What do you all think of Melo in green?

[guava_wrench]

Melo isn't a cancer. It isn't his fault that people think he is better than he is. I don't know what he could do to increase his basketball IQ. The guys will continue to force his way to the rim to miss layups. You would think that he would be great for the slow half court of the playoffs, but he demonstrably isn't over his career.

I do not want Melo because I would not want to spend resources to be a first round elimination every year. That is what Melo brings you.

Pierce is a much smarter basketball player than Melo.

[SHAQATTACK]

Rather him be in gold and purple ...

[mmmmm]

I fall on the side of thinking that no, Melo is not a cancer.

I also fall on the side of no, I'm not interested in having him on the Celtics.

I don't like the style of basketball that his talent dictates as I don't find it efficient.

And no way no how is he as good as Paul Pierce was.

FWIW, Paul Pierce has scored 1.36 points for every official regular season Field Goal Attempt he has taken in his career.  That's just plain awesome.  During the title season of 2008, it was 1.43 per FGA.

Anthony has scored 1.28 points per FGA in his career.    Very good.   Not Paul Pierce.

In the playoffs, Pierce has scored 1.32 per FGA.  Anthony has score 1.20 per FGA.   Not even close to Paul Pierce.

And this doesn't even begin to account for the points created off assists.  Over their respective careers, Pierce has typically dished out about 25% more assists per minute than Anthony.

Finally, since 2001 (when B-R starts tracking on/off plus/minus), Pierce' net on/off rating is a fantastic +6.8 points per 100 possessions.   Anthony's is +0.9.

"Mr Anthony, you're no Paul Pierce."

Why not compare Pierce's numbers from his rookie year 'til 06-07, when he was the same age as Carmelo is now?

Using that scope, Pierce was shooting 1.32 per FGA in the regular season, and 1.36 per FGA in the 37 playoff games he'd managed to play in.

Playing 38 minutes a game, he was averaging just under 4 assists in the regular season and just under 5 in those playoff games (jumping his minutes up to 43). His AST% in the regular season was 19 and 22.6 in the playoffs.

The net +/- stays about the same at 6.4

Sure, whatever - that comparison still doesn't favor Anthony.

I didn't do that split because wouldn't we all have assumed that the last few years were ones of supposed 'decline' for Pierce?   I guess not.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Things seem to implode wherever he goes, so I'll say no.

[D.o.s.]

I fall on the side of thinking that no, Melo is not a cancer.

I also fall on the side of no, I'm not interested in having him on the Celtics.

I don't like the style of basketball that his talent dictates as I don't find it efficient.

And no way no how is he as good as Paul Pierce was.

FWIW, Paul Pierce has scored 1.36 points for every official regular season Field Goal Attempt he has taken in his career.  That's just plain awesome.  During the title season of 2008, it was 1.43 per FGA.

Anthony has scored 1.28 points per FGA in his career.    Very good.   Not Paul Pierce.

In the playoffs, Pierce has scored 1.32 per FGA.  Anthony has score 1.20 per FGA.   Not even close to Paul Pierce.

And this doesn't even begin to account for the points created off assists.  Over their respective careers, Pierce has typically dished out about 25% more assists per minute than Anthony.

Finally, since 2001 (when B-R starts tracking on/off plus/minus), Pierce' net on/off rating is a fantastic +6.8 points per 100 possessions.   Anthony's is +0.9.

"Mr Anthony, you're no Paul Pierce."

Why not compare Pierce's numbers from his rookie year 'til 06-07, when he was the same age as Carmelo is now?

Using that scope, Pierce was shooting 1.32 per FGA in the regular season, and 1.36 per FGA in the 37 playoff games he'd managed to play in.

Playing 38 minutes a game, he was averaging just under 4 assists in the regular season and just under 5 in those playoff games (jumping his minutes up to 43). His AST% in the regular season was 19 and 22.6 in the playoffs.

The net +/- stays about the same at 6.4

Sure, whatever - that comparison still doesn't favor Anthony.

I didn't do that split because wouldn't we all have assumed that the last few years were ones of supposed 'decline' for Pierce?   I guess not.

I just think it's more useful to compare NBA players at similar points in their careers, especially when a large part of the conversation so far has hinged around whether or not Melo could make the same transition Pierce did when KG and Ray ended up on the Celtics.

And, to the "decline," when you're talking about points per FGA the quality of your teammates can speak volumes. I think pre-trade Pierce is more similar to Carmelo than a lot of us choose to remember.

"It's definitely another year gone by for me," Pierce said. "It's another year we don't get into the postseason. It's another year I don't get recognized for the things I do. I'm the classic case of a great player on a bad team, and it stinks."

Pierce has been a model captain this season. He genuinely enjoyed participating in the development of his younger teammates and has toiled through injuries and frustrations without complaint. He plays hard, he plays hurt, and he has maintained his poise throughout.

But he is tired of waiting for the resurgence of the Celtics. Pierce signed a contract extension last July that locks him up until he's 33. Asked if he regretted signing the deal, which paid him the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, he merely smiled.

"I'm waiting to see what happens this summer," he said. "We have to see who we keep and who has enough potential trade value to make a difference.

"I'm not talking about winning a few more games. I'm talking about getting into the playoffs, going deep into the playoffs. I don't want to be a team that just sneaks in. I want to be on a team that everyone says before the season, 'This is a team that's going somewhere,' like Detroit.

"Either we go for it, or we don't."

