2014 Official FA Thread

DirtyDez · Post #701 » by **DirtyDez** » Tue May 20, 2014 6:07 am

Nice article on Melo joining the Suns whether you like him or not...

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2014/ ... -contender

bigfoot · Post #702 » by **bigfoot** » Tue May 20, 2014 2:30 pm

DirtyDez wrote:Nice article on Melo joining the Suns whether you like him or not...

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2014/ ... -contender

Realistic and we don't have to give up a cr*pload of picks and young players to get him.

Blesoe/Goodwin/Free agent
Dragic/Green/Rookie
Tucker/Marcus/Rookie
Melo/Markieff/Rookie
Plumlee/Frye/Len

We would be a very deep team. Our half court game would be better.

King4Day · Post #703 » by **King4Day** » Tue May 20, 2014 2:33 pm

bigfoot wrote:
DirtyDez wrote:Nice article on Melo joining the Suns whether you like him or not...

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2014/ ... -contender

Realistic and we don't have to give up a cr*pload of picks and young players to get him.

Blesoe/Goodwin/Free agent
Dragic/Green/Rookie
Tucker/Marcus/Rookie
Melo/Markieff/Rookie
Plumlee/Frye/Len

We would be a very deep team. Our half court game would be better.

I think we'd still have to find a way to fix rebounding though.

bigfoot · Post #704 » by **bigfoot** » Tue May 20, 2014 2:49 pm

DarkHawk wrote:
bigfoot wrote:
DirtyDez wrote:Nice article on Melo joining the Suns whether you like him or not...

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2014/ ... -contender

Realistic and we don't have to give up a cr*pload of picks and young players to get him.

Blesoe/Goodwin/Free agent
Dragic/Green/Rookie
Tucker/Marcus/Rookie
Melo/Markieff/Rookie
Plumlee/Frye/Len

We would be a very deep team. Our half court game would be better.

I think we'd still have to find a way to fix rebounding though.

Carmelo averaged 8.1 rebounds per game which put him in the top 30 for the league. He was a better rebounder than our best rebounder, Plumlee who average 7.8. Also, Carmelo had Tyson Chandler next to him getting many rebounds too. I don't think we can find a 10+ rebounder per game ... except Gasol and Gortat both averaged close to 10 and are available free agents.

Fo-Real · Post #705 » by **Fo-Real** » Tue May 20, 2014 3:01 pm

If we brought in Melo, I would not bring back Tucker. If you told Melo you wanted him to come in and start and play most of his time at 4, he would tell you where to go with that. He has to be the starting 3, and then during short stints of the game with all of the cross matching and small units he playes some 4 that would be ok.

gaspar · Post #706 » by **gaspar** » Tue May 20, 2014 3:06 pm

Fo-Real wrote:If we brought in Melo, I would not bring back Tucker. If you told Melo you wanted him to come in and start and play most of his time at 4, he would tell you where to go with that. He has to be the starting 3, and then during short stints of the game with all of the cross matching and small units he playes some 4 that would be ok.

Um... no. At this point of his career Melo is the best suited to play PF, especially in the Suns system.

Post #707 » by **bwgood77** » Tue May 20, 2014 3:31 pm

But those who have a problem with Love and his TS% and eFG% would have a BIG problem with Melo in those areas. He is far less efficient, a worse rebounder, and makes more money.

I'm not a big Melo fan, but he did improve a bit this past year.

JDLAW · Post #708 » by **JDLAW** » Tue May 20, 2014 5:21 pm

Forget pigeon-holing players at 3 or 4. If the Suns were to bring Melo in, they'd start Frye or Morris at the other forward spot and make the defensive assignments according to who is on the other team. Melo can play consistently against the power forwards in the East because, for the most part they are pure crap. Against the West where the power forward situation is going to be a steady diet of LMA, Griffin, Z-Bo, Davis, Duncan, Ibaka, etc… all of whom are bigger, he would simply wear down.

RunDogGun · Post #709 » by **RunDogGun** » Tue May 20, 2014 5:54 pm

It's tough, while I would like another scorer in the starting lineup, we really need a guy like Tucker guarding the best offensive threat on the other team. That way he can focus all of his energy there, and leave the scoring (besides corner threes and glass cleaning) to the other guys, who are just not as good defensively.

