Is Carmelo Ainge's Legit Plan B?

[Phantom255x]

Well Carmelo wasn't great today but had some CLUTCH shots late in the 4th.

Ended with 25 points and 7 rebounds. Knicks upset the Spurs 94-90.

[Phantom255x]

If it doesn't cause us to sacrifice major future assets, I'm OK adding Melo.  I'm on the fence if I view Jaylen Brown as being a "major future asset" or not.  I almost want Carmelo more than Butler/George just because the production isn't that different and the cost looks to be far cheaper.  My big concern is that I'm legit not sure if Carmelo might make us a potentially worse team in the present.  That might just be pessimistic thinking, but I'm really not totally sure.

I would never trade Brown for Melo.

Also the production gap between Melo and Butler/George is massive.

That's one way to look at it (you're completely right).

But you trade a fortune for JB or PG13, while you wouldn't need to at all for Melo.

So you add PG13 or Butler but at the cost of great value (possibly even 1-2 current core members).

[Celtics4ever]

You can't possibly say that you would rather have the first starting lineup over the 2nd going in to the playoffs.

I can because Melo has not done well in the playoffs.   He is old and on the way down and does not put us over the top and getting him would give us assets that will be better players than he is in three years.

Carmelo Anthony has the worst winning percentage for any player in NBA history with at least 50 playoff games, according to ESPN. Anthony's teams have a 16-36 (.308) record during his playoff career with the Nuggets and Knicks

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/220889/carmelo_has_worst_playoff_winning_percentage_in_nba_history

[Ilikesports17]

You can't possibly say that you would rather have the first starting lineup over the 2nd going in to the playoffs.

I can because Melo has not done well in the playoffs.   He is old and on the way down and does not put us over the top and getting him would give us assets that will be better players than he is in three years.

Carmelo Anthony has the worst winning percentage for any player in NBA history with at least 50 playoff games, according to ESPN. Anthony's teams have a 16-36 (.308) record during his playoff career with the Nuggets and Knicks

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/220889/carmelo_has_worst_playoff_winning_percentage_in_nba_history

thats a pretty useless stat.

[Csfan1984]

The price has to be right no matter the player I think.

[bogg]

You can't possibly say that you would rather have the first starting lineup over the 2nd going in to the playoffs.

I can because Melo has not done well in the playoffs.   He is old and on the way down and does not put us over the top and getting him would give us assets that will be better players than he is in three years.

Well, that's not quite true. For his career Carmelo's averaged a little under 26 points per game on a 51.3 TS% with usage around 32% and a turnover percentage of 10.4%.

Isaiah? 21.5 points per game on on 51.7 TS%, usage at 30.3 and turns the ball over 11.9 percent of the time.

Isaiah's assist percentage is a little over twice Carmelo's (32.5% versus 14.2) while Carmelo rebounds the ball over twice as well as Isaiah (10.9% to 4.7%). Given stature and role, both of those numbers are about where you'd expect relative to each other. As we all know, Isaiah is 2-8 in postseason play, for a .200 postseason winning percentage that's a good deal less than Carmelo's. Neither player is known for their defense.

All this is to say: something something glass houses.

[tarheelsxxiii]

I hope not. I don't like Melo. I don't want to compete for 2nd/3rd in the league with a bunch of old guys like the clippers. I'd rather hover around 5-6th in the league and grow our franchise through the draft.

Bingo.  We are in great position to compete for years just as GS and CLE may begin to drop off for their respective reasons.  Build a hand-selected young core and EAT!

[rondohondo]

I hope not. I don't like Melo. I don't want to compete for 2nd/3rd in the league with a bunch of old guys like the clippers. I'd rather hover around 5-6th in the league and grow our franchise through the draft.

Bingo.  We are in great position to compete for years just as GS and CLE may begin to drop off for their respective reasons.  Build a hand-selected young core and EAT!

What if we don't have to give up Jaylen, Smart or any brk picks

AB, Amir , Bos 18 , clippers 19 would be the most I am willing to give up

BUT that is more than Cle and Clippers have to offer, and it seems Jackson wants to move Melo for any kind of decent return.

This years roster

IT.     / Rosier
Smart  / Jaylen
Crowder / Jaylen or Jerebko
Melo        / KO
Horford   / buyout or trade


Then next year

IT.    Rosier
Smart.  / Fultz or ball
Jae.      / Jaylen
Melo    / Yabu
Horford  / Zicic

We could compete now and keep building a dynasty..

