I think we should have NEVER picked up Billups option after we got swept by the Celtics.
In fact, more importantly, we should have never traded for him. Billups is a great player and shooter but he is not cost efficient for his contract. With Amare and Melo making max $, we simply need to not overpay for talent. In fact we need to sign cheap/ long term deals that are cost efficent. Players that signed contracts like Sessions, Nick Collison, Barea, CJ Watson, Brandon Bass, Shane Battier and find some 1-3 year deals with team options for contracts like Brandon Wright, Delonte West, Pietrus, Anthony Parker, Redd, Delfino, Mahimi, Kenyon Martin, Reggie Evans, Willie Green, Shannon Brown, Omar Osik, Sefalosha, Gaines, Pargo, Earl, Lucas III, Watson, Stymsma, Hiddahi, Jason Smith, and AK47.
Adding a defensive center of Tyson Chandlers presence was a steal. However he doesn't mesh well with Amare and Melo together. Amare should be our 6th man player as ATM, take each others space. Melo has the ability to post up but not when his PF and Center arent capable of spreading the floor and posting up. It forces Melo to take shots without the ability to penetrate and post up consistently. At this point of his career, Melo doesn't have the physical abilties of a Rudy Gay. Gay has the abilties to post up, handle, pentration, elevation to rise up for a jump shot or dunk, making him a tough matchup. On defense, his athleticism and skills, allows him to be a much better versatile player, defender, and shot blocker. Sadly, Jorts has become our best post up big but doesnt have the athleticism, speed/quickness, and shot blocking pressence to be a help defender.
We need a team to offer Lin a contract so we can just match it while preserving our MLE and LLE. Whether we decide to use our MLE on one worthy candidate or break it up to add 2-3 players with the LLE will have to be decided by Grunweld. Fields with his possibility to improve his shooting skills with Allan Houston, isn't even a lock to return with the way we have been playing with Iso Ball and without ball movement. Since we have his early bird rights, we can retain him without digging in to our exemptions but will he even have the interest? He knows and we all know, he is a SF, isn't fit to be a starting SG, and he must have Ball Movement to excel. With the way we are playing, it decreases the chances of JR Smith returning. Because he can lose with another team and make 2-3x with 3-4 years of job security. Novak will have to be replaced by players like Parker, Delfino, Kapono, Redd, and other shooters. I love what Novak brings, not forcing bad shots, while shooting a high %, and being able to catch fire with limited minutes. But like Fields and many players in the league, they want to be involved in the play, with good ball movement, spacing, and a team concept.
Unfotunately, we have went away from this style that Novacaine, Lin, Fields, Jeffries, and Dantoni thrived under. Melo is all about "Me" concept, which kills the team concept...
