Portland Carmelo

[AZOrange]

I'm not sure I agree they are. Trent Jr is very streaky. Covington and Jones have not impressed much on either end and I would expect their time as both being starters may be limited if they don't pick up more on D given they offer almost nothing on offense. Last night Trent was really good and the Lakers played awful. Also Dame finally played a good game too. Melo is just a piece and it's a bit habitual to evaluate a team without him but prior to last night the other pieces haven't been good outside of CJ and to some degree Trent and Kanter. Also Melos +/- have been solid so far too.

Melo has been asked to lead and stabilize the second unit. He’s doing what he’s supposed to

 

[OrangeDW]

I'm afraid Portland is a better team without Melo.

The last couple of games, he has been playing that ugly brand of MeloBall. Holding it for a long time, then trying to make moves he can't make anymore, and then instead of passing out of it, forcing contested, difficult shots. Ridiculously inefficient. It's like he doesn't want to believe how old he is and that he's no longer the great player he was.

Conversely, tonight, without him (covid protocol?), Gary Trent Jr. played a pretty wicked game. He shot it great, didn't stop the ball, the team played with more energy and movement. And they beat the Lakers.

Small sample size, but i think it portends a not so graceful transition.

Melo has been my favorite player for a long time, so it hurts to watch when he's not what he used to be. I hope he comes back and adjusts and becomes a consistent positive for Portland, but... i rarely get what i want.

Off one game?

Gary Trent had 0 last game. 28 last night. It’s early.

 

[stuckinbig11]

I'm afraid Portland is a better team without Melo.

The last couple of games, he has been playing that ugly brand of MeloBall. Holding it for a long time, then trying to make moves he can't make anymore, and then instead of passing out of it, forcing contested, difficult shots. Ridiculously inefficient. It's like he doesn't want to believe how old he is and that he's no longer the great player he was.

Conversely, tonight, without him (covid protocol?), Gary Trent Jr. played a pretty wicked game. He shot it great, didn't stop the ball, the team played with more energy and movement. And they beat the Lakers.

Small sample size, but i think it portends a not so graceful transition.

Melo has been my favorite player for a long time, so it hurts to watch when he's not what he used to be. I hope he comes back and adjusts and becomes a consistent positive for Portland, but... i rarely get what i want.

Melo is still a very good player and meshes well with the first team, making them much better. Playing with the second team, he takes on a different role, for which he is now less well suited.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Off one game?

Gary Trent had 0 last game. 28 last night. It’s early.

Yep. As I said—small sample size. Just speaking to the overall tone of the games. Melo’s style drains them of energy and efficiency.

I hope he’s got more in the tank, and that those last couple of games of his were not predictive of the rest of the season, as he was devolving into that caricature of melo—the one non-SU fans point to to justify criticisms of him.

 

[DoctorBombay]

Melo is still a very good player and meshes well with the first team, making them much better. Playing with the second team, he takes on a different role, for which he is now less well suited.

This^^
Once again a HC saw something wasn't broke, so they decided to fix it. Why not start Melo w/ the unit that got them to the playoffs last year, where his role is well-defined and he plays as a 3rd-4th option off Dame and McCullom? That worked pretty well last I checked.
Instead you decide to now bring him off the bench and mesh with an entirely different unit, and on nights when his shot isn't falling, he reverts back to "Black Hole Melo". Dumb.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

This^^
Once again a HC saw something wasn't broke, so they decided to fix it. Why not start Melo w/ the unit that got them to the playoffs last year, where his role is well-defined and he plays as a 3rd-4th option off Dame and McCullom? That worked pretty well last I checked.
Instead you decide to now bring him off the bench and mesh with an entirely different unit, and on nights when his shot isn't falling, he reverts back to "Black Hole Melo". Dumb.

Portland is usually pretty good at figuring out where guys fit. I wouldn't stress.

I mean, they get productive minutes out of Kanter.