[mctyson]

I hope not. I don't like Melo. I don't want to compete for 2nd/3rd in the league with a bunch of old guys like the clippers. I'd rather hover around 5-6th in the league and grow our franchise through the draft.

this

[mctyson]

I say an offer of Bradley, Amir, Demetrius Jackson, Boston 2018 1st rounder, and a couple 2nd rounders.

In my mind, you take Carmelo because you want to make a run for 2 seasons or so.  If you give up Bradley, that creates a hole.  If we could do your trade with Zeller instead of Bradley and then sign Sanders, I could see it but I think this is a stretch.  I don't mind taking a flyer on Melo  but it is hard to match up for a deal.

There will be no current starter or either Smart or Brown going back for Melo if there is deal.  From the roster at most it would include Rozier. 

If Phil wants to really move on an build a franchise round Zinger, he trades Melo for expiring deals and picks or young projects.  Cs have a lot of all of those.

[kraidstar]

You can't possibly say that you would rather have the first starting lineup over the 2nd going in to the playoffs.

I can because Melo has not done well in the playoffs.   He is old and on the way down and does not put us over the top and getting him would give us assets that will be better players than he is in three years.

Carmelo Anthony has the worst winning percentage for any player in NBA history with at least 50 playoff games, according to ESPN. Anthony's teams have a 16-36 (.308) record during his playoff career with the Nuggets and Knicks

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/220889/carmelo_has_worst_playoff_winning_percentage_in_nba_history

thats a pretty useless stat.

"Useless" might be a bit strong, but that stat certainly doesn't tell the whole story.

KG for instance was 18-30 in the playoffs with the Wolves. And he was the same age when he came here as Melo is now.

Sometimes guys just need to be in the right situation.

Who has Melo played with that we would want on the C's if we were building a championship roster? A washed-up Amare Stoudemire? Post-injury Kenyon Martin, who was good but never as good as he was in Jersey? Old Tyson Chandler? Old Chauncey Billups?

He's never played with another star in their prime.

It does remind me of KG a bit, who had played with a washed up Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell.

I'm not the biggest Melo fan, and in no way is he as good as KG - but we do need to cut him at least a little slack here.

[Ogaju]

he played well today, but all that game did was put in better perspective what IT has been doing all season. We have a STAR IN BOSTON.

We need to send him out as a star, so he can start getting the star calls. Then watch him really explode.

[csfansince60s]

I hope not. I don't like Melo. I don't want to compete for 2nd/3rd in the league with a bunch of old guys like the clippers. I'd rather hover around 5-6th in the league and grow our franchise through the draft.

If we acquired Anthony, he, at 32, would be THE OLDEST player on the Celtics.

Compare the teams ages? They don't even remotely compare:

Clips     Celts with melo
39        32 (melo)
36        31
34        30
32X2    29X2
31X2    28
30        27
29X2    26X2
28        25
27        22X4
24        20
22
20

We are not and won't be (even in 3 years) anywhere near as old as the Clips.

If we want to compete with IT and Horford and not waste their prime years and still grow and develop through the draft (i.e keeping Brooklyn '17 and '18), which is what I would like to do, they need help.

And for me that doesn't mean gutting the team to acquire Butler or George. Those guys will cost AT LEAST 3 if not 4 of these 6: Brown, Bradley, Smart, Crowder, B '17, B'18. No thanks for me.

If Melo would cost one of Bradley/Rozier and filler (Zeller,Amir) and non-Brooklyn firsts, I'm in, especially if the draft picks or even KO sweeten it for the Knicks to give us O'Quinn.

Yeah, it takes us out of the FA market next year, but unless we get some sort of back-channel nod from Hayward or Milsap, who else can we get in FA?

Melo will be on the best team that he has ever been on (except the Olympics) with 2 All-Stars and a bunch of young, hungry wolves. We will be one dangerous team for the next two years till the pups grow up, and as Melo and Horford fade into the sunset, with a little luck, we'll be well positioned for the next 10 years.

[Phantom255x]

he played well today, but all that game did was put in better perspective what IT has been doing all season. We have a STAR IN BOSTON.

We need to send him out as a star, so he can start getting the star calls. Then watch him really explode.

We do have a STAR IN BOSTON.

But championship teams have MULTIPLE STARS on the team as well.

Horford and Bradley are great players but not really the "stars" that take us into championship contention.

They are definitely solid #2 and #3 pieces, but for this team to elevate they need to add another big name player.

[Phantom255x]

Love is banged up.

Do the Celtics make the push for Melo + Ibaka?

Takes us out of the FA market, but again, is Hayward coming here? Griffin? Doubt it.

Plus you acquire Ibaka's bird rights.. so...