jrodmc wrote:...BRIGGS would have had at least 4 threads telling us he would draft him over Lebron and anyone else. 
Seriously, this thread is dumber than shinola next to a stop sign in February.
You mean we can't see FIBAMelo in the NBA when he's playing with Ray Felton, Phony Douglas, Landry Fields and Chris Smith? Wassup with that? Surely these people are as good as what Melo's playing with in Rio, right? And so what if long twos are now worth 3 in the Olympics! We should always play Melo at the 4, so we can complain about him breaking down, and play a skinny undermuscled rook phenom at the 5 so he can get hurt earlier, that way we can complain Melo makes nobody better.
It doesn't matter what position Melo plays, he will be guarded by the same player every time. Most teams aren't stubborn like us......they usually adapt.....After a few 1st step moves on a big, they usually go small and bring a butler type dude to play the 4. The mis match is going to be the other players around him! What I'm taking from this thread is the similarities between the USA team and Knicks team.....
Rose vs Kyrie is really where it starts. If Rose can break down the defense like Kyrie is doing now, the game will be very easy for Melo. The problem is having Noah on offense allows any big to play zone. If KP was the 5 on offense, their big must guard KP, which allows Melo to have more space and 1 on 1 opportunities, similar to what he's seeing now! The problem I have with this comparison is (not KP's inability to play the 5, which I think he can right now) it's the level of talent in the entire Olympics is on a D-League level or slightly better. Even some of the NBA players playing for their country, wouldn't be starters on an NBA team....and some wouldn't even get playing time. Like Kobe said, USA is too big and too fast! But this gives Melo a change to work on his craft and keep his confidence sharp for next season! As soon as he shows wear and tear in the playoffs, everybody will point back to his extra minutes on the USA team!
This is a good time for KP to learn how to play center.....playing with and against Noah is probably the best thing for KP's career! And he's surrounded by other bigs, so there's no pressure to force him right now......KP has the freedom to just play ball, and not worry about a position. Garnet was also similar in size.....So it's not about being skinny.....it's about using the skills you have to impact the game on both ends. Strength will come with age and experience. But KP has more positives than negatives as a center. And the upside is crazy. You have to guard all 5 positions, just like must championship teams. This is where the triangle helps players like Noah, who's a great passer and decision maker!
The skys the limit and Melo will be the one to launch us! While KP continues to learn! This is OPTIMISTIC SEASON!
Born in Brooklyn, Raised in Queens, Lives in Maryland.
The future is bright, I'm a Knicks fan for life!
8/11/2016 5:14 PM LAST EDITED: 8/11/2016 5:15 PM