Official 2013 NBA Offseason Thread

[black migo]

Y'all think Kevin Love stays in Minny long term or moves to a big market team where he becomes a number 2?

Everything about his game screams championship if you pair him with another franchise player.

Im sure he learned from kg's mistake

 

[awwsome]

Took the Big Ticket years to leave, imagine if he left before he signed that huge 7 year in his prime :x

 

[wavycrocket]

Man I gotta admit some y'all must have not been watching basketball for that long....the idea of putting up points to win a game as much of a scoring threat Melo is and he's not a no1 option the foolery alone these past pgs man I gotta hand it to ya trolls guess the rocks getting to ya....if Melo isn't a a no1 option then neither is KD fair comparison right smhhhhh.

I swear, scoring the basketball at an elite level has become a lil undervalued these days. You got guys in here saying james harden, D12, an old dirk, and a #2 option in an old duncan are better first options than the reiging scoring champ lol. You'd think melo shot 39% from the field the way these guys talk. Point is, if you build the right pieces around Melo, he can contend for a chip. 09 nuggets were 2 inbounds plays from being in the finals.

 

[shoeking2101]

I swear, scoring the basketball at an elite level has become a lil undervalued these days. You got guys in here saying james harden, D12, an old dirk, and a #2 option in an old duncan are better first options than the reiging scoring champ lol. You'd think melo shot 39% from the field the way these guys talk. Point is, if you build the right pieces around Melo, he can contend for a chip. 09 nuggets were 2 inbounds plays from being in the finals.

It's not even that, it's just like...what is your criteria for a successful number one option ? You can't say Melo isn't a successful number one option because he doesn't win, then turn around and say Harden Dirk (Right now) Kobe (right Now) D12 (Right now) Rose, Chris Paul are better at being number one options they don't win either.

I guess you can say those guys play a more appealing brand of basketball? But what the hell does that mean if it gives you the same result that Melo gets year in and year out?

I just don't see what makes those guys "better" #1 options because at the end of the day, the success rate is the same. I put Melo as far as number one options go right behind KD and Lebron and even so, those two have HALL OF FAME players as their number #2 and #3 options.

 

[markangelo]

Melo is like Barkley, he'll never win a ring because there's a Jordan / Lebron.. but i've always admired his smooth jumpshot

 

[$tacy]

Melo hate at a all time high. Hates melo.... praises jeremy lin smh

 

[awwsome]

But look at Melo's performance in the playoff's and really ask yourself if that's what you want from your # 1 option. Dude had games where he was going 10-35, shooting a bevy of long 2's and not playing defense.

 

[awwsome]

I just don't see what makes those guys "better" #1 options because at the end of the day, the success rate is the same. I put Melo as far as number one options go right behind KD and Lebron and even so, those two have HALL OF FAME players as their number #2 and #3 options.

Um what? Bosh isn't a hall of fame talent, he'll probably get in because of the rings.

What hall of fame talent is the number 3 option on OKC? Derek Fisher?

 

[grandtheftbike]

i've never put too much stock into it, but always thought number 1 options are the players that the offense runs through

 

[wavycrocket]

But look at Melo's performance in the playoff's and really ask yourself if that's what you want from your # 1 option. Dude had games where he was going 10-35, shooting a bevy of long 2's and not playing defense.

Not good playoff performances, buit he also had some good ones. Overall, hes been average in the playoffs IMO. I think we saw KD go through something similar when his #2 option was taken away ie. the grizzlies series.

 

[black migo]

#1 option = go to scorer on that team, how tf is dwight howard a #1 option when hes a liability in clutch situations?

 

[flyerthandelta]

Dudes hate LaLa now?

Gay marriage is legal in a lot of states these days so I expect these types of statements to increase in frequency, its acceptable now.

LOL

 

[flyerthandelta]

Man I gotta admit some y'all must have not been watching basketball for that long....the idea of putting up points to win a game as much of a scoring threat Melo is and he's not a no1 option the foolery alone these past pgs man I gotta hand it to ya trolls guess the rocks getting to ya....if Melo isn't a a no1 option then neither is KD fair comparison right smhhhhh.

