Melo signs with the Lakers if...

[myersia]

As strange as it seams I think Melo flourishes next to Kobe and vice versa. Remember the Olympics. Melo can play with superstars. Problem is that in the NBA he has yet to do so. Billups in Denver. Not a superstar on that team. In New York same thing. He had an aging Jason Kidd that's it. I think people need to stop bashing Melo. Dude is a solid piece. Kevin Love is not a given in 15. Also one could argue that Melo is more proven than Kevin Love. I would love to get Kevin but a raise (new contract) and additional piece added to Minnesota could keep him there. If Melo wants to come here at a discount of some sort that is realistic for him. Let him come and let us WIN. Imagine a healthy Kobe next year and Melo. That is not easy to guard. In a weird way it is kind of like Bron and Wade. Obviously Neither player is Bron but I think it will gel and work a lot better than most realize.

[LApwnd]

As strange as it seams I think Melo flourishes next to Kobe and vice versa. Remember the Olympics. Melo can play with superstars. Problem is that in the NBA he has yet to do so. Billups in Denver. Not a superstar on that team. In New York same thing. He had an aging Jason Kidd that's it. I think people need to stop bashing Melo. Dude is a solid piece. Kevin Love is not a given in 15. Also one could argue that Melo is more proven than Kevin Love. I would love to get Kevin but a raise (new contract) and additional piece added to Minnesota could keep him there. If Melo wants to come here at a discount of some sort that is realistic for him. Let him come and let us WIN. Imagine a healthy Kobe next year and Melo. That is not easy to guard. In a weird way it is kind of like Bron and Wade. Obviously Neither player is Bron but I think it will gel and work a lot better than most realize.

neither Melo or Kobe play any type of respectable D anymore compared to the likes of Bron, even Wade has his moments.

[myersia]

As strange as it seams I think Melo flourishes next to Kobe and vice versa. Remember the Olympics. Melo can play with superstars. Problem is that in the NBA he has yet to do so. Billups in Denver. Not a superstar on that team. In New York same thing. He had an aging Jason Kidd that's it. I think people need to stop bashing Melo. Dude is a solid piece. Kevin Love is not a given in 15. Also one could argue that Melo is more proven than Kevin Love. I would love to get Kevin but a raise (new contract) and additional piece added to Minnesota could keep him there. If Melo wants to come here at a discount of some sort that is realistic for him. Let him come and let us WIN. Imagine a healthy Kobe next year and Melo. That is not easy to guard. In a weird way it is kind of like Bron and Wade. Obviously Neither player is Bron but I think it will gel and work a lot better than most realize.

neither Melo or Kobe play any type of respectable D anymore compared to the likes of Bron, even Wade has his moments.

I don't know. When motivated Melo can D up pretty well. Kobe has aged so his D can be suspect. But if we sign a defensive Bbg or draft a some defense at at the pg spot or a big we will be ok.

[tviper]

the team around melo is without a doubt one of the worst teams assembled around a star player ever, he deserves very little blame for their losing.

how can you say this when its the very same team last year that won 50 games with the same HC? As for Melo being top 4-7, sure if ALL you care about is scoring. Melo doesn't take "some" stupid shots, majority of his shots are stupid, the ironic part is his stupid shot selection is actually a good fit with Antoni offense. For OP, how exactly does Melo take 14mill from Mia when they plan on getting back all 3 of the big 3?

Re: 14M, just repeating what I heard or read. I think the idea is that Bosh leaves and Wade and Lebron retool with Melo.

[tviper]

As strange as it seams I think Melo flourishes next to Kobe and vice versa. Remember the Olympics. Melo can play with superstars. Problem is that in the NBA he has yet to do so. Billups in Denver. Not a superstar on that team. In New York same thing. He had an aging Jason Kidd that's it. I think people need to stop bashing Melo. Dude is a solid piece. Kevin Love is not a given in 15. Also one could argue that Melo is more proven than Kevin Love. I would love to get Kevin but a raise (new contract) and additional piece added to Minnesota could keep him there. If Melo wants to come here at a discount of some sort that is realistic for him. Let him come and let us WIN. Imagine a healthy Kobe next year and Melo. That is not easy to guard. In a weird way it is kind of like Bron and Wade. Obviously Neither player is Bron but I think it will gel and work a lot better than most realize.

neither Melo or Kobe play any type of respectable D anymore compared to the likes of Bron, even Wade has his moments.

I don't know. When motivated Melo can D up pretty well. Kobe has aged so his D can be suspect. But if we sign a defensive Bbg or draft a some defense at at the pg spot or a big we will be ok.

