Let's be real: This Melo/OKC Experiment ain't Working

[GetInTheTruck]

For y'all talking about "time to gel," I just wanna let you know that's the same shyt we kept saying about Melo and Amare....never happened.

I'm rooting for it to happen because I'd like to see OKC take on GSW and see Melo go hard in the playoffs but I gotta be realistic.

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

For y'all talking about "time to gel," I just wanna let you know that's the same shyt we kept saying about Melo and Amare....never happened.

I'm rooting for it to happen because I'd like to see OKC take on GSW and see Melo go hard in the playoffs but I gotta be realistic.

Amare was already hobbled

 

[Primetime]

this whole small ball idea in the nba is a myth. the warriors are a big team and i continue to say that.
yet, people keep talking small ball and the warriors are successful because they are stereotypically bigger.
or more pedigreed at the position [draymond is actually more pedigreed at the pf than most of the league, too] than the rest of the league in general.
they do not play small ball, except for the few times that the cavs were injured.
when, the warriors put out their version of the klaw, in kawhi as the other ai, andre igoudala onto lebron.
which also resulted in the same results for kawhi as it did for iggie in the finals mvp.
past that, the warriors are of stereotypical size at every position.
or bigger than the rest of the league every night without fail.



art barr

Yea, Warriors are pulling the okie doke with the small ball thing with ppl still thinking about "death line ups" and such. In truth, the shortest guy on the court is Curry and he's still listed at 6'3, which is probably above mean average for a pg, and an underrated rebounder. Plus his backup is 6'7 (Livingston). Kerr is from the Phil Jackson Bulls era where Phil saw the advantage of a Ron Harper at point, so that positions 1-4 were all 6'6-6'8 and could switch everything defensively. That's what Shaun is for the Warriors.

Everyone else: Klay 6'7 shooting guard, KD 6'11 small forward, plug n play 7ft centers by committee and Draymond probably the only one undersized for his position (6'7) but he's unique, it'd be like saying Dennis Rodman was undersized.

Bulls were a lowkey plug in play "faux" small ball team (Toni at the 4, Dennis at the 5, kerr at the 1) bc since Toni was 6'11, Kerr was 6'3, and Dennis was unique, they were never really undersized (were actually bigger at most positions), and they still had 7fters by committee just in case. Warriors are the same way, a faux small ball team that actually has the height/length advantage at most positions, and plays pretty conventional. They just have ridiculous offensive sets and shooters.

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

They will be fine

 

[astrologybrother]

It's still early, we'll see what their record is on Christmas.

 

[Primetime]

Amare was already hobbled

2013 was the year they made it to the 2nd round and lost to the Pacers?

It was a shame b/c Amare had improved his post game a bit by working with Hakeem that summer, it was noticeable. But he was already a shell of what he was when he first came to New York. Knicks had 1 year of what that combo could've been (with a fleshed out but geriatric supporting cast) but it was the worst kept secret that Amare's knees were on borrowed time.

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

2013 was the year they made it to the 2nd round and lost to the Pacers?

It was a shame b/c Amare had improved his post game a bit by working with Hakeem that summer, it was noticeable. But he was already a shell of what he was when he first came to New York. Knicks had 1 year of what that combo could've been (with a fleshed out but geriatric supporting cast) but it was the worst kept secret that Amare's knees were on borrowed time.

First 15 games of 2010 Amare looked like Superman

 

[kuts]

For y'all talking about "time to gel," I just wanna let you know that's the same shyt we kept saying about Melo and Amare....never happened.

I'm rooting for it to happen because I'd like to see OKC take on GSW and see Melo go hard in the playoffs but I gotta be realistic.

But KG told me that anything was possible.

 

[Primetime]

First 15 games of 2010 Amare looked like Superman

It actually reminded me of Yao. Anytime i see a great but injury prone big running on fumes in regular season games just to keep his team afloat... i cringe

As great as it looks in the moment, we all know how it's going to end if they continue on that pace like every game is game 7

 

[High quality poster]

Who actually thought this was gonna work?

