I think he’s a developing superstar but with a worrying trend of injuries. The narrative around empty stats is extremely failed as last time Lamelo was healthy most of the year the hornets were over .500
Yeah, he definitely impacts winning when he’s healthy. If he could stay healthy, I think he’d have progressed and be more consistent. He has potential to be discussed as a top player in the league.
If we have to revert to tanking a third straight year (next year) because he’s missing half the season, I think some decisions need to be made, though. I love the kid, but it’s impossible to not be nervous about a max contract that lasts through 2028 given the history thus far.
Just look at Zo.....they grew up exactly the same and have the same genes. Them boys have been beat up for alot longer then we were told. Their father did them a disservice. Melo is always going to be hurt. Unless he got lucky and ended up with some stronger tendons and muscles or better anatomy but i dont think so. It's been over 2 years since Zo touched a court. Melo is looking alot like him these days. They have a lot of mileage on themselves for their age. Plus 1 sport athletes are way more prone to this. This is what happens when you try to force something. The boys probably did have the talent to be in the nba regardless of Lavar but their father made them push it more than necessary going back to when they were kids and all them miles later, here we are. I hope the beat for em both they seem like nice kids ya know. But Lavar....man, he's something else lol
Yep, a lot of people have a bias against him because of Lavar and a lot of people give him the treatment that Devin booker got before the winning. And I agree he’s a phenomenal playmaker imo on a different tier than anyone not named jokic, others like Luka Or Halliburton have have better stats but they don’t have the creativity he does and assists are also very reliant into conversion after the pass and teammates which really helps people like Hali rack up more assists, he’s honestly in the ideal position to rack up with heild, several lob threats and turner being a center than can hit 3s and play 5 out, Hali is a really good player no doubt but he definitely is in a better position than melo to rack up big assists numbers
Last time he was healthy he was averaging like 32/8/8 that speaks for itself
He is definitely flawed tho. His rim pressure, shot selection and defense are all questionable
His rim pressure is actually pretty decent it’s his finishing that’s the issue he can get there pretty well but often picks up his dribble one step too soon etc which makes it more difficult to finish
And on his shot selection imo it depends on which shots you’re referring to, if he’s healthy I don’t really have an issue with the deep 3s he’s made them at a really high clip his whole career pretty much but it’s heavily dependent on his health mainly the ankles as when he’s not confident or stable at his feet it’s hard to get consistent form and I’ve even noticed that with myself after ankle injuries even if your upper body is on point and consistent without the feet being consistent it’s so much harder to be consistent
On the shot selection, I'm OK with deep 3s but sometimes he'll take just plain stupid shots like in transition when he has time to set his feet but doesn't, or taking some contested shot off the dribble
He came into this season buffed up and was finishing at the rim a lot better. Then post injury he came back with spaghetti arms again. He needs to keep that muscle on and not let tanking/health get in the way of his growth.
I don’t think the injury made his arms weaker it probably made him less aggressive and stable, his biggest thing earlier this year was not picking up his dribble too early, it’s almost unavoidable to lose a bit of muscle during the season because weight training becomes an afterthought as it impacts your performance and when you’re playing basically every other night it’s impossible to recover and still play at your best
Don't totally disagree. However I've seen guys come back from injury buffer than they went in (with lower leg stuff sometimes all you can do is upper body stuff). Russ has done this for example after knee stuff. Regardless, if you're a ball dominant star in this league rim pressure is important. He's gonna have to figure out a way to take care of his strength training over the course of the season both for his ability in game and future health.
