smackeddog wrote:So is the best way to build the franchise around KP to keep solid vets and Melo round him and slowly integrate some upgrades over the next few seasons, or would you rather we traded melo (say to the Cavs, they send Love to the Celtics, and we get Celtic picks and some young players) and have him grow with similar aged players (like Towns and the Twolves).

I think slow integration is the way to go. The great franchises (Spurs for example) do this. There is no need to overhaul the roster when changing the team identity. It can be gradual.

Knixkik wrote:

newyorker4ever wrote:

Knixkik wrote:Obviously that is the long term plan, and we are very fortunate that in all our years of suffering, we finally struck gold. Melo is great and is here to stay, that i'm sure. He's a fantastic mentor/big brother to KP and is bridging the gap between now and when KP is the focal point of everything here for the next decade plus. That being said, what types of playing do you see being the right fit around KP in the future? What are some young guys (maybe not stars) who you see being ideal to put next to him. What type of PG does he need? Who can we realistically target that is young and can be part of that future core?

Are you talking what kind of players he needs to play with him with Melo or for when Melo is no longer with us??

I think both. We are in the very early stages of a transition. My hope is we can be ready to compete for a championship when Melo is still with us, but towards the end of his career where he can provide a spark but its relied on for more than that. What type of player (with maybe some examples) can help in coming years?

With DW, LT amd AA getting re-signed i would look at players like M.Chalmers, R.Sessions and G.Vasquez to play point guard. For PF i would look to get players like T.Jones, M.Williams and N.Hilario and i'd try to sign K.Bazemore as the biggest off season addition or the most costly anyway.

PG--M.Chalmers
SG--K.Bazemore
SF--Melo
PF--KP6
C--R.Lopez
Bench--D.Williams, A.Afflao, L.Thomas, L.Galloway, J.Calderon, J.Grant, KOQ and a new addition to the bench would be either T.Jones or N.Hilario.

That team might not look great but the way i see it is if we re-sign and give more money to DW, LT and A.Afflalo which i'll say would be about a total of about 8 million extra divided between them then that would leave us right around 12 million which would go to Bazemore, Chalmers and either T.Jones or N.Hilario and now that i think about it we probably couldn't even get those three for that but i'll stick with it anyway cause we can find ways to crunch numbers. The 8 million for DW, LT and AA i'd split something like an extra 3 mil each for DW and LT and an extra 2 for AA but if AA did opt out then i might just not even bring him back at all.

Bow if we didn't re-sign DW, LT and AA then we could sign a max player and bring one of LT or DW back and probably get AA to come back so for me i'd bring back LT and AA and i'd have to say good bye to DW which would suck but there's no way to bring back all 3 with also signing a max player and might not even be able to bring back LT and AA but i'll do it with those two anyway.

PG--M.Conley
SG--A.Afflalo
SF--Melo
PF--KP6
C--R.Lopez
Bench--L.Thomas, L.Galloway, J.Calderon, J.Grant, KOQ and of course you can always find some older vets that will sign for the vet minimum but i'm not gonna make any predictions on them cause there's too many.

I also wanna say that who knows if some on here could be right about DW and he could love it playing for us so much that he doesn't even use his opt out cause with the way he played last night when that was his chance to step up and show us what he can do with starters minutes but didn't show much at all he might not use it and AA might not use his either. I'm thinking AA is at most worth the $8 mil he's already getting if that anyway.

Then after next season when the cap goes up what's projected to be about another $20 million and we finally get out of Calderon's almost 8 million we can definitely add a max player in that off season with about $28 million to spend.

newyorker4ever wrote:

Knixkik wrote:

newyorker4ever wrote:

Knixkik wrote:Obviously that is the long term plan, and we are very fortunate that in all our years of suffering, we finally struck gold. Melo is great and is here to stay, that i'm sure. He's a fantastic mentor/big brother to KP and is bridging the gap between now and when KP is the focal point of everything here for the next decade plus. That being said, what types of playing do you see being the right fit around KP in the future? What are some young guys (maybe not stars) who you see being ideal to put next to him. What type of PG does he need? Who can we realistically target that is young and can be part of that future core?

