Melo's jumper

[moqui]

if he had simply thrown it up as a lob, James would have thrown it down and brought the house down with it

 

[tbonezone]

ya know yelling from the sidelines is one thing but to really drive home the point have the benchboys greet him with an old fashion "gym locks in socks" beatdown when he returns to the huddle. whackwhackwhack!!! message delivered loud and clear.

 

[bevosu]

Maybe I missed something, but what I saw was fab taking a shot that wouldn't have been nearly as bad a decision if we had somebody anywhere near the basket for a possible rebound. Looked to me like the basket was surrounded by UConn players and not an SU player in sight.

Dumb shot.

 

[netman99]

I don't think it's the team not wanting Fab to take those shots but when to take it and no one should have taken that shot from that spot on the team at that particular point of the game.

Exactly! And no one was in rebounding position. Zero Orange under the basket at that moment. It was sort of a scramble play at that point and the offense was not set.

 

[Henny & Coke]

That decision was so dumb, it's almost like he's only been playing high-level basketball for 3 or so years! Oh, wait...Fab has only been playing meaningful basketball for a short time.

Do people just not get that Fab Melo's basketball experience consists of 1 year of high school ball, one summer of AAU play, Freshman year at SU, summer playing about 10 games with Brazil National Team, and then this year?

While every other player on the court most likely started playing ball at, what, age 7? Probably played all four years of high school & AAU ball too? Is it any wonder that Fab may not have the same "basketball IQ" as others at this level?

Yes, I agree it is strange to see Fab, a guy we've grown accustomed to blocking shots and playing so well at times, do something incredibly dumb out there on the court...but what do you expect from someone so new to the game, who never grew up watching basketball games on television or playing in parks as a kid? SMH.

 

[moqui]

Exactly! And no one was in rebounding position. Zero Orange under the basket at that moment. It was sort of a scramble play at that point and the offense was not set.

James was there, and nearly got a hand on the rebound, but it was such a brick that it took a 90 degree right turn bounce.

as SmilinBob noted, it was the time and situation that Fab brain farted on. Fresh shot clock, 4 point lead, under 4 to play. Pull it out and re-set the offense.

 

[KevMonstah]

Melo's jumper is best addressed by Lou Brown from Major League:

"Great shot Fab, don't ever --ing do it again."

Take it four mins into the game, not with four mins LEFT in the game.

Kev

 

[kingtidge]

That decision was so dumb, it's almost like he's only been playing high-level basketball for 3 or so years! Oh, wait...Fab has only been playing meaningful basketball for a short time.

Do people just not get that Fab Melo's basketball experience consists of 1 year of high school ball, one summer of AAU play, Freshman year at SU, summer playing about 10 games with Brazil National Team, and then this year?

I get that - but what is Scoop and K-Jo's excuse when they launch them with no one in rebound position?

and moreover, why do we always struggle to get people into rebound position?... that is the bigger issue than Fab's one bad shot...

 

[OttoMets]

You just can't have that thin of skin and get upset at teammates so easily if you are to play in the NBA. He would get eaten alive by the real pros.

Yeah, what would he do if the Celtics drafted him and Kevin Garnett punched him in the face?

 

[OttoMets]

That decision was so dumb, it's almost like he's only been playing high-level basketball for 3 or so years! Oh, wait...Fab has only been playing meaningful basketball for a short time.

Do people just not get that Fab Melo's basketball experience consists of 1 year of high school ball, one summer of AAU play, Freshman year at SU, summer playing about 10 games with Brazil National Team, and then this year?

While every other player on the court most likely started playing ball at, what, age 7? Probably played all four years of high school & AAU ball too? Is it any wonder that Fab may not have the same "basketball IQ" as others at this level?

Yes, I agree it is strange to see Fab, a guy we've grown accustomed to blocking shots and playing so well at times, do something incredibly dumb out there on the court...but what do you expect from someone so new to the game, who never grew up watching basketball games on television or playing in parks as a kid? SMH.

I've heard a bit of this argument, and it might be valid if we were talking about some subtle intricacies of the game.

But think about the the first two years of your first full-time job. Then think about the most basic thing you were taught on your first day and ask yourself if your boss would have considered it reasonable for you to have made that mistake after two years on the job.

Syracuse's center taking a 19-footer is Option #5 in our offense. It's a somewhat worse option when the shot clock reads '33.' And it's worse still when the center takes that shot in a one-on-four situation.

Fab just screwed up. It's got nothing to do with experience; he made a flat-out boneheaded play. It's not a huge deal, but it really would have been a non-story if he hadn't responded with his all-too-typical indignant "I can make it!" silliness.

 

[Flacusian]

I dont think ive ever seen a bench collectively yell out "nooooooooooooooooooo" as 1 of their players is about to take a shot. The bench reaction as melo is about to shoot is hysterical. Even the walk ons at the end of the bench are screaming for him to pass it. I think it was resavy with the classic hands on his head "i cant believe hes about to take this shot" pose.

I'd bet that he has seen film of Anthony Davis making that shot. I love Fab but he's certainly not in the upper percentile in the grey matter dept.