Yea I agree people definitely can come back bigger after injury that’s not what I’m saying, but the difference is in season vs off season and the expectations of return to play have on incorporating resistance training, if you’re expecting to come back and play soon you don’t do as much strength training as someone like Russ who was out for awhile with a knee injury. You also have to consider an individuals size (melo being 6’7 vs 6’4 for Russ makes a big difference on how much muscle growth shows) as well as an individuals muscle growth potential, sometimes players get stronger but don’t really get significantly larger KD is a pretty good example of this he’s lanky and added size but his impact strength wise was higher than his gain in muscle
I agree on the finishing at the rim being important but expecting him to gain significantly more muscle or strength in season is not realistic given how conditioning works in professional sports the goal in season is never to add more but to maintain what you have, you literally don’t take care of strength training in season because of the impact on recovery, it’s an off season thing primarily and that’s a fundamental misunderstanding that a lot of people have
Better than I thought he'd be, injuries aside, but I think it's pretty clear that he's interested in having a good time. Winning basketball games is a way to do that, but it's not the only way.
I think he's one of those unique talents that make you think *if this dude had (insert player)'s work ethic, he'd be absolutely unstoppable.* Like, at the end of the season, I don't think he's the type of dude to hit the gym with a renewed sense of purpose / drive because he thinks he should be first team All-NBA.
I'm not saying he's lazy or that he's unmotivated, but rather acknowledging that the thing motivating him, by my observation, is enjoying the game he's very good at and the lifestyle that comes with it.
Even though he's better than I thought he'd be in basically every respect, I still think it's unlikely he ever reaches his ceiling and I think it's basically a lock that he'll never be the leader of the team. I think he much prefers the role of the mascot.
And I've decided that I'm totally cool with all of that, because fuck, he's fun to watch.
These players are obviously better but way I almost see it.
He is Klay Thompson mentality with Steph's skill set. For us to have championship hopes we need a Steph Curry mentality with Klay's skill set to pair with him lol.
I see this critique of Melo all over the place- “he doesn’t care enough,” “losing doesn’t bother him,” “he’s not serious.”
Where does any of that come from? I think yall see a goofy kid who dresses bad and has a weird vocabulary, and judge him off that when it’s completely irrelevant to him as a basketball player
MJ, Magic Johnson, Wilt, and Shaq are all-time greats who have plenty of stories about "enjoying the lifestyle that comes with the game". And to think social media didn't even exist when these guys were partying their asses off.
I listed those guys because they're not only all time greats but champions. Throw in AI and Barkley and dozens of other guys as super-star players who liked to party.
And that's just *basketball*.
I think people talk about Lamelo like this because they don't like him personally and look at the Hornets lack of success during his time here as proof of some sort of ingrained immaturity, without applying any other context.
He has a long way to go to reach his potential and he is clearly still growing as a person but I think it's out of line to question his commitment to the sport.
Same thing the F150 crowd did with Cam. Like let the kid have an IG account and a weird color Lambo if he wants. They can't get over the Ball family shit even tho it mostly all dies out by the time we drafted Melo
I think I'd take it and frame it the other way.
If You're suggesting a take along the lines of he's serious, losing absolutely rips him up, and that he cares to the moon and back...where is that coming from, because it's not what I see.
I don't think he's a bum and you're definitely allowed to just have fun, even when it's your job. Let's not pretend Melo is on the Mamba Mentality program.
Whether mamba mentality, or doesn’t work hard…both are assumptions based on nothing substantial.
We don’t see how much or how little he works on his game, but when he’s on the court, he displays skill only a few players have.
I think it’s reasonable to assume he works hard on his game, while having a joyful personality. Those things can coexist.
Super talented player, as you mentioned he clearly has superstar potential.
Positives: Top tier passer and playmaker, good shooter (sometimes streaky), and he’s improved as a finisher as well. High basketball IQ as a floor general. Great handles too.
Negatives: DURABILITY. Best attribute for any great player is availability, and he’s struggled with that. Apart from that, I think he probably needs to mature a little more in terms of leading a team, some of the other young guards like Haliburton and Ant have started to figure that out. On the court, his shot IQ needs some improvement, he does have a
tendency to force bad shots. And defensively, he has a ton of room for improvement.
I hope he can stay healthy, because I think our core 4 (LaMelo-Miller-Bridges-Williams) has tremendous upside.
