Melo may be done in Houston

[HakAttack]

I thiink Melo has a lot of haters out there. To me, his career is kind of like Dominique Wilkins. He might not get in for a few years. If he does get in on his first or second ballot, it's going to be because of the Olympics and the national title for Syracuse.

He’s a first ballot HOFer. No doubt.

 

[IthacaMatt]

seems to me like carmelo always made the calculation i'll take my money over any chance at winning an NBA title. and it worked .

On a couple occasions, he did make his own bed.
Hats off to Melo, because he got paid mad money, especially this past year.
But it's over now.

 

[Waltdods]

I thiink Melo has a lot of haters out there. To me, his career is kind of like Dominique Wilkins. He might not get in for a few years. If he does get in on his first or second ballot, it's going to be because of the Olympics and the national title for Syracuse.

Wilkins’ numbers are very similar, which kind of surprised me. Both big-time scorers who put up numbers for a lot of years.

I’m too young to remember Bernard king, another guy mentioned in this thread, but his numbers don’t actually look that much like Melos. Melo had many more years of high level play. On the other hand, King in his good years was a significantly more efficient scorer than melo.

Looks like Wilkins had to wait three years or so for the hof. Kind of think melo gets in quicker.

 

[two3zone]

 

[IthacaMatt]

He’s a first ballot HOFer. No doubt.

Eh, we'll see. I would bet against him getting in on the first ballot.
Allan Iverson and Dominique Wilkins didn't get in on their first ballot.
Tracey McGrady, Chris Webber and Tim Hardaway are some other elite talents, who I'm not sure if any of them are in yet.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Wilkins’ numbers are very similar, which kind of surprised me. Both big-time scorers who put up numbers for a lot of years.

I’m too young to remember Bernard king, another guy mentioned in this thread, but his numbers don’t actually look that much like Melos. Melo had many more years of high level play. On the other hand, King in his good years was a significantly more efficient scorer than melo.

Looks like Wilkins had to wait three years or so for the hof. Kind of think melo gets in quicker.

Bernard was unstoppable for a few years and made the Knicks darkhorse contenders, but then blew out his knee and was never the same.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Let's just go nuts here...

Suppose the Warriors take a flyer on him and he gets a ring as a backup.

What does it mean for Melo's legacy?

 

[IthacaMatt]

Melo is a first ballot HOF and anyone who says differently doesn't know much about basketball. He's had a hell of a career. And now it's over, IMO.

George Gervin didn't get into the Hall of Fame until his 5th try. 9X All Star. 5X All NBA First Team, Four times scoring champion. FIFTH ballot to get in. 25 PPG for his career, All -Time NBA Top 50 players.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I meant the similarity to King from the sense that both players had a killer midrange game, which was typical of stars of that era, and could fill it up and score in bunches.

Was there someone in mind you were thinking of when you posted that?

Both players, when they were young, were explosive along the baseline. That was their real skill. Melo was a 3 with an elite low post game, a great turnaround jumper from the elbow, and could get to the line. He was really great at executing on isolations at the end of a shot clock. But as he got older, he got more predictable and less explosive. LeBron and Michael Jordan took their games outside and became outstanding 3 point shooters, Melo not quite so much, he was more streaky from 3 than dependable.

 

[cuseinseattle]

I’m glad they put assists, steals and blocks in there. That is a huge part of melo’s game. He is a 4 so I would think including rebounds would make some sense. Probably wasn’t included for obvious reasons.

 

[Trueblue25]

Melo’s a champion. Thats what I’ll remember him as.

 

[two3zone]

I’m glad they put assists, steals and blocks in there. That is a huge part of melo’s game. He is a 4 so I would think including rebounds would make some sense. Probably wasn’t included for obvious reasons.

Think the biggest thing is ppp, some people mentioned his fit on the Rockets and their offense, it's just playing out that way.

 

[ssbriefcase]

I know it's still bad but
The Rockets have a net rating of 11.1 points per 100 possessions when Anthony isn't on the floor than when he plays, according to NBA.com stats.

 

[br801]

Both players, when they were young, were explosive along the baseline. That was their real skill. Melo was a 3 with an elite low post game, a great turnaround jumper from the elbow, and could get to the line. He was really great at executing on isolations at the end of a shot clock. But as he got older, he got more predictable and less explosive. LeBron and Michael Jordan took their games outside and became outstanding 3 point shooters, Melo not quite so much, he was more streaky from 3 than dependable.

James and Jordan were never outstanding 3-point shooters. James and Anthony have remarkably similar 3-point numbers for their careers in terms of percentage and number attempted per game.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Melo's game was like an 80's- 90's era game. He would have fit on the Ewing-Oakley Knicks at SF. You could see him as being a better version of Adrian Dantley on the Bad Boy Pistons teams that won those championships.

