Melo Efficiency Lately

[GEE]

Melo over the last few games has been about as efficient as any of us could ask for. He has also been a true professional while accepting his lesser role (can't be easy). When the decision about whether to bring him back or not was being discussed, I had commented that I hoped he would accept a Vince Carter like role. He's been just that and more.

The added depth and contribution that he's providing due to injury is obvious, but what I'm seeing is so much more. His aura... being a first-ballot HAF'r combined with his superior BBIQ has clearly shakin' up the locker room, and for the better IMO. Guys on this team really look up to him and respect him as much, or more than Dame. Not to say he has more power than Dame, he just has more influence right now as he's lending a strong voice to the other guys on the team not named Nurkic, Dame or CJ.

Dame to his credit, though struggling at times, has begun to really figure out that he can get 25 pts in his sleep, and as a PG, your primary duty/job is to make others on your team better. Dame is trusting his teammates more recently, which seems to be improving overall moral. In the last few games the Blazers seem to be playing smarter not harder, which is leading to the game looking easier, and I think Melo is a huge contributing factor to that.

Stotts also deserves a ton of credit. Though it's only been a few games of a consistent winning style of basketball in my eyes, I hope he has figured it out. The rotations look great recently and everyone is beginning to thrive in their roles. Kudos Stotts! Keep it up, be the conductor of this orchestra.

[d-train]

Dame to his credit, though struggling at times, has begun to really figure out that he can get 25 pts in his sleep, and as a PG, your primary duty/job is to make others on your team better. Dame is trusting his teammates more recently, which seems to be improving overall moral. In the last few games the Blazers seem to be playing smarter not harder, which is leading to the game looking easier, and I think Melo is a huge contributing factor to that.

+1

[Matt800]

So there were clearly concerns about Melo that kept him off an NBA team for a year, are those gone now? He's definitely played off the bench, and shot a good percentage from 3. He isn't being lazy, he's trying on defense, and he is generally making good decisions. He is old, misses some shots, and looks slow at times, but he's been playable, and the other players seem to want him there.

[d-train]

So there were clearly concerns about Melo that kept him off an NBA team for a year, are those gone now? He's definitely played off the bench, and shot a good percentage from 3. He isn't being lazy, he's trying on defense, and he is generally making good decisions. He is old, misses some shots, and looks slow at times, but he's been playable, and the other players seem to want him there.

The concerns were gone a couple weeks after we signed him in 2019. Evidenced by Blazers guaranteeing his contact when we didn't have to. And, reinforced again 3 months ago when Blazers signed him to another guaranteed contract.

[Wizenheimer]

* Melo is 4th on the team in FGA but he's 10th in TS% and 11th in eFG%. He averages 1.12 points/shot when the Blazers as a team, average 1.25 points/shot

* Melo is 3rd on the team in usage rate, but he's 12th in winshares/48 and 11th in box plus/minus. He's consuming prime-time possessions and creating garbage time results

* Melo is a defensive sieve and he's a PF sporting an anemic 7.3% rebound rate.

this all goes to explain why Portland is 8.5 points better when Melo is off the floor than when he's on. He has the worst on/off among rotation players except for Simons

but yeah, let's go ahead and make Portland a worse team by giving Melo 25 minutes a game to polish his "legacy". This genuflection coming from a team that Melo rejected 3 times in free agency until it got to the point that Portland was the only team interested in making an offer.

[JasonStern]

Have to disagree with Wizenheimer a bit here. Too lazy to find the tweet or look up the stats, but this season there has been "Good Melo" and "Bad Melo". The Blazers have won like 80% of the games where "Good Melo" shows up, makes shots at an above average rate, doesn't halt the flow of the offense, etc.

But then you also have "Bad Melo", as we saw against the Wizards where he went 2/10, 2 turnovers, 5 fouls. Or that Knicks game where he went 1/8. The problem is that we see "Bad Melo" a lot. And when he's clearly having a bad game, Stotts keeps him in. Injuries are definitely part of the reason, but he was playing more minutes than he should when the team was healthy. Stotts and Melo have said that they have to let him "shoot through it" despite that never working.

