My thoughts on the C’s and Carmelo:
1. Beggars can’t be choosers. Boston isn’t a team that can attract the perfect player with no flaws in their game. Sure he’s not LeBron or Durant, or a younger Paul Pierce even (for those saying Pierce was much better), but what players are that could actually be acquired? (Although at the same time I doubt Melo could actually be acquired). The non-marquee destinations need to have lower standards for the players they bring in. You could roll the dice on a lot of losing seasons and still never draft that perfect player (and we all know the C’s have been there many times over the last 20 years), or you can go for a sure thing like Melo. Sure I wouldn’t trade a top 3 pick this year for Melo if we had it, but I would trade the #8 pick the C’s are slated for now. Some of you sound like you wouldn’t take 10 cents on the dollar for him, like if I offered you $50 for five $1 scratch off tickets, you’d rather hold on to your scratch off tickets and dream of winning $100.
2. Melo’s not a cancer, though maybe not the easiest person to build an NBA team around, not as difficult as some are making it to be either. While not a fan of his game, if the C’s could reasonably acquire him (without trading away all current assets and future picks), I’d gladly take him. Melo paired with Billups looked pretty good to me, went to the WCF, took the champs to 6 games. If the Nuggets didn’t trade away Camby for nothing at the start of the season, or had a little more time to pair Billups and Carmelo, or were in the Eastern Conference, there would have been a lot more success for Carmelo, possibly even a ring. Kind of like Garnett’s TWolves teams…
3. Pre-Grizzlies Zach Randolph, pre-Kings Chris Webber, pre-Pistons Rasheed Wallace: these are players that were considered cancers by many, guys who would never be a major part of a contender. But they looked good with a change of scenery and different teammates. I mean think about Zach Randolph before the Grizzlies, on 4 different teams, never led a team to the playoffs (was playing only 6 and 17mpg when the Blazers made the playoffs with him at age 20 and 21). From the time he was a full time starter at 22, his teams in Portland won 41, 27, 21, 32 games. Portland trades him and then goes on to win 41, 54, 50, and 48 games. The Knicks trade for him and go from 33 to 23 wins. The Knicks trade him away and go from 23 to 32 wins. He goes to the Clippers and they actually get worse too going from 23 to 19 wins. If there ever was a cancer it was him. Every team he’s ever been on has been worse with him, and gotten better as soon as he left. He was traded away 3x’s for basically nothing. Does anyone think he’s a cancer now though? Look how the right situation changes people’s perceptions of players. Melo + Rondo + good ownership/management could greatly change people’s perception of Melo. I know I’d be willing to take that gamble.