He would have been a great option on those Philly Sixer teams with Dr. J, Moses Malone, Bobby Jones, Maurice Cheeks and the rest. If Melo was still a young man on that team, he would have been awesome off the bench as a low-post threat while Malone rested or when he got in foul trouble.

 

[IthacaMatt]

James and Jordan were never outstanding 3-point shooters. James and Anthony have remarkably similar 3-point numbers for their careers in terms of percentage and number attempted per game.

In Jordan's second championship trifecta, he had a couple outstanding years.
James has also gotten better later in his career.
Maybe not elite, but Jordan hit around 40% for those best years, and Lebron in the high 30s.
They both got better than when they were younger, because to remain the best, you have to keep adding to your game.

 

[br801]

In Jordan's second championship trifecta, he had a couple outstanding years.
James has also gotten better later in his career.
Maybe not elite, but Jordan hit around 40% for those best years, and Lebron in the high 30s.
They both got better than when they were younger, because to remain the best, you have to keep adding to your game.

Anthony also improved as a 3-point shooter, and had some nice seasons as a volume deep shooter later in his career.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Easy scapegoat.

I thought he'd do better at this stage as a scorer for a young team not trying to mesh with one of the 'contenders.' Houston was going to have the bad start regardless. Hes had a good 15 year run.

 

[cuseinseattle]

George Gervin didn't get into the Hall of Fame until his 5th try. 9X All Star. 5X All NBA First Team, Four times scoring champion. FIFTH ballot to get in. 25 PPG for his career, All -Time NBA Top 50 players.

Melo has like 5000 more points than Gervin. That’s 3 20 point seasons of difference

 

[IthacaMatt]

Anthony also improved as a 3-point shooter, and had some nice seasons as a volume deep shooter later in his career.

Melo's statistical comps for his career are Rasheed Wallace, Terry Cummings, Rashard Lewis, Alex English, Antwan Jameson and Otis Thorpe. That sounds borderline Hall of Fame to me. I think it's SU and the Olympics that are going to get him over the hump. In other words; "The Boeheim Effect".

Carmelo Anthony Stats | Basketball-Reference.com

 

[br801]

Melo has like 5000 more points than Gervin. That’s 3 20 point seasons of difference

Not to mention the Olympic golds and NCAA championship. It's the basketball HoF, so the totality of one's career is considered.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Melo has like 5000 more points than Gervin. That’s 3 20 point seasons of difference

George Gervin was a great player. Do you think Melo is all-time top 50 in the NBA? Gervin was.

 

[br801]

Melo's statistical comps for his career are Rasheed Wallace, Terry Cummings, Rashard Lewis, Alex English, Antwan Jameson and Otis Thorpe. That sounds borderline Hall of Fame to me. I think it's SU and the Olympics that are going to get him over the hump. In other words; "The Boeheim Effect".

Carmelo Anthony Stats | Basketball-Reference.com

Those comps are based on similarity of Win Shares and have always seem a little weird to me for most players I've looked at.

 

[Ghost]

Eh, we'll see. I would vote against him getting in on the first ballot.
Allan Iverson and Dominique Wilkins didn't get in on their first ballot.
Tracey McGrady, Chris Webber and Tim Hardaway are some other elite talents, who I'm not sure if any of them are in yet.

I was about to say, "Iverson didn't get in first ballot, that's the craziest **** I've ever heard in MY LIFE. The only thing crazier would be Melo not getting in on the first ballot."

Then I looked it up...

"This was the first year Iverson was eligible, and he actually was declared eligible one season early."

So, yeah, he did.

Allen Iverson Elected to Hall of Fame on First Ballot

Also, Nique not getting in was pretty widely regarded as a travesty...at least from what I recall.

 

[Ghost]

I just can't see him not getting in first ballot.

Averaging 20PPG for 14 straight seasons is fairly amazing.

Anthony almost getting the Nuggets to the finals in 2009, and Iverson getting the 76ers (and that oddball roster) into the finals in 2001 are two of the more impressive events I can recall superstars accomplishing in the past 20 years.

The 8th place team in the West in 2009 had (young) Harden, Westbrook, and Durant. So, yeah, Melo pairing with Billups, JR Smith, and Kenyon Martin is kinda impressive for that run - especially when they were a clutch defensive play by Trevor Ariza away from making the finals. Making the playoffs for 10 straight years was an amazing accomplishment that nobody gives him credit for...it's insane.

He was better by most accounts (advanced stats, or otherwise) on offense for the Knicks, and just slightly worse defensively (but still on par with barely-criticized in comparison for his defense James Harden) - but pretty much the same player/performance overall. So, I just can't fathom him not getting in because he had a career surrounded by duds on the Knicks.