I don't know about your reference... don't even know who Billy King is, but the Celtics/Nets trade comes to mind.
I really don't even watch the knicks so I don't know how Carmelo is doing these days... but honestly, getting rid of a bunch of roleplayers who helped you in some series and to survive the regular season to get a player that is probably going to be like Tony ... I don't know... and I mean that without being pejorative to Tony. Both players I think are around the age where they are somewhat washed up from what they were, you can no longer have them as the focus of an offense and they need to accept roles, etc... but are still capable of flashback games with enough frequency that they are not entirely and completely useless or washed up and can kill you for a game or two. Mind you, I haven't watched Melo, but just his recent knee ailments from last season and his surgery, I get the feeling he's not going to be banging as much. Lebron himself said once Melo was a bull, he'd wear you out incredibly on offense bc of how strong he is.
Anyways, just musings and to be honest... I would hate for the league to get less compe ive by the Clippers becoming washed up.
Billy King was the GM of the Nets who made that trade. Melo is still a good player (better than Kristaps even if people don't want to believe it). He'd definitely help the Clips. But he's 33 and could completely fall off at any moment, as could Paul and Griffin. We're talking 2021-2025 picks here. Could see Doc being fine with that since he's not likely to be around, and with what happened to the Nets, I think Phil could sell that trade to his fan base.
The trade nets / celtics was imposed by Prokhorov who wanted to contender team to start in the new location (at any cost), it's not all about billy king (maybe less than people think)
It's still a team sport, and 'Melo has never contributed as much to any team as his talent promised. He spent a lot of time ing that he should have gotten at least as much attention as LeBron, etc. but never much building up teammates. You can argue about why his teams haven't had more success, but after a while you have to lay some of it on him. He had a lot of talent around him in Denver, and a good coach. If he had been as good as he thought (as good as LeBron) they would have made the Finals.
Prokhorov thought he was going to come in and buy a quick Championship.
hmmm
I think he does help the Clippers now, but you have a good point in how it affects the Clippers going forward. Doc has been terrible as a GM. He mentioned it hurts them that they are capped every season bc they can sign vets for a year who play well for them but then are unable to re-sign them. But OTOH, he hasn't looked to the draft to get a young roleplayer or two they can develop to help them.
Let's face it, this would be more about the Warriors and Cavaliers than Spurs. If any of the other 3 elites were given truth serum, they'd admit that they're confident that they could beat the Spurs in a series and in the case of the Warriors, they flat out don't even see them as a threat.
Also, it's not as if it would hurt them in a match-up with the Spurs. At the very least, Anthony would make it so that Leonard had to guard an offensive threat at all times.
It's low risk, (potential) high reward. At worst, they'd probably stay more or less the same, but at best, they could conceivably become the clear 2nd best team and have a puncher's chance versus the Warriors.
Some people around here are acting like Melo is totally washed up. He's fine, and yes better than KP still, and I think he can be a valuable piece on a team that's winning and a strong PG. Yes, he's ball dominant but that's partly as a result of not having played with a PG of Paul's caliber. Look at how his role on those Olympic teams.
If the Clippers get Melo and don't have to give up any of JJ/Jordan/Blake/Paul and don't absolutely gut their bench, they are going to be vastly improved assuming healthy come playoffs.
In a few years, that roster will have aged significantly though and it won't be pretty. With JJ, Blake, CP3 as pending FAs, you have to go all in.
Hopefully they drop to the 4th seed if they get Melo. Clippers are already a huge challenge for the Spurs. They'd definitely be favorites with Melo.
Andre Miller may not have been Chris Paul, but he was a damned good PG who averaged something like 8 AST/game playing alongside Anthony. If 'Melo needs a better PG than that to keep from being ball dominant, there's another problem. He played with Iverson and Anthony Carter who dished over a dozen AT/game between them that season. (That team also had Camby, Nene, JR Smith, and Kenyon Martin, and Linas Kleiza - and got swept in the first round.) The next year he had Chauncey Billups (who was a damn good PG at the time), Iverson, and Anthony Carter. Sorry, but that's about all the playmakers a guy should need to not be ball dominant.
In New York? Raymond Felton averaged 9 AST/game, and Billups was backing up to the tune of another 5.5 AST. They may not have been Chris Paul, but I'd love to have that kind consistent AST production from two guys on the Spurs. their backup dished more dimes than Tony Parker is this year.
Carmelo isn't ball dominant because he doesn't have Chris Paul on the floor. And he wouldn't quit being ball dominant if he did play next to CP3. He's ball dominant because he's Carmelo.
Better hope the Rockets can hang on to the 3rd seed. Melo may be on the tail end of his prime but he's still a good offensive player. A change of scenery might be all he needs. And it's not like the Clippers had any trouble handing beat downs to the Spurs. Clippers probably won't even have to give up Re , just an old Crawford.
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