on each play. Either its a Melo possession or it's not. If it is, your other 5 guys are meaningless. If it isn't, Melo might as well be Mike Dunleavy standing on the three point line.

Melo is just kind of a dumb player. You can tell he's dumb by looking at him play.

He has value, and of course can be the #1 option on a playoff team, but I'm not sure you can win a title with Melo in your lineup at all frankly.

[JamesEarlCash]

Melo doesn't pass the ball and isn't a good defender.

Taj and Omer is a very large offensive downgrade from Noah and Boozer. Very large.

I definitely think the lineup with Melo is a worse offensive lineup - though it's probably as good or better defensively because Omer and Noah are close, and the upgrade from Boozer to Taj on D is bigger than the downgrade from Deng to Melo on D.

Thing with Melo is - he's as good of a one on one scorer as we have in the league, but he doesn't play a team game. Basically, with him you choose an either-or approach on each play. Either its a Melo possession or it's not. If it is, your other 5 guys are meaningless. If it isn't, Melo might as well be Mike Dunleavy standing on the three point line.

Melo is just kind of a dumb player. You can tell he's dumb by looking at him play.

He has value, and of course can be the #1 option on a playoff team, but I'm not sure you can win a title with Melo in your lineup at all frankly.

Boozer is still on the team. I am talking about closing out the game, where Boozer is out anyway. Melo and Rose are both scorers who are known for hitting big shots and can get their own. As for overall lineup, I think Melo only "plays dumb" because he is allowed to. Either way, it seems to work given the success of his offense. Being the second option to Rose with Thibs as HC would be incredible. I just don't see any good reason why he would be bad for the Bulls. I think part of it is because he plays for the Knicks and forced a trade to get there, but just simply for basketball reasons alone, you can't say no to the league scoring champ and one of the top MVP candidates who lead his team to the 2nd team. A lot of people have said he would need to be on a team that already has a leader on the court. We have that in Rose.

Regardless, the time for that has long gone.

[League Circles]

Word is Melo is going to give birth to Deng's child soon.

[musiqsoulchild]

This is a hopeless, revisionist, illogical excersise.

[the ultimates]

Anyone calling Deng an offensive player forfeits their right to have their basketball opinion respected.

Deng is the 9th highest scoring small forward in the league at 14 points per game. It is on below average efficiency, but to ignore his scoring is strange.

lol I SWEAR if it were any other player you wouldn't be calling them an offensive player. First of all, luol averaged 16.5 PPG which made him the 35th highest scoring player in the NBA. On a team in dire need of offense since it was without it's star player, the offensively skilled powerhouse that is luol deng averaged 16.5 ppg on 42.6% shooting. I have NEVER heard someone with those numbers referred to as an offensive player.

Paul George 17.4pts 42% shooting. People call him an offensive player.

[League Circles]

Boozer is still on the team. I am talking about closing out the game, where Boozer is out anyway. Melo and Rose are both scorers who are known for hitting big shots and can get their own. As for overall lineup, I think Melo only "plays dumb" because he is allowed to. Either way, it seems to work given the success of his offense. Being the second option to Rose with Thibs as HC would be incredible. I just don't see any good reason why he would be bad for the Bulls. I think part of it is because he plays for the Knicks and forced a trade to get there, but just simply for basketball reasons alone, you can't say no to the league scoring champ and one of the top MVP candidates who lead his team to the 2nd team. A lot of people have said he would need to be on a team that already has a leader on the court. We have that in Rose.

Regardless, the time for that has long gone.

I'm a big believer that players should be judged on what role they would play on a title team. I honestly think Melo is one of the few guys in the league that might be nearly impossible to win a title with. He's shot like crap for several years in a row in the playoffs. He doesn't pass. He's a below average defender most of the time. I don't really think he can adjust his game to being a secondary player.

I also think Noah is a great player, and much better than Asik. Noah is better IMO on both sides of the ball than Asik. Sure, Asik is better on D in the low post, but Noah is probably the best defender all around the court - the most versatile, best recovering big man defender in the league. He's also probably the best ball handling and passing C, and a great leader. He has a solid J now (even though it's not respected which is a problem), and he's a very good FT shooter for a big man.

I'm a defense-is-50%-of-the-game-guy. I think Noah is a better player than Melo. Not in a vacuum - but much more likely to fit into a title-winning lineup. To me, Melo isn't good enough as a #1 guy to win a title with, and is until-proven-otherwise incapable of playing a supporting role. I might be wrong, but I don't really like him anyway so I don't care.

[chitownsalesmen]

Deng is the 9th highest scoring small forward in the league at 14 points per game. It is on below average efficiency, but to ignore his scoring is strange.

lol I SWEAR if it were any other player you wouldn't be calling them an offensive player. First of all, luol averaged 16.5 PPG which made him the 35th highest scoring player in the NBA. On a team in dire need of offense since it was without it's star player, the offensively skilled powerhouse that is luol deng averaged 16.5 ppg on 42.6% shooting. I have NEVER heard someone with those numbers referred to as an offensive player.

Paul George 17.4pts 42% shooting. People call him an offensive player.

George came into the League as a defensive player though no?

[kyrv]

As long as you are using a scenario that couldn't have happened, I'll vote:

Lebron, Durant, and Howard

[pduh01]

Is there a option of Rose/Durant/Harden?

Oh there isn't? How about option of neither? Oh it isn't on there well I still vote neither.

[pylb]

I think a lineup of Rose/Harden/Lebron/Bosh/Howard would be decent.