OT: Melo signs with Rockets

[PhilBlackson]

Present day Melo's offense won't make up for what he lacks defensively.

[Rockmaninoff]

Melo finally got a point guard... Paul and Melo should thrive. Hopefully he has a catch and shoot role, and when Hardens on the bench he can play a bit of his game

Melo's always played best with pure-ish point guards. See J. Kidd and C. Billups. However, I'm not sure Melo hasn't slipped so much that PG play is irrelevant.

[ken6199]

Paul is the chairman of NBPA. It's a special position where the chairman taking a paycut himself would lead to other consequences. While it gives you extra influences in certain things around the league and recruiting players, that's the baggage he also comes with. I've been a mad man ever since Paul signed that contract and completely lost respect for that guy, but right now I have learned to accept it and move on.

As to Melo, you can only hope he hit a rock bottom last year in OKC, which means the only way is up. We've seen many examples of mediocre players out performing in MDA's system in Houston, Gordon/Tucker/Moute/Green reviving their careers, and some questionable/unthinkable projects like transforming Harden to a full-time PG and playing Harden/CP together working out like magic. Nothing wrong with hoping the same thing happen to Melo, at least to certain degree.

The one thing I have to disagree with and I've seen people say before is that Mbah was built up by the Rockets. The reality is that many non-Clipper fans just didn't appreciate what he was capable of, especially if you just look at his 6 ppg / 2-3 rpg. He did little different from what he did with the Clippers in 16-17, and the numbers were already very favourable to his defensive impact. He surprised a lot of us Clipper fans with his very good straight line driving ability and ability to attack closeouts and finish and he developed his 3PT shot from year 1 to year 2 as a Clipper.

He took the minimum to play with Paul and get a chance at a championship, but he could have gotten more last summer if that was his primary goal, but like Jabari Parker also said, no one gets paid for defense, unless you have a high profile.

Yeah that I agree. I used to see him as an finess version of Wesley Johnson and was pleasantly surprised by his finishes, especially that spin move he deployed when getting around bigger and stiffer players. The type of players you have to closely watch his game to appreciate what he brings to the table.

Parker is also right. As a GM, I would too more inclined to throw cash on offensive players, even without their easier marketability, it's an easier gamble to bet an offensive player to bring out his defense (effort) than an defensive player to bring out his offense (talent). As some also says, defense is more about effort, and offense is all about talent.

[Mr. E]

Has the Atlanta/OKC trade actually been completed?

If so, has he cleared waivers?

If not then we are jumping the gun here.

[Mr. E]

Oh, and this is not actually "Off Topic" for the General Board.

[Bruteque]

$35M to Paul at 33 for 4 years? I just cannot support that, especially if he is struggling every post season health wise.

If CP3 left, then they were done.

CP3 sets the price on that contract, not Morey. Morey can beg; Morey can implore; Morey can appeal to logic and maybe get a bit less than the absolute max and talk CP3 out of a 5th year. However, at the end of the day, what Morey couldn't do was tell CP3 to **** off, we would rather give up on contention than give you a 5-year max, if that was what CP3 decided he wanted.

It's not really that difficult to understand.

Obviously it is difficult for most to comprehend that CP3 is not durable enough to help lead "ANY" team deep in the post season. Hopefully for Rockets fans this upcoming season he stay healthy and they actually move deeper in the post season. To overpay someone of his age/health concern regardless of his NBPA Chairman status is quite the risk.

When the other option is giving up on contention, the choice is not difficult to comprehend for most, but obviously not for all.

[GIMME_DATT]

Cp3 perfect Point gawd for Melo watch him flourish

[MaxRider]

I have my reservations; but apparently he's wanted here by James Harden, Chris Paul, Eric Gordon, Daryl Morey & yes, even Mike D'Antoni. I'll defer to those guys for the basketball decisions.

exactly
let the pro do their job
if they let fans decide on things
MDA won't be the coach and for me Morey won't be the GM

[MaxRider]

Has the Atlanta/OKC trade actually been completed?

If so, has he cleared waivers?

If not then we are jumping the gun here.

we are all jumping the gun
the trade is not official yet

[whatisacenter]

Classic case of subtraction by addition

[WestbrookGOATed]

Paul George is gonna feast when we play the Rockets.

[Magic_Johnny12]

Serious question.

What year was Carmelo Anthony considered an actual net potive on the court?