Which goes back to what I said when he re-signed - this never will but totally should happen - Carmelo should play a Euro style schedule at this point in his career. Play him one or two games a week, minimize travel, and hopefully get more of a Bubble Melo that can be fresh and focused for small stints. "Chemistry and cohesion" are the reasons why this would never happen. But "chemistry and cohesion" is leading to frequent 20% or less shooting nights and all of the other bad stats Wizenheimer pointed out.

[d-train]

Melo has been good at interjecting a 3rd player with go-to scoring skills without stepping on Lillard and CJ, very difficult tightrope to walk.

[d-train]

Which goes back to what I said when he re-signed - this never will but totally should happen - Carmelo should play a Euro style schedule at this point in his career. Play him one or two games a week, minimize travel, and hopefully get more of a Bubble Melo that can be fresh and focused for small stints.

Melo isn't tired, he's old. He doesn't need rest. He needs a time machine. Some of his game is more difficult to pull off consistently because without the youthful explosiveness in his legs he used to have, defenses don't have to respect a drive to the basket. This makes the jab step and turnaround less effective.

[JasonStern]

Which goes back to what I said when he re-signed - this never will but totally should happen - Carmelo should play a Euro style schedule at this point in his career. Play him one or two games a week, minimize travel, and hopefully get more of a Bubble Melo that can be fresh and focused for small stints.

Melo isn't tired, he's old. He doesn't need rest. He needs a time machine. Some of his game is more difficult to pull off consistently because without the youthful explosiveness in his legs he used to have, defenses don't have to respect a drive to the basket. This makes the jab step and turnaround less effective.

I'm right around Melo's age, and I can vouch that I can go out and do physical activities near what I could do in my 20s. And then the next few days, I'm taking epsom salt baths, barely able to move. Have to imagine Melo would have a bit more bounce in his step and strength in his shot with more time off between games and less travel related stress. But I can completely understand if he appreciates getting away from his wife for a few days while getting paid millions!

[d-train]

Which goes back to what I said when he re-signed - this never will but totally should happen - Carmelo should play a Euro style schedule at this point in his career. Play him one or two games a week, minimize travel, and hopefully get more of a Bubble Melo that can be fresh and focused for small stints.

Melo isn't tired, he's old. He doesn't need rest. He needs a time machine. Some of his game is more difficult to pull off consistently because without the youthful explosiveness in his legs he used to have, defenses don't have to respect a drive to the basket. This makes the jab step and turnaround less effective.

I'm right around Melo's age, and I can vouch that I can go out and do physical activities near what I could do in my 20s. And then the next few days, I'm taking epsom salt baths, barely able to move. Have to imagine Melo would have a bit more bounce in his step and strength in his shot with more time off between games and less travel related stress. But I can completely understand if he appreciates getting away from his wife for a few days while getting paid millions!

You are confusing the accumulated effects of 36 years of being lazy and out-of-shape with muscle recovery. Muscle recovery does slowdown, but not enough to cause Melo any problems. Unless, he has other issues we don't know about, like ligament or bone problems.

[Epicurus]

The trouble with Anthony is which Anthony will be on the court at any given time. His within game variance and between games variance are very high, I suspect. A bad stint in an earlier part of the game doesn't mean a bad stint later in the game, and vice-versa.

[JasonStern]

A back-to-back. In Denver. And the Blazers nearly won. What was the difference? Good Melo! 24 points on 9-17 shooting with 0 turnovers in 32 minutes. With Nurkić and CJ out, the team sinks or swims with his play. Dame can't carry the entire team.

You are confusing the accumulated effects of 36 years of being lazy and out-of-shape with muscle recovery. Muscle recovery does slowdown, but not enough to cause Melo any problems. Unless, he has other issues we don't know about, like ligament or bone problems.

Well, that's harsh. Not sure why you think I'm lazy. Could a lazy guy take the ball, try to dunk it, and slam it straight into the rim Steve Blake style? That's what I thought.

[d-train]

You are confusing the accumulated effects of 36 years of being lazy and out-of-shape with muscle recovery. Muscle recovery does slowdown, but not enough to cause Melo any problems. Unless, he has other issues we don't know about, like ligament or bone problems.

Well, that's harsh. Not sure why you think I'm lazy. Could a lazy guy take the ball, try to dunk it, and slam it straight into the rim Steve Blake style? That's what I thought.

I thought you said lazy and it sounded plausible.

I have an adjustable height basket on my deck. I just lower it a little each year, problem solved.