Rotten Apple wrote:SMAC-K wrote:Nazrmohamed wrote:
Nah, I'm not saying that. He's still gonna be Melo, so he'll improvise as needed. I'm sure a guy like him who's been pump faking his whole career and can put it on the floor will figure out other options. But yes, he needs to start from the outside. He's got Rose and Jennings who can get to the rim. He's never had that and now he does, he needs to let them do their thing and let them help him get efficient shots. I never bashed Melo when his PG's couldn't penetrate but when they do he's gotta adapt, especially as he gets older.
He has to adjust, there is no way anybody can try to sugar coat it. The whole point of getting him help was to make the game easier for him and the rest of the team and not be forced to rely on him as much as in the past. In order for that to work effectively, he has to sacrifice and he has to adjust, simple and plain.
Nazr is right to an extent, he maybe could have worded it better.
1. Melo was playing within the offense. He was just missing shots so guys are going to jump on him it's a reality. I think he broke the offense maybe twice and forced up 2 shots Im not a fan of. He also needs to stop anticipating contact at the rim and just finish the basket. Too many times he's worried about the contest.
2. The offense should not run through KP but he should never be inside the paint IMO. He looks so uncomfortable the closer to the basket he gets especially when the lane is congested. When he was on the perimeter it really opened things up and got him some open shots and he made the defense pay. That's where he thrives. It also allows him to either get back and protect the rim on the break or have running lanes for his patented putback dunks.
3. Rose/Jennings should dictate where the ball goes, they're vets and are creative enough to make things happen. The Jennings dump off to KP and that Rose bullet pass to Lee in the corner are things we need to see more often.
Mixing all this together you have KP in the pick n pop, Melo will always command a defenses attention so he should focus on spacing the floor so when he gets it he's in position to catch and shoot or attack a close out and get an easy basket. He has an elite post game but it should be used when he has a mismatch or sporadically so he doesn't tire himself out. I also like Melo/KP screening for each other, it got KP 2 3s and Melo and easy mid range shot off the inbound. Those are easy baskets where neither had to take a single dribble.
One things for sure this team plays better when they spread it out and let the guards attack. Everyone benefits from that. I think by the time Oct 25th comes we are going to see a much more fluid offense with everyone buying in.
Melo should still be one of the best mid-range shooters in the league. That can be used to good effect when his teammates are moving the ball North to South from the interior to the perimeter. Melo then becomes an ideal quick pass from the outside in again.
Basically, if Melo goes and plants himself in his favorite spot on the floor which EVERYONE on the opposing team already knows and waits for an entry pass, that's not the style that will help the team.
Coach told him to get his wind up for a reason. When we get into the half-court offense Melo needs to move off the ball more than he is normally inclined to. This is not just about full court sprints, but active East-West motion, something Melo needs to be more savvy about.
In other words, the offense should not be designed around getting Melo his entry pass into the mid-range post any longer. He needs to get the ball in advantageous spots due to collective ball movement just like everyone else on the team.
You should still get some burn from good post-ups, but Melo really should limit himself to no more than half a dozen instances per game where he holds the ball for more than 3 seconds. Shoot or pass and only occasionally go into the jab step. Less is more. Mixing it up will make him less predictable and harder to defend anyway.
And he needs to wake up and realize bully ball is fuqqing dead man. There is no use getting upset about his lack of calls in the paint when at least half the time the situation is his own doing and he gets jammed up by younger, more athletic players protecting the rim.
Also, Melo should set more picks himself. He's still a big enough dude and he should be utilized accordingly, but somehow the deference to him over the years has resulted in his primary orientation being fed in the post. Time to evolve some more. Last year showed some good changes, but he needs to keep growing as a player.
In sum, if anyone should be the # 1 option it is KP, but if the team excels at moving on and off the ball, then it should be mostly about who has the best shot, not who is "The Man". Melo is NOT The Man anymore. He needs to play like his biggest desire is to get his teammates going, not himself.
Unless his conditioning is so inbred at this point that he can't figure out how to get himself going without volume shooting in which case he is going to be less effective because this team is not built for him to take 18-24 shots a game anymore. I hope he gets that
:lol