[Traderwest]

If Carmelo Anthony signs with the Rockets, @SportsLine projections DECREASE Houston’s championship chances from 4.8% to 3.9%.

https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-houstons-championship-odds-will-decrease-if-they-sign-carmelo-anthony/

[nedleeds]

Gotta keep Chris Paul happy even if it costs you D'Antoni

[djsunyc]

40 mil for cp3 makes them swap ariza for melo. that's a negative.

[PaKwAn]

If they couldn't stop kd last season they just made it worse defensively this year.

[Bruteque]

Paul is the chairman of NBPA. It's a special position where the chairman taking a paycut himself would lead to other consequences. While it gives you extra influences in certain things around the league and recruiting players, that's the baggage he also comes with. I've been a mad man ever since Paul signed that contract and completely lost respect for that guy, but right now I have learned to accept it and move on.

As to Melo, you can only hope he hit a rock bottom last year in OKC, which means the only way is up. We've seen many examples of mediocre players out performing in MDA's system in Houston, Gordon/Tucker/Moute/Green reviving their careers, and some questionable/unthinkable projects like transforming Harden to a full-time PG and playing Harden/CP together working out like magic. Nothing wrong with hoping the same thing happen to Melo, at least to certain degree.

The one thing I have to disagree with and I've seen people say before is that Mbah was built up by the Rockets. The reality is that many non-Clipper fans just didn't appreciate what he was capable of, especially if you just look at his 6 ppg / 2-3 rpg. He did little different from what he did with the Clippers in 16-17, and the numbers were already very favourable to his defensive impact. He surprised a lot of us Clipper fans with his very good straight line driving ability and ability to attack closeouts and finish and he developed his 3PT shot from year 1 to year 2 as a Clipper.

He took the minimum to play with Paul and get a chance at a championship, but he could have gotten more last summer if that was his primary goal, but like Jabari Parker also said, no one gets paid for defense, unless you have a high profile.

I would also credit LAC for using him as a wing more exclusively than other teams had before in his final year with LAC. Mbah a Moute was never really suited to play as a big in the NBA and he always did better as a wing, even before he added a 3-point shot with LAC. That didn't stop teams from trying, though.

As far as seeing his value goes, we see now that it doesn't take much money to sign him away from CP3 or contention. Certainly after a year in HOU, his career is revived and people are now more willing to give him the time of day, including LAC. Most of that was on the back of the "good" HOU Mbah a Moute outperforming his LAC self (and obviously also way-outperforming the "bad" HOU Mbah a Moute in the second half of the season).

If we were to look at his season as a whole, then I think he actually did better overall his last year with LAC, but that's not how people see him now. They look at him, and they value him at the "good" HOU Mbah a Moute level, you know, a minor -5 win disaster for HOU not to have re-signed to go with the -5 win loss of Ariza.

[Moahst]

Meh. Without Melo, the Rockets would probably have ended up starting James Ennis. We needed some help on the wings, we'll see what kind of Melo shows up to training camp

[nedleeds]

Serious question.

What year was Carmelo Anthony considered an actual net potive on the court?

2012-2013 Melo was a net positive player. He played the 4 a decent amount (despite getting D'Antoni fired the year before over the same subject). His crappy defense and utter ability to ever run back on defense, or just run period didn't matter as much because Chandler was a pretty good defender. The offense was mostly ISO Melo. He did have some good shooters around him and a pick and roll lob threat C playing next to him, who was also a good offensive rebounder to pick up some of his patented come down and chuck a 3 for no reason possessions. Melo could also still finish then, or even on a miss quickly get his bricked layup bully ball style and put it back.

After that year and the Hibbert block his effort went from 30% to 5%. At not point after that has contributed to winning NBA basketball.

[red96]

Well that contract to Paul was just plain stupid. No way Paul would have received that type of contract elsewhere, his age and health are serious problems as his Playoff history has shown he does not have the durability to last for the long-haul. I don't believe this year's Anthony make you better. People tend to live in the glory days, he is older and even more narrow-minded these days.

are you suggest Morey don't pay him and piss him off so he'll go sign veteran minimum with Lakers?

$35M to Paul at 33 for 4 years? I just cannot support that, especially if he is struggling every post season health wise.

We'll Im glad you're not the Rockets GM, because if you were, you would've never landed CP3 in the 1st place. Paul wouldnt have opted-in onto the last year on that cheaper deal, not without getting it back on the next contract. It was understood that he would be made whole with the new contract if he allowed the Rockets to trade for him.