Are you talking what kind of players he needs to play with him with Melo or for when Melo is no longer with us??

I think both. We are in the very early stages of a transition. My hope is we can be ready to compete for a championship when Melo is still with us, but towards the end of his career where he can provide a spark but its relied on for more than that. What type of player (with maybe some examples) can help in coming years?

For me i'd like to put a player like a K.Faried or J.Noah down low and add a M.Conley at the point guard position but we obviously can't afford that. I think one of the biggest things this team is missing besides a true point guard which we all already know we need is a big man that can play defense and rebound. KOQ and Seraphin aren't getting the job done at all. I would also like a SF/SG that can come in for Melo or play SF when Melo plays PF. If Phil plans on re-signing DW, LT and A.Afflalo then we won't be able to sign a max player in the off season cause those players will all be looking for and getting more money so i'll do a lineup of what we could look to do if we re-sign those three and then one if we don't.

With DW, LT amd AA getting re-signed i would look at players like M.Chalmers, R.Sessions and G.Vasquez to play point guard. For PF i would look to get players like T.Jones, M.Williams and N.Hilario and i'd try to sign K.Bazemore as the biggest off season addition or the most costly anyway.

PG--M.Chalmers
SG--K.Bazemore
SF--Melo
PF--KP6
C--R.Lopez
Bench--D.Williams, A.Afflao, L.Thomas, L.Galloway, J.Calderon, J.Grant, KOQ and a new addition to the bench would be either T.Jones or N.Hilario.

That team might not look great but the way i see it is if we re-sign and give more money to DW, LT and A.Afflalo which i'll say would be about a total of about 8 million extra divided between them then that would leave us right around 12 million which would go to Bazemore, Chalmers and either T.Jones or N.Hilario and now that i think about it we probably couldn't even get those three for that but i'll stick with it anyway cause we can find ways to crunch numbers. The 8 million for DW, LT and AA i'd split something like an extra 3 mil each for DW and LT and an extra 2 for AA but if AA did opt out then i might just not even bring him back at all.

Bow if we didn't re-sign DW, LT and AA then we could sign a max player and bring one of LT or DW back and probably get AA to come back so for me i'd bring back LT and AA and i'd have to say good bye to DW which would suck but there's no way to bring back all 3 with also signing a max player and might not even be able to bring back LT and AA but i'll do it with those two anyway.

PG--M.Conley
SG--A.Afflalo
SF--Melo
PF--KP6
C--R.Lopez
Bench--L.Thomas, L.Galloway, J.Calderon, J.Grant, KOQ and of course you can always find some older vets that will sign for the vet minimum but i'm not gonna make any predictions on them cause there's too many.

I also wanna say that who knows if some on here could be right about DW and he could love it playing for us so much that he doesn't even use his opt out cause with the way he played last night when that was his chance to step up and show us what he can do with starters minutes but didn't show much at all he might not use it and AA might not use his either. I'm thinking AA is at most worth the $8 mil he's already getting if that anyway.

Then after next season when the cap goes up what's projected to be about another $20 million and we finally get out of Calderon's almost 8 million we can definitely add a max player in that off season with about $28 million to spend.

Faried is not the type of player you want anymore. He is a high-energy offensive player who can't stretch the floor or defend. He gets numbers because of his activity level. In today's game, its tough to fit a player like that on most teams as your PF.

LivingLegend wrote:

fishmike wrote:great thing about KP is there doesnt need to be a mold. Just add talented player. A 2 way stretch 4 who protects the rim the way he does is rare. Like unicorn rare.

They just can't be talented players -- they need to be smart and unselfish. J-Smith and L-Stephenson are talented but I want them nowhere near KP.

Caseloads wrote:we need a Ron Harper / Charlie Ward type PG. Grant anyone?

No question we are all hoping he can be that guy, he just has to show us at some point. There have been a few flashes, but nothing yet to suggest he will definitely be a high level starter in the league. Hopefully we see it soon though. He's already 23, so his window to show it will be less than others. He can't take until he's 25 or 26 to show he's the guy.