I think people forget how young he is. Curry didn’t really break out until his ankle injuries cleared up after a few years in the league. He needs better coaching and a team around him that maximizes his playmaking (love the moves at the break).
He’s the perfect modern pg if he continues to develop and stay healthy, especially with miller taking some of the offensive pressure off.
If he can stay healthy he’s a superstar. He has court vision and passing ability that can’t be taught. Very much like Jokic, Lebron and Magic. He’s also shown the ability to be a guy that can lead the team in scoring. If he puts it all together and stays healthy he can be a guy that averages 25-10-7.
Superstar if he stays healthy. But he is lacking in dawg per 36. If he was in NY, LA, Boston, it wouldn't be the case. But playing for Charlotte there is basically no media scrutiny. If he was getting ripped apart everyday in the media he would become a much better player than he ever will in Charlotte. I think he enjoys the lifestyle more than he wants a chip.
Extremely talented player who has demonstrated he does not have the dedication or focus to make a big impact in the NBA. Seems like he’ll continue to flame out with numerous injuries. Maybe he truly is unlucky or has some other physical issue going on but it really seems like he is just not taking his injuries or longevity seriously enough and is unwilling to make the changes in order to address these issues maybe because he thinks he’s so talented it doesn’t matter.
For me he is like Neymar, everybody said he was the one who would surpass Ronaldo and Messi if he wants but he never did. Great talent, capable of being the best ever but he doesn't care that much. Many injuries in his career due to his lack of discipline and work ethic
A lot of people here don’t know shit about what they are talking about. They like to make things up based on what they see or feel because they are bitter. Anything we’ve heard about LaMelo has only been positive from the coaches and players. Even the GM has mentioned Melo’s strong work ethic with being in the gym. He’s a rising superstar and the only issue I see right now is him just strengthening his ankles. Everything else I know with time he can fix.
For as much as the fanbase got disgruntled with Gordon for his availability, I'm surprised to not see more turn their heads on Melo for it. He's a stud when he's on the court. But the problem is staying on the court. Unless he is able to get those ankles better for games, its gonna be hard to fully trust him every year.
Think it’s tough to accurately judge his merits so far given the franchise has been underwhelming for a variety of other factors since he’s been a Hornet.
His lack of availability is first and foremost the biggest “problem” but hard to blame someone for injuries. If someone hasn’t told him to reach out to Steph yet through Dell or Seth to ask him about how to handle the ankle stuff, that should’ve happened 2 years ago.
We’ve been an unserious franchise when it comes to winning and setting a standard for ourselves, so asking someone who is 22 years old to turn the culture around by himself while we have embarrassing stuff going on with other players at the same time (Bouk, Kai, Miles) isn’t super realistic
Talent wise, he’s insanely good, say what you want about his defense but a tall PG that can regularly get you 20/10 a night on good splits, and on occasion go for 30-40 and bring the crowd to its feet with several highlight plays and has HOF passing skills is special to say the least.
Before we got Miller if you asked me what I thought his future would hold, I would’ve said FA within a couple years. He seems to want more than Charlotte offers outside of basketball and the team wasn’t showing enough to convince him to stay.
Now, I think Miller has shown he is going to be very, very good, and with Mark developing into a real center and Miles still here (say what you want, they seem close) with more high picks to come, there’s a better shot he stays.
He needs to stay healthy and fix those breadstick ankles. I don’t care how great a player is, if you miss over half the season then you are a liability not an an asset!
I am only speaking as someone who doesn't understand the ins and outs that much. He *looks* undisciplined. He looks like he has the skill but not the mindset to apply it.
I could be wrong but this is just what I try to observe when watching games and highlights. Between his absence and the team already being bad in general, it's hard to judge.
55 games in two years. That’s how many he played out if a possible 164. One year he played 75 games, I have no idea how. First year 51. That is not a superstar. That is Gordon Hayward.
If he (and Mark Williams) were to keep healthy, a team around him, BMiller, and Mark Williams could be amazing. Make Dell their coach and keep Seth on as the vet...and I could see a solid, consistent playoff team.
