I agree, Curry/Melo/Lee is solid, even with a makeshift C rotation that's built around scrubs. But, I still think the team would be better with Curry/Monta/Lee/Biedrins. Lee and Biedrins are geared to be a really effective frontcourt. Lee's full value is playing alongside Biedrins, a C that doesn't demand the ball and takes the pressure off Lee since Lee has been playing C for the Knicks. I'm kind of concerned that you'd be willing to give up Curry for Anthony. Sorry, I won't buy into that at all. And I don't get why you keep bringing up the luxury tax issue. It's a non-issue. If the Warriors traded for Melo, they'd be sending players to match his salary. And there's no way the Nuggets would take expiring contracts only. They'd want some talent back. Yes, I agree, Melo would be a key player on a contending team. But for the Warriors to get him, you'd be sending players away that would require Melo to become that contending team. You're undervaluing the importance of Curry and Lee/Biedrins.
Curry and Biedrins for Melo and Smith ? Ellis/Smith/Melo/Lee/? Lol @ Warriors fans not wanting to give up Curry. Look the guy is a very solid player, but he is a allstar at best. He does not have superstar potential, he doesn't play defense and he sitll can't create his own shot. Most of his points come from the system and from screens.
Let me start off by saying that I don't pay much attention to advanced stats. It's not that I don't think they're useful but I analyze numbers all day long and don't want to do it while discussing basketball so if I'm missing something let me know. Anthony will take a ton of shots but I'm OK with that because we'd be sending out Monta, who also takes a lot of shots. The other peices of the core do not need many shots. Curry is there to set everyone else up, not shoot himself, and Lee, IMO, is better suited for a garbage type roll. I think that with him not having to force too many shots (which I'm afraid he will do) his effectiveness will go way up. I think bringing someone on who shoots a lot was more of a issue when the team had Baron/Jax/JRich/Monta- other guys who shot a lot. He's not a huge rebounder but 6.3 isn't bad from your SF, who is also your primary scoring option. Also, I don't see how his Denver teams were so stacked. Aside from Billups, who has he played with that you would consider much better than average? And when he did have a good, albeit old, PG next to him, he went to the conference finals. I just don't see that supporting cast as being any better than other good but not great teams like Portland, Utah and OKC. I'm as optimistic as anyone about Beidrins coming back to form from a couple years ago but we at least have to acknowledge that he could end up being what he was last year. If that's the case then we'd be giving up an undersized, volume scorer and a C who is not the answer at C for a much, much better, bigger volume scorer. Even if Beidrins does come back better than last year, is he really someone that can push the Warriors to the upper half of the league and, ultimately, a championship? To me, the difference between good and bad teams is having someone to take over at the end of the game. With the exception of Baron, and he was very hit or miss, the W's haven't had anyone that could do that in a long time. All the advanced stats that I could find seem to indicate that he is very good in clutch possessions. I don't know about you but I hated watching games last year when the W's were in it in the 4th and we had to hope CJ Watson could get hot and close out the game.
And that's what I've been saying. If you give up one volume scorer for another, especially one with size and creates mismatches, I'd be okay with it (I'd be very happy). And my point was that given Carmelo Anthony's average scoring efficiency and contract, he is not worth mortgaging your two most important positions (Curry and Biedrins). This has been my premise this entire time. If it was Monta and Biedrins, I think you'd probably have to do it, but you'd still need to fill that C rotation with depth and size. I apologize if using advanced statistics implied that my suggestion that Carmelo Anthony is overrated is the be-all-end-all. Certainly, it's up for discussion, but so far I haven't seen anything that supports otherwise. And I hope everyone realizes that I tried to include a counter-argument in my previous posts by posting up the clutch stats by Anthony. But, IMO, those are just as open ended as using stats to de-value Anthony.
Care to explain why you think Curry is an "allstar at best" and why Carmelo Anthony is a "superstar?" Have you seen Coach K's comments that praise Curry's defense and have you seen Curry play in the FIBA WC's? Curry is pretty capable of creating his own shot (he's got one of the quickest releases), but he's a PG and he sets up his teammates pretty well. I don't even know why I bothered to respond to this but I took the bait. Someone save me.
Did the Warriors get Carmelo yet ? Listen guys. It's the dog days of basketball. Carmelo isn't coming to the Warriors, period. Maybe you can jumble, repeat, piece together, add and subtract the letters in "Rodney Carney" and come up with "Carmelo": Car n+n e d-c o = Carmelo. That's the closest we're coming to getting Carmelo Anthony . I've been rooting for the SF Giants. Go Giants! Hey. The Giants have a better shot of winning the championship than Carmelo coming to GS-land .
I honestly think we have a 0% chance of getting him. GS may be better than Denver for Lala's career or whatever the reason would be that he would leave Denver but if he can sign outright for max money with NYK/NJ/LAC why wouldn't he do that? Most of those teams have more to offer in a trade too. GS is a downgrade from Denver in on court win % and while it may be a marginally better lifestyle its way off of the aforementioned 3 teams. I just don't see it. Next year there are a lot of interesting FA available. IMO going after Melo is just going to waste time. Don't get caught up in a 2010 FA situation where 5+ teams are waiting on the big fish FA to sign. I'd go HARD after Yao and some other players because IMO Melo just wants to get the attention that the big 3 Miami guys got this year and ultimately hes going to NY or LA.
If he's not going to the Warriors, then at least let him go to an Eastern team. One more player out of the West that the Warriors cannot match up with.
I think superstar is ability to make others better. Whether that's defense, passing, or whatnot, Melo seems a lot more one dimensional than let's say Kobe or Paul Pierce who both play defense and are better passers.