Although he gives up height, I would rather have Tucker guarding the PFs in the West than either Frye or MkMo, especially if we picked up a ball dominant player like Melo.

bigfoot · Post #710 » by **bigfoot** » Tue May 20, 2014 6:17 pm

gaspar wrote:
Fo-Real wrote:If we brought in Melo, I would not bring back Tucker. If you told Melo you wanted him to come in and start and play most of his time at 4, he would tell you where to go with that. He has to be the starting 3, and then during short stints of the game with all of the cross matching and small units he playes some 4 that would be ok.

Um... no. At this point of his career Melo is the best suited to play PF, especially in the Suns system.

Agreed. Melo has played PF for the better part of the past two seasons.

DirtyDez · Post #711 » by **DirtyDez** » Wed May 21, 2014 1:45 am

bigfoot wrote:
DirtyDez wrote:Nice article on Melo joining the Suns whether you like him or not...

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2014/ ... -contender

Realistic and we don't have to give up a cr*pload of picks and young players to get him.

Blesoe/Goodwin/Free agent
Dragic/Green/Rookie
Tucker/Marcus/Rookie
Melo/Markieff/Rookie
Plumlee/Frye/Len

We would be a very deep team. Our half court game would be better.

I think McD will explore every option. I'm sure there's people that think it's a guarantee that the Suns will make the playoffs just by standing pat. I would disagree with that.

If the Suns added Melo I think it would become a guarantee that we're in for the next few years. If we go the patient route that's cool too.

BobbieL · Post #712 » by **BobbieL** » Wed May 21, 2014 2:07 am

Carmelo is not my first choice. But Love is probably not an option if the Bulls can offer TAj Gibson plus others and the Twolves can offer Lee and Barnes - granted no picks. The Suns can offer the Morri, Green and picks up the ying yang.

But Carmelo for sure over Bosh. Carmelo can score the ball and demand the double team with 6 minutes to go.

Not my money - I wouldn't hate it. I don't think its who Ryan is eyeing but maybe I am wrong.

Post #713 » by **bwgood77** » Wed May 21, 2014 2:43 am

BobbieL wrote:Carmelo is not my first choice. But Love is probably not an option if the Bulls can offer TAj Gibson plus others and the Twolves can offer Lee and Barnes - granted no picks. The Suns can offer the Morri, Green and picks up the ying yang.

But Carmelo for sure over Bosh. Carmelo can score the ball and demand the double team with 6 minutes to go.

Not my money - I wouldn't hate it. I don't think its who Ryan is eyeing but maybe I am wrong.

I'd take Bosh any day and every day over Melo. Our offense doesn't need a ball stopper.

Fo-Real · Post #714 » by **Fo-Real** » Wed May 21, 2014 3:08 am

gaspar wrote:
Fo-Real wrote:If we brought in Melo, I would not bring back Tucker. If you told Melo you wanted him to come in and start and play most of his time at 4, he would tell you where to go with that. He has to be the starting 3, and then during short stints of the game with all of the cross matching and small units he playes some 4 that would be ok.

Um... no. At this point of his career Melo is the best suited to play PF, especially in the Suns system.

What im telling you is if your pitch to melo is to come here and be a frontline starting pf.... he tells you to F$#K OFF. Not trying to pitch you on his best suit. Sliding there in small ball lineups is diffrent.

DirtyDez · Post #715 » by **DirtyDez** » Wed May 21, 2014 5:42 am

BobbieL wrote:Carmelo is not my first choice. But Love is probably not an option if the Bulls can offer TAj Gibson plus others and the Twolves can offer Lee and Barnes - granted no picks. The Suns can offer the Morri, Green and picks up the ying yang.

But Carmelo for sure over Bosh. Carmelo can score the ball and demand the double team with 6 minutes to go.

Not my money - I wouldn't hate it. I don't think its who Ryan is eyeing but maybe I am wrong.

I want to see it in a simulator first. :lol:

I don't think Melo would kill the offense with his spacing ability. He's been a better 3pt shooter the past two seasons than Frye was this year and that's over 400 attempts each year. Interested in how it'd work playing with a legit backcourt combo for once in his career (not an over-the-hill Iverson/Billups)...

thamadkant · Post #716 » by **thamadkant** » Wed May 21, 2014 7:20 pm

1. There is a really small chance Melo will sign with Suns
2. If he does sign, he would have to accept his reduced offensive role, which is another unlikely situation but not impossible.
3. see point 1.

thamadkant · Post #717 » by **thamadkant** » Wed May 21, 2014 7:20 pm

I say aim for Gordon Hayward again... Maybe at 10 million a year, Jazz can just decide not to match since they could draft an SF in the draft...