Yes, that is the idea of adding Monroe. You could make a better case defensively for Okafor (injuries notwithstanding) but again, does Melo leave and take a discount for Okafor? Probably not, but Monroe is a different story? Say the Lakers get #4 and take Exum, sign Monroe (DET doesn't match) and sign Melo (Nash retires). Doesn't that team in year 2 (2015) have a shot with a healthy Kobe? Farmar/Exum/Kobe/Melo/Monroe.

[LApwnd]

^^^personal feelings but that team will stink defensively. I really really hate these "fake" 4's these days.

[myersia]

Sitting close to front row tonight at the Pistons v. Knicks game. Anyone want me to yell something at Melo?

[LApwnd]

Sitting close to front row tonight at the Pistons v. Knicks game. Anyone want me to yell something at Melo?

STAY in NY

[Doormatt]

the team around melo is without a doubt one of the worst teams assembled around a star player ever, he deserves very little blame for their losing.

how can you say this when its the very same team last year that won 50 games with the same HC? As for Melo being top 4-7, sure if ALL you care about is scoring. Melo doesn't take "some" stupid shots, majority of his shots are stupid, the ironic part is his stupid shot selection is actually a good fit with Antoni offense. For OP, how exactly does Melo take 14mill from Mia when they plan on getting back all 3 of the big 3?

Lol that team massively overachieved, have you seen how they've played this year? JR is taking 12.4 shots a game and averaging 12.9 points. Felton is back to being fatton and chandler has missed half the season. Hardaway while being a really good shooter is probably the worst perimeter defender in the league. You obviously haven't been watching the Knicks this year.

Oh yeah and Melo doesn't "only" score (which is btw a pretty big deal. Kobe made his way as pretty much a scorer as well.) he's shooting 40% from 3 which is amazing and is posting a 113 ortg, about a point less than what Kobe averaged in his prime. he's also rebounding like a machine. 19.8 drb% is better than both Durant and Lebron. He's the 3rd best scorer in the league behind Durant and Lebron who rebounds really well and actually plays defense now. You're just wrong. And I never liked Melo before.

[Doormatt]

The Knicks with Melo on the court have a 109.2 ortg and 110.5 drtg. With him off the court they turn into absolute **** garbage with a 101.5 ortg and 115.6 drtg. Thats +12.8 for Melo. For comparisons sake Lebron is +14.6. So yeah Melo is carrying that garbage Knicks team.

[LApwnd]

Lol that team massively overachieved, have you seen how they've played this year? JR is taking 12.4 shots a game and averaging 12.9 points. Felton is back to being fatton and chandler has missed half the season. Hardaway while being a really good shooter is probably the worst perimeter defender in the league. You obviously haven't been watching the Knicks this year.

Oh yeah and Melo doesn't "only" score (which is btw a pretty big deal. Kobe made his way as pretty much a scorer as well.) he's shooting 40% from 3 which is amazing and is posting a 113 ortg, about a point less than what Kobe averaged in his prime. he's also rebounding like a machine. 19.8 drb% is better than both Durant and Lebron. He's the 3rd best scorer in the league behind Durant and Lebron who rebounds really well and actually plays defense now. You're just wrong. And I never liked Melo before.

so they overacheived when they do good but when they do bad they're garbage? ok guess Melo doesn't get any of the blame then? Top 3 player dont let their team play that horribly espeically in the one of the most weakest Eastern conference in a while. Kobe did more then just score too, you as well are ignoring the "other" factors. Fatty Felton and that knuckle head Smith dont got nothing on the likes of Brian Cook, Kwame, Smush and Kobe lead that team to a playoff birth. Seems to me the missing factor is one Jason Kidd, and if thats the case how much does that say of Melo impact when an old geezer like Jkidd is the difference between overachievers and a bunch of "garbage" now? Funny how Den NEVER made it out of the the 1st rd of the playoffs and all of a sudden they're in the WCF when Billups shows up with basically the same team as the year before, but yea you right Den probably over acheived again that year

[Doormatt]

so they overacheived when they do good but when they do bad they're garbage? ok guess Melo doesn't get any of the blame then? Top 3 player dont let their team play that horribly espeically in the one of the most weakest Eastern conference in a while. Kobe did more then just score too, you as well are ignoring the "other" factors. Fatty Felton and that knuckle head Smith dont got nothing on the likes of Brian Cook, Kwame, Smush and Kobe lead that team to a playoff birth. Seems to me the missing factor is one Jason Kidd, and if thats the case how much does that say of Melo impact when an old geezer like Jkidd is the difference between overachievers and a bunch of "garbage" now? Funny how Den NEVER made it out of the the 1st rd of the playoffs and all of a sudden they're in the WCF when Billups shows up with basically the same team as the year before, but yea you right Den probably over acheived again that year

Hey that's a nice narrative you've created but it has nothing to do with how good Melo is playing and how bad the Knicks are playing. The Knicks role players overachieved, why is that so surprising? JR averaged 19 ppg on 52TS% with a 107 ortg last year. This year he's averaging nearly more shots than points with a 100 ortg. Remember this is essentially Melos 2nd option on offense. They added Bargs who is garbage and provided negative impact. They added hardaway who for all the good he does on offense becomes a negative when you factor in defense. Chandler has only disrupted their chemistry further. Felton is fat again and getting arrested. Everyone is worse than last year and they only added players that made them worse. Oh yeah and Woodson had no idea what he's doing. Why do you think they are worse? Are you honestly gonna blame Melo? Do you have any proof it's Melos fault? You didn't really refute or respond to anything I said.