I swear, scoring the basketball at an elite level has become a lil undervalued these days. You got guys in here saying james harden, D12, an old dirk, and a #2 option in an old duncan are better first options than the reiging scoring champ lol. You'd think melo shot 39% from the field the way these guys talk. Point is, if you build the right pieces around Melo, he can contend for a chip. 09 nuggets were 2 inbounds plays from being in the finals.

 

[buc em]

Lala has a career? She's a talentless college drop out..biggest career move she made was latching onto an uneducated teenager who was about to see 9 figures. Melo is a dummy for cuffing that obnoxious broad

THANK YOU.

 

[S4L]

Melo is like Barkley, he'll never win a ring because there's a Jordan / Lebron..

LOL.

He's never even been to a conference final. Ain't nobody stopping him but himself...

 

[pmatic]

Took the Big Ticket years to leave, imagine if he left before he signed that huge 7 year in his prime :x

On another note, I'm so glad we never have to see 6 and 7 year contracts anymore. :x

3 year contracts are going to much more prevalent (to go along with 4 and 5 year contracts), which is alright with me.

 

[bhzmafia14]

Just to chime in..

One of the usual knocks on the Grizzlies is that they won't be able to win it all because they don't have a true superstar or per say #1 option. That's accurate if you look at the past champions but the problem is that being a superstar/true #1 or not is a rather subjective matter. There are plenty of "superstars" that have been anointed by the media or the fans because they score a lot or make ferocious dunks or simply got that label when they joined the league and have been living off that for years that aren't really getting their teams any closer to a championship. Not to mention there are many bona fide superstars who never won a title.

While there isn't any particular advanced stat that tells you who is or is not a superstar, there's a post by Andres Alvarez (of Wages of Wins) in which he mentions that having a top 10 player according to the Wins Produced metric is the single best variable to predict a team's odds of winning a title. He mentions the following two interesting facts regarding this metric:
- No team since 1979 has won a title without a top 10 player on the team (notice that this includes the 2004 Pistons that are often called the exception to the "superstar rule".
- No team since 1999 (New York Knicks) has made it to the finals without a top 15 player on their team

http://www.thenbagee...t=wins_produced

This of course doesn't mean Memphis is destined to win it all (notice that the Heat have two players in the top 10).. Memphis may not have a superstar or #1 as defined by the general media or the casual fans, but they do have several top players according to the most advanced metrics that actually correlate to success. At the end of the day, I think having a good #2 guy is just as important as a #1 option on a championship team. Like someone mentioned, you saw what happened to Durant last year. We saw what happened to Lebron in Cleveland when he met up against better overall teams. The funny thing about that stat is that Melo is not even listed on the first page , but Tyson Chandler is.

Stats are not everything. But, I think people get too caught up in who can score 30 on any given night when its not really about that. And please do not make some stupid comment about a guy on a lottery team making that team a contender because they are in the top 10 or 15.

 

[wavycrocket]

LOL.

He's never even been to a conference final. Ain't nobody stopping him but himself...

Check 2009 buddy.

 

[akajae]

Dudes hate LaLa now?

Gay marriage is legal in a lot of states these days so I expect these types of statements to increase in frequency, its acceptable now.

yea, that's it.

 

[hood17]

Y'all think Kevin Love stays in Minny long term or moves to a big market team where he becomes a number 2?

Everything about his game screams championship if you pair him with another franchise player.

He's a number 2 here. Ricky is the first option

 

[shoeking2101]

Um what? Bosh isn't a hall of fame talent, he'll probably get in because of the rings.

What hall of fame talent is the number 3 option on OKC? Derek Fisher?

So Bosh isn't a hall of fame talent, but you think he will get in...Man what ? Bosh is a hall of fame talent. A Great talent who gets into the hall of fame is a hall of fame talent to me.

And when I said hall of fame talent as a 3rd option I was referring to Bosh. Lebron has two hall of fame talents as his 2nd and 3rd option, and Durant has Westbrook as his 2nd option.