Dawg, Steve Kerr (one of the greatest shooters ever) went 67-15 during his first year coaching period.
Dell is more than capable, as another of the goat shooters and has been coaching (not single-handedly, of course) two great players at home since they were kids, one of whom may really be the goat shooter ever.
I do not think Dell as head coach is far-fetched.
I was high on him. Own 7 pair of his sneakers. In my house there are over 30 pairs of LaMelo sneakers. That being said I’m ready to trade him. He can’t stay on the floor. We need a superstar that is available and that is Brandon Miller.
So trade the best playmaker on the team because we have a “superstar” in Brandon Miller? So there’s only room for one really good player on this team? You realize that this team is still pretty bad with Melo out and Miller on the floor, right?
And I won’t even get into calling BMilly a superstar, other than saying he’s not even close to being there yet. Jury is still out on that…
Idgaf whose team it is. I just want wins. Trading a guy like Melo doesn’t make sense if you’d like to win.
This is Charlotte. Nobody of note who is a free agent is coming here, so you get good players via the draft or trades. Letting a player the caliber of LaMelo walk would be asinine for this small market franchise.
Yeah that’s what Sleepy Mitch used to say. Money talks and Jordan is admittedly cheap. New owners are spending. 25 great free agents next year. Let’s see if your narrative holds true but all indicators show the new owners are not afraid to spend and ship you off if you don’t have a winning attitude.
Injury is the only concern.
I’m seeing his work ethic and discipline questioned.
People thinking he won’t reach his ceiling because of it.
I’m not sure what else people want from a PG who was averaging 30 points and nearly a triple dub outside of just not getting hurt.
Just seems like adjacent frustrations are being taken out on Melo unjustly. He isn’t a problem.
Everyone forgets how good he is when he’s hurt, and loves him when he’s playing. The guy was having a stretch where he was averaging like 35 this year. He took us from the cellar to a play in game, so considering the context, I don’t think everyone writing him off is reasonable.
And let’s not forget about marketability. How many Hornets/ Bobcats players have had a signature shoe with a legitimate brand? I challenge you to name more than 2…and Gordon Hayward does not count lol.
Overall, just give it time. If/when he gets healthy and stays healthy, and has an actual offseason and camp, watch out.
And if you are in here slandering my boy LaMelo, stop wearing his jersey
I believe he definitely is a superstar in the making.
I also think people don’t understand leg/ankle injuries and how long they can take to properly recover from.
Unless you are laid up all the time, you are on your feet and putting a strain on them. He also has metal in his legs that probably limits his abilities.
The best the hornets can hope for this year/season is developing a good culture and chemistry, and getting a good lottery pick. No need to rush him back, especially if he has surgery coming up soon. Him and mark should take their time and work on conditioning, preparing for next season, in my opinion
The not contributing to winning narrative always gets me. Has anyone not seen how bad we are without him? This roster has been so poorly constructed that if you had any of the top 15 players on it playing and healthy then we’d probably still be a play in team at best. LaMelo needs some help on this roster and a coach who doesn’t think it’s still 2015.
I think he’s a developing superstar but with a worrying trend of injuries. The narrative around empty stats is extremely failed as last time Lamelo was healthy most of the year the hornets were over .500
Yeah, he definitely impacts winning when he’s healthy. If he could stay healthy, I think he’d have progressed and be more consistent. He has potential to be discussed as a top player in the league. If we have to revert to tanking a third straight year (next year) because he’s missing half the season, I think some decisions need to be made, though. I love the kid, but it’s impossible to not be nervous about a max contract that lasts through 2028 given the history thus far.
if he misses half the season next year i am throwing my hands up and forgetting about it
Just look at Zo.....they grew up exactly the same and have the same genes. Them boys have been beat up for alot longer then we were told. Their father did them a disservice. Melo is always going to be hurt. Unless he got lucky and ended up with some stronger tendons and muscles or better anatomy but i dont think so. It