Truth and consequences
Pierce concedes he is bothered by his diminished standing in the game because of his affiliation with the Celtics. He is not featured in NBA promos. Even though he was injured during All-Star balloting, his name was rarely mentioned as a worthy choice had he been healthy. Boston was one of just six teams that did not appear on national broadcasts this season. Major endorsement opportunities outside of New England have slowed to a trickle. "The Truth" has become an afterthought.
"I want to be recognized for what I've accomplished," Pierce said. "That may sound selfish, but I've sacrificed a lot. I want to win. That's all I want. Most great players are selfish.

"We're not on a winning team, and as long as that's true, I don't get recognized as one of the top players in the league. We're never on TV. I wasn't part of the All-Star Game [this season]. We just don't get the benefit of so many other things that winning teams get."

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2007/03/30/for_pierce_scars_linger_in_painful_celtics_season/?page=full


And

“I thought effort was there, at times. I don’t know. We’re losing. That’s a messed-up feeling, a hurt feeling. Got to figure it out. That’s the only thing I can say about this,” a flabbergasted Anthony said following the Knicks’ third straight defeat. “I mean, it’s hard to take anything positive out of the way we’ve been playing these games. You know, it’s kind of — it’s not really making sense to me right now as far as what’s really going on, why we’re not in sync with one another, why we’re just losing basketball games.
“It’s kind of hard to put a finger on at this point.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/official-knicks-lose-straight-spend-game-whining-refs-article-1.1522902

[LooseCannon]

I don't know the answer to this, but how often does a legitimate contender have its best player be someone who has a reputation as a poor defender?

[action781]

I don't know the answer to this, but how often does a legitimate contender have its best player be someone who has a reputation as a poor defender?

Nowitzki and Nash come to mind recently, but not many.  I would say Durant was at best mediocre 2 postseasons ago.

[D.o.s.]

I don't know the answer to this, but how often does a legitimate contender have its best player be someone who has a reputation as a poor defender?

Kobe, Dirk, and Nash are the first ones that come to mind. I guess Harden and Curry, depending on how you feel about Houston and The Warriors.

[Snakehead]

I don't know the answer to this, but how often does a legitimate contender have its best player be someone who has a reputation as a poor defender?

Kobe, Dirk, and Nash are the first ones that come to mind. I guess Harden and Curry, depending on how you feel about Houston and The Warriors.

I'm no Kobe fan but poor defender?

[D.o.s.]

I don't know the answer to this, but how often does a legitimate contender have its best player be someone who has a reputation as a poor defender?

Kobe, Dirk, and Nash are the first ones that come to mind. I guess Harden and Curry, depending on how you feel about Houston and The Warriors.

I'm no Kobe fan but poor defender?

Dude has been mailing it in for a few years, and you have to assume that the Lakers were legit contenders back in '10 and '11.

[action781]

Is there any number of future 1st round picks (including this season's) that could entice NYK to do:

Carmelo + Tyson Chandler for Humphries, Wallace, Lee, Olynyk, Sullinger

Would 4 unprotected 1st rd picks get this done (some of which coming from LAC and Brooklyn)?  I realize how lopsided the trade is, but 4 is an unprecedented # of unprotected picks.

Because if so, the celtics would be instant contenders with a starting lineup of Rondo, Bradley, Melo, Bass, and Chandler with Crawford, Jeff Green, and Faverani coming off the bench.  I'd say a pretty considerably improved team over the NYK of last couple seasons.

[ManUp]

I think Rondo and Melo would be a great fit. However, to be a real contender we'd need starters who could carry some offensive slack. Melo is a bit streaky, so building a team that needs him to score 25+ to win is a formula for failure. 

[Snakehead]

I don't know the answer to this, but how often does a legitimate contender have its best player be someone who has a reputation as a poor defender?

Kobe, Dirk, and Nash are the first ones that come to mind. I guess Harden and Curry, depending on how you feel about Houston and The Warriors.

I'm no Kobe fan but poor defender?

Dude has been mailing it in for a few years, and you have to assume that the Lakers were legit contenders back in '10 and '11.

Eh... I don't agree.  He has been doing the opposite of mailing it in, he tries too hard when he should be deferring more as his career goes on.  Regardless though, he always gives defensive effort.

I'm a big critic of Kobe but I have to give him that he always plays hard and defends, even if I don't like how he plays.  The man has made 12 NBA All Defense teams(even if I don't put much stock in those type of awards, 12 is a whole lot of times).

You could make an argument how good at defense he is but you just can't say "poor".  No where near the Nash or Dirk level of defenders.

[D.o.s.]

Is there any number of future 1st round picks (including this season's) that could entice NYK to do:

Carmelo + Tyson Chandler for Humphries, Wallace, Lee, Olynyk, Sullinger

Would 4 unprotected 1st rd picks get this done (some of which coming from LAC and Brooklyn)?  I realize how lopsided the trade is, but 4 is an unprecedented # of unprotected picks.

Because if so, the celtics would be instant contenders with a starting lineup of Rondo, Bradley, Melo, Bass, and Chandler with Crawford, Jeff Green, and Faverani coming off the bench.  I'd say a pretty considerably improved team over the NYK of last couple seasons.

I'd probably bring Bass of the Bench and go Rondo Bradley Green Melo Chandler, but that's a very solid starting 5.

[GreenWarrior]

"Re: What do you all think of Melo in green?"

HELL FRICKING NO!!!

seriously this shouldn't even be discussed. this dude has no heart and is about as overrated as they come.

I take real offense to this even being suggested. for yrs. paul pierce was/is underrated by fans & the NBA while guys like vince carter, and this piece of trash got all the headlines, all star games etc. meanwhile all paul pierce is doing is getting the C's past the 1st rnd of the playoffs with the likes of Jiri Welcsh and nobody said anything or cared.

if pierce had half the talent early in his career that Anthony has been surrounded with his entire career i'm pretty sure we never get a chance to get garnette.