 

[hood17]

Report: Chris Paul Told Clippers He'd Sign With Rockets After Rivers Talks Broke Down


Chris Paul informed the Los Angeles Clippers that he was planning on signing with the Houston Rockets to join James Harden and Dwight Howard when the deal for Doc Rivers fell apart, according to a report from ESPN's Bill Simmons.

The Clippers ended negotiations with the Boston Celtics over the compensation they would send in exchange for Rivers.

The Clippers eventually reinitiated talks and send a future first round pick to the Celtics.

Paul subsequently agreed to a $107 million new contract with the Clippers.
Via Bill Simmons/ESPN

CP3/Harden/Parsons/???/Dwight would have been nice to see

 

[ballinsam23]

Is an elite scoring SF (melo, KD) better paired with a great PG (CP3, Westbrook, Rondo, Rose, etc) or a great C (dwight, gasol, healthy bynum, etc) ?

 

[coldcity]

Report: Chris Paul Told Clippers He'd Sign With Rockets After Rivers Talks Broke Down


Chris Paul informed the Los Angeles Clippers that he was planning on signing with the Houston Rockets to join James Harden and Dwight Howard when the deal for Doc Rivers fell apart, according to a report from ESPN's Bill Simmons.

The Clippers ended negotiations with the Boston Celtics over the compensation they would send in exchange for Rivers.

The Clippers eventually reinitiated talks and send a future first round pick to the Celtics.

Paul subsequently agreed to a $107 million new contract with the Clippers.
Via Bill Simmons/ESPN

CP3/Harden/Parsons/???/Dwight would have been nice to see

he was playing hard ball...they dont even have the $$$ to sign him do they? ovb lin wouldve been gone in a ny minute if it happened quicker than mia got rid of beasley when they "got" bron

 

[reggiekiller]

The same Kobe who was won 2 championships and countless playoff series as a #1 option. This past season for the Lakers was notably derailed by injuries. He was able to will them into the playoffs while putting up equal/better all-around numbers than Melo. So yes, I think Kobe is a superior #1 option to Melo. Obviously.

Harden is a more efficient scorer and a significantly better playmaker than Melo. Both qualities I would want in a #1 option.

Dirk carried his team to a championship in 2011. He is a better player than Melo and always has been.

Dwight Howard was the #1 scoring option on a Finals team and an ECF team. I'd say that qualifies as having more success than Anthony.

I think you're forgetting the fact that there's more to basketball than scoring. Having your #1 option take significantly more shots than everyone else isn't necessarily a good thing, especially if they do little else on the floor.

Bruh, right now though...

Kobe hasn't gotten touched the WCF in 3 years. That plus his age and the success of LA last year suggest him being a number one option right now won't get you anywhere.

Harden as a number one option just lost in the first round to a depleted Thunder squad. Granted, this was his first year as a number one option and that Rockets team wasn't a legit playoff team anyway, but if you're going to say he's a better number one option than Melo then we have to call it as it is. As of right now, him as a number one option hasn't done anything noteworthy. Certaintly not anything that Melo hasn't done. You could say that in the future Harden will be an awesome number one option (which I said earlier that he would) but he could also be a non successful one. Who knows. What we do know, is that him as a number one so far hasn't amounted to much.

Dirk since 2011 has gotten bounced out of the playoffs and this past year didn't even make it. Again, right now. Dirk is a better number one option than Melo? Please, spare me.

Dwight Howard hasn't done much success wise since that championship run. Again, as of right now, what has he done recently as a number one? Get bounced in the first round consecutive years. That's the facts of it.


Now if we were saying who would be a better number one option for their careers? Then sure all of these guys (sans harden) would be a better number one option. But not right now. No Way. Like I said, if success is what you measure how good your number one option is, then Melo is behind Lebron and Durant. That's it. And Melo does not only score by the way. He's a very good rebounder, and although his statistics may say otherwise, he is a solid playmaker.

Bro, Melo is better than Dirk?  HELL NO.

Dirk lead his team to a championship just 2 years ago, with Jason Terry as his #2, *****.  Even if he never wins another game, he's achieved more than Melo.

Dwight Howard took Orlando to the promise land with Hedo and Rashard Lewis as his #2 and #3.....Much more success than Melo getting knocked out

Honestly, Paul George is better than Melo