What I am saying... nikkas thought this was 2k.

shyt don't work like that in real life. Now nikkas see why Durant left, now nikkas see why Victor got traded and is putting up all star numbers

The Westbrook/Lebron type offense ain't really good if you the second or third option.

Paul George probably gone tbh

 

[Bone$]

Gotta get Roberson out the lineup, allows teams to sag like a mofo

 

[SAJ!!]

 

[tremonthustler1]

I think Sam Presti, and a lot of GMs, after the superstar arms race the Warriors started are gonna realize too late that for most franchise players, ESPECIALLY PGs, fit is more important than talent when it comes to building a roster, unless the talent is unfairly overwhelming like it is with GS right now.

I don't need to see another 10-15 games to realize that Russ is not the guy to maximize 2 other ball-dominant ISO scoring wings. If he couldn't get it done with maybe the most talented and skilled scoring wing in NBA history he definitely isn't gonna make it happen with 33 year old Melo and PG; that isn't nearly enough talent to overcome any roster fit issues when facing even BAD teams, let alone elite ones.

Presti needs to realize that while Russ is a future HoF talent and the reigning MVP, it just isn't in him to secede enough of the responsibility, ball handling, and scoring load to co-exist with another all-star talent like other players like Curry and Wade have in the past; at least not well enough to win a ring in today's NBA. If OKC wants Russ to be the one to lead them back to the finals they need to stop treating him like he's KD or Curry, who could fit in any team, and instead treat him like he's Dwight back when he was in Orlando: by tailoring the whole roster just to maximize his and only his strengths, that's the kinda player he is. Surround him with the best 3 and D guys you can find that don't need the ball in their hands for more than a second or 2 and can move well without it, give him a good rim-protecting center that isn't useless offensively (they already have this down with Adams), and just let that man do his thing every night before his body breaks down. Because at this point in his career it should be obvious that he'll never be able to do anything BUT his thing; at least not well enough to seriously contend for a title.

So he needs guys who shoot AND play D, and a rim protecting center?


If you give any of us that, we’ll take a team to a Finals

 

[tremonthustler1]

Yea, Warriors are pulling the okie doke with the small ball thing with ppl still thinking about "death line ups" and such. In truth, the shortest guy on the court is Curry and he's still listed at 6'3, which is probably above mean average for a pg, and an underrated rebounder. Plus his backup is 6'7 (Livingston). Kerr is from the Phil Jackson Bulls era where Phil saw the advantage of a Ron Harper at point, so that positions 1-4 were all 6'6-6'8 and could switch everything defensively. That's what Shaun is for the Warriors.

Everyone else: Klay 6'7 shooting guard, KD 6'11 small forward, plug n play 7ft centers by committee and Draymond probably the only one undersized for his position (6'7) but he's unique, it'd be like saying Dennis Rodman was undersized.

Bulls were a lowkey plug in play "faux" small ball team (Toni at the 4, Dennis at the 5, kerr at the 1) bc since Toni was 6'11, Kerr was 6'3, and Dennis was unique, they were never really undersized (were actually bigger at most positions), and they still had 7fters by committee just in case. Warriors are the same way, a faux small ball team that actually has the height/length advantage at most positions, and plays pretty conventional. They just have ridiculous offensive sets and shooters.

And the idea of “positionless” basketball is not something GS subscribes to. There’s a difference between being versatile enough to play multiple positions and switching positions completey to mask the fact that the team is pathetic at a certain spot.

 

[Primetime]

And the idea of “positionless” basketball is not something GS subscribes to. There’s a difference between being versatile enough to play multiple positions and switching positions completey to mask the fact that the team is pathetic at a certain spot.

Basically Melo at the 4.

Or is that switching positions to completely mask that a player can't play the same way he used to at a certain spot?

Iso slower big men on the perimeter b/c you can no longer iso quicker small forwards on the perimeter? Which masks or avoids the issue of why we gotta iso on the perimeter for long 2s to begin with. Tho maybe it's not avoiding but just accepting that he's stuck in his ways so there's no changing that around.