The super Melo to Portland thread + The Big Blockbuster

Media has talked about Melo for years now like the dude belongs named with the “greats”, he was a very good scorer in his prime and thats kind of it.

 

Don’t need to undersell Melo. Most players considered him the best pure scorer in the NBA in his prime. Probably just outside top 50 all time imo.

 

I’m interested in Mannix’ claim that Portland has been after Melo for three years. Wonder if that timeline is accurate. Also wonder how exactly we were trying to get him two years ago when his value was a lot higher than it is now.

 

Carmelo was maybe a top 5 scorer during his prime, but his bests years Kobe was better, KD had already passed him up. He had one skill scoring and he was a good scorer, but he was always a black hole, it should speak volumes to us that he played in the eastern conference and kept missing the playoffs...

 

This is the most boring, cliche, narrative. Should we knock Dame for never getting any of his teams past the second round? Is KDs legacy cemented now that he has a ring? It’s a team sport. Which Denver/New York squad was Melo holding back?

 

Dame at least drags his teams to the playoffs in the western conference. So yeah you can maybe knock Dame a little for not having play off success, but come on if you're a "superstar" like Melo's been sold as for years how do you not lead them to at least the playoffs. It was the eastern conference. Yeah it's a "team" game, and you need a good team mates to win championships, but a superstar can carry a team, Melo was never that. Dame is, because he has a much more well rounded game then Melo.

 

I wouldn't waste any time trying to figure out something Mannix said.

 

Melo was in the playoffs for six consecutive years with Denver, including the conference finals. He wasn’t holding anyone back. His squads in New York aren’t even worth a discussion.

 

Dames just starting his 7th season has a VORP of 25.7 (Accumulated) Carmelo starting his 18th(?) has an accumulated VORP of (28.1), Dame will pass him next year probably. Dame has led a team through an entire rebuild with retreads and guys who were playing on benches on bad teams to the playoffs.
Carmelos OBPM for his career is 2.2, his DBPM is -1.2 Dames are 5.3 and 1.5. Basically Dame is a heck of a lot better than Melo was. This is about the fact that Melo has been extremely over-rated because of New York, he was a really good scorer in his prime, no doubt about that, but he has never been a super star, and at this point in his career is still capable of a scoring out burst here or there, but he's horribly inefficient, and his defense looks is awful.
I still say the only reason they should go after Melo is if it's to appease Dame who likes him. Yes the Blazers I believe are still a piece away from being a legit elite / contender type of team, but Carmelo isn't that piece in my opinion.

 

Just want to point out, Carmelo's 6'8 and Dames 6'3 and they're pretty much even on the bad defender scale, which also points out to just how lazy Carmelo has been on that end for most of his career. I'm not saying Carmelo sucked, I am saying that he had one skill, and has proven his whole career he's too lazy to do ANYTHING other than that one thing (at least in the NBA), I guess olympic melo passes once in a while. That one thing he was really,good at he's deteriorated on that end. If they picked him up they're hoping he gets 13-14ppg and isn't such a liability on defense that their giving up more than...

 

In his prime, he was also a pretty good rebounder.

 

career 6.5 for a sf / pf isnt bad but its not exactly great either, his best year for rpg he was at 8.1. Which would make him a pretty good rebounder.
I just really object to Carmelo as a superstar, he’s always been a tier below that to me. I know this is very subjective whats a superstar and what isnt. However we’d define tiers of nba talent, I think in his best years he was near the top of the 2nd tier, with an arguement to made to have him in tier , but I fall on the tier 2 side.

 

I HOPE that happens.

 

I'd love to sign him

I mean how much of a percentage bump does that give us for Zion Williamson? Gotta be at least 5%

 

What is the worst case scenario if you sign him? Are you guys seriously worried that Melo is going to tank the chemistry on this team?

 

I know we are on opposite ends of this, but you are right, here.

Portland isn't winning a title this year either way, so what would it really matter?

 

FTFY, and yes.

 

You realize that he has to be on the floor for that to happen, right?

 

I want Melo to come to Portland really badly, I admit it. That extra scorer who can, in theory, explode for 30 is exactly what we need. Give him some of Curry's minutes, some of Nik's, and some of Leonard's. There is a role for him on our team. He can score, rebound, and defend when motivated. And Turner, CJ, and Dame all like the guy. If Dame wants Melo and Stotts thinks he can make it work, I want Melo. It would be fun to have Melo on our team giving a fuck you tour to the rest of the league off our bench.