PHX Maniak · Post #718 » by **PHX Maniak** » Wed May 21, 2014 7:34 pm

bwgood77 wrote:
BobbieL wrote:Carmelo is not my first choice. But Love is probably not an option if the Bulls can offer TAj Gibson plus others and the Twolves can offer Lee and Barnes - granted no picks. The Suns can offer the Morri, Green and picks up the ying yang.

But Carmelo for sure over Bosh. Carmelo can score the ball and demand the double team with 6 minutes to go.

Not my money - I wouldn't hate it. I don't think its who Ryan is eyeing but maybe I am wrong.

I'd take Bosh any day and every day over Melo. Our offense doesn't need a ball stopper.

I don't think Melo is a ball stopper. Look who he has to deal with in NY. Who should the ball be going to in that horrendous system filled with horrendous players?

Bosh doesn't do many things better than Melo does. We're talking about the second best pure scorer in the NBA here. With him on the team, offensively everyones lives becomes much easier. Defensively...no different damage than if the Suns got Love.

I would personally much rather see Carmelo rather than Love. I know plenty of people disagree with me there.

ImNotMcDiSwear · Post #719 » by **ImNotMcDiSwear** » Wed May 21, 2014 8:05 pm

I think Melo's a fine option for the Suns if he comes in with the right attitude. Of all the free agent destinations, we may give him the best chance to win a title (Chicago, because they're in the east, provides ammunition for disagreement). Of course he'd be an SF. No. Question.

I actually think he makes a lot of sense in our offense - our second unit offensive scheme was basically to put Kieff in the high post. We could insert Melo in that slot. One problem his signing would present is the overlap with him, Tucker, and the Morrises. We'd probably have to shake things up a bit, bring in a banger at the 4 spot. Frye would still work next to Melo I think - his interior D is solid.

I'm all for Melo if the FO thinks it will work. I'm also down with Bosh. Those are the two guys I'd target this summer.

letsgosuns · Post #720 » by **letsgosuns** » Wed May 21, 2014 8:29 pm

If Carmelo is willing to play in Phoenix like the way he does on Team USA and during all star games, then I would go after him. He plays within the flow of the offense on those teams and looks way better. In New York, he hogs the ball and takes 25 shots. However, he is one of the only players the Suns could get that legitimately can take over games down the stretch and score and draw fouls against anyone. Also, he has fantastic playoff career averages of 26 ppg, 7 rbs, and 3 asst, but he shoots a poor 42% fg and 32% 3p.

I do not know what I would do about him if I was the Suns. He is turning 30 later this month. He does not really fit the plan that McDonough has been talking about with acquiring young talent, but he is a superstar. It is incredibly rare to win the championship without a true superstar on your team. It usually never happens. The only team I can think of like immediately off the top of my head is the 2004 Detroit Pistons. That team was amazing defensively though and had five players that fit perfectly together. They had multiple all stars but none of them were considered a true superstar.

Besides that Pistons team, every team I can think of since the 80's who has won the championship had a player that was considered a superstar. The league adheres to superstars unfortunately and that is always the way it has been. If the Suns only get a player like Gordon Hayward, or Greg Monroe, or someone like that, I really think they have no legitimate chance to win the championship. They will probably make the playoffs but then get bounced by a better team.

Carmelo Anthony is a true superstar in this league and is worth taking a look at if the Suns cannot get Lebron or Bosh, which I highly doubt. I would absolutely not get him to play power forward though. He might be able to get away with that in the East, but not in the West. Not with guys like Duncan, Dirk, Griffin, Love, Randolph, and everyone else the West has playing power forward. Anthony would be the starting small forward. Then I would either upgrade the power forward position, or switch Markieff Morris and Channing Frye around and have Morris start. Morris plays better inside than Frye and that is what I am interested in when it comes to the starting power forward.

I am envisioning the Suns playing the Spurs or Thunder in the playoffs, or the Heat in the finals. Who are the Suns going to throw the ball to at the end of games when it is tied with a minute left? Dragic and Bledsoe can score, but they are not yet considered elite scorers, and I do not know if either of them can be like that. Carmelo is an elite scorer and has the body of a monster at the small forward position. If he can buy into what the Suns do and play team ball, I think it could work out.