 

[AZOrange]

This^^
Once again a HC saw something wasn't broke, so they decided to fix it. Why not start Melo w/ the unit that got them to the playoffs last year, where his role is well-defined and he plays as a 3rd-4th option off Dame and McCullom? That worked pretty well last I checked.
Instead you decide to now bring him off the bench and mesh with an entirely different unit, and on nights when his shot isn't falling, he reverts back to "Black Hole Melo". Dumb.

Because the second unit is completely dysfunctional and the starters play zero defense. So you get the best on ball defenders in first unit and add balance to second unit

 

[Dcuse]

I'm afraid Portland is a better team without Melo.

The last couple of games, he has been playing that ugly brand of MeloBall. Holding it for a long time, then trying to make moves he can't make anymore, and then instead of passing out of it, forcing contested, difficult shots. Ridiculously inefficient. It's like he doesn't want to believe how old he is and that he's no longer the great player he was.

Conversely, tonight, without him (covid protocol?), Gary Trent Jr. played a pretty wicked game. He shot it great, didn't stop the ball, the team played with more energy and movement. And they beat the Lakers.

Small sample size, but i think it portends a not so graceful transition.

Melo has been my favorite player for a long time, so it hurts to watch when he's not what he used to be. I hope he comes back and adjusts and becomes a consistent positive for Portland, but... i rarely get what i want.

Their two starting forwards avg. about 7 points a game COMBINED! So...what are you talking about?

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Their two starting forwards avg. about 7 points a game COMBINED! So...what are you talking about?

Did you watch the game?

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Off one game?

Gary Trent had 0 last game. 28 last night. It’s early.

Probably the same guy who said Steelers were done against the Colts at halftime.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[br801]

They really should be using the combined NBA/ABA numbers for this. Carmelo would now stand 17th, but would still trail Erving, Issel and Gervin.

 

[DoctorBombay]

And consider that he was idle for a full season before Portland “took a flyer on him”. And how dysfunctional is the Rockets franchise with what we’ve seen these last few years?
If Melo had gone to that veteran, champion Pistons team at #2 instead of being the victim of a Joe Dumars brain fart, he’d have a coupla rings for sure!

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Orangezoo]

Not sure it would happen because it's been so long but I would love to see Denver reach out with an olive branch when Melos career comes to an end to have him retire as a Nugget. Same with LJ for Cleveland. Melo really re energized that team and outside a few years it's been a perennial playoff team since.

Now if he ends up playing another 3-4 yrs ala Vince Carter and stays with Portland might be a moot point.

 

[ssbriefcase]

Not sure it would happen because it's been so long but I would love to see Denver reach out with an olive branch when Melos career comes to an end to have him retire as a Nugget.

Don't hold your breath, he's still being hated on by most here.

 

[MikeSU02]

Not sure it would happen because it's been so long but I would love to see Denver reach out with an olive branch when Melos career comes to an end to have him retire as a Nugget. Same with LJ for Cleveland. Melo really re energized that team and outside a few years it's been a perennial playoff team since.

Now if he ends up playing another 3-4 yrs ala Vince Carter and stays with Portland might be a moot point.

I know there are a million avenues his career could have taken but that 2009 WCF against the Lakers really could have gone the Nugs way.

I know it's a huge what if, but if he wins that year, he would only need that one chip. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

 

[OrangeDW]

Only 35 points away from Oscar for 12th place too.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Only 35 points away from Oscar for 12th place too.

Probably 2-4 games away.

 

[Orangezoo]

I know there are a million avenues his career could have taken but that 2009 WCF against the Lakers really could have gone the Nugs way.

I know it's a huge what if, but if he wins that year, he would only need that one chip. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

Yeah that one still stings. I really thought they could win that one. The West was just so good and you had both Kobe and Duncan to deal with. Kobe really turned it up a notch and Denver couldn't quite get it done. It was right there though.

 

[br801]

Just when it looks like he might be near the end, Carmelo strings together a couple of really nice games. The Big O is up next.

 

[Orangezoo]

Just when it looks like he might be near the end, Carmelo strings together a couple of really nice games. The Big O is up next.

And helping the Blazers win without both Lillard and McCollum

 

[br801]

And helping the Blazers win without both Lillard and McCollum

Yes. Played his best all-around game of the year tonight for a ridiculously undermanned team.