Also I never said Melo was a top 3 player. I was simply using Kobe for comparisons sake, obviously Kobe was better. People have called Kobe just a scorer before and we all know that's not true.

[laduane1]

HELL FREEZES OVER

[tviper]

I know it is just one game, but given the issues LAL usually has in POR didn't it seem like something clicked last night? Whatever you want to say about MDA, he has the entire roster playing hard and now it seems that his system is running at close to its full potential. Imagine this system with Kobe and Melo and Monroe with Farmar, Baze and whoever else comes back on a one year deal. POR didn't know what hit them in the first quarter. The Laker "D League Scrubs" were running and gunning to a victory over one of the league's top teams despite completely falling apart in the last 5 minutes.

I believe even more that LAL should get serious about Melo, and if Monroe gets a bigger offer elsewhere and doesn't want to join forces with Kobe/Melo, there are stop gaps like Okafor or potential S&T with Pau to bring in some size. The press seems to be pushing Melo to CHI but I don't see it. If he leaves NY he is coming to LA IMO.*

* apologies to LApwnd

[LApwnd]

I know it is just one game, but given the issues LAL usually has in POR didn't it seem like something clicked last night? Whatever you want to say about MDA, he has the entire roster playing hard and now it seems that his system is running at close to its full potential. Imagine this system with Kobe and Melo and Monroe with Farmar, Baze and whoever else comes back on a one year deal. POR didn't know what hit them in the first quarter. The Laker "D League Scrubs" were running and gunning to a victory over one of the league's top teams despite completely falling apart in the last 5 minutes.

I believe even more that LAL should get serious about Melo, and if Monroe gets a bigger offer elsewhere and doesn't want to join forces with Kobe/Melo, there are stop gaps like Okafor or potential S&T with Pau to bring in some size. The press seems to be pushing Melo to CHI but I don't see it. If he leaves NY he is coming to LA IMO.*

* apologies to LApwnd

its not my prefference to see him here but I know what it means to have him here, it would at least temporarily defunk the myth of what Howard created about our Franchise when he left. But that doesnt mean I have to to believe we'll be succesful with Melo and Kobe on the same team, might look fun on paper but so did last year. In long run IMO I just dont see a team with Melo as the center piece winning much of anything.

[No-Man]

So... Monroe, Melo, Bryant ... you are planning to compete or be the next globe trotters?

[tviper]

So... Monroe, Melo, Bryant ... you are planning to compete or be the next globe trotters?

run and gun. SSOL. Scores in the 110-120. Lock down last 5. Versatile to run or post up Kobe/Melo/Monroe in a half court playoff game. Of course, would have to get total buy in from Kobe and Melo so that would be the biggest hurdle. Still not sure if the Melo vs. MDA is real or media creation.

[No-Man]

First of all, if you want to add Melo to Kobe, Melo has to play PF.
For doing so, you need a defensive SF that can hit open shots and a defensive big, a really good one.
Monroe does not fit that role, at all.
You also need a PG that could lockdown other guards and be secure with the ball.
It's pretty difficult to make that work.
Lakers fans has still not learn after the Nash/Howard fiasco? really? winning is not about putting together names, is about fit and roles.

[tviper]

First of all, if you want to add Melo to Kobe, Melo has to play PF.
For doing so, you need a defensive SF that can hit open shots and a defensive big, a really good one.
Monroe does not fit that role, at all.
You also need a PG that could lockdown other guards and be secure with the ball.
It's pretty difficult to make that work.
Lakers fans has still not learn after the Nash/Howard fiasco? really? winning is not about putting together names, is about fit and roles.

You are entitled to this opinion, I think differently. I agree Melo would be the PF. Kobe would be the 2/3. Bazemore is the other wing who is a good defender from what I have seen so far. Farmar runs the point, and Monroe does what it takes to fill necessary gaps. Yes, it will depend on chemistry to get far in the playoffs, but Monroe is 23 and Melo still has a few prime years left with major incentive.

[No-Man]

So your idea is Anthony and Monroe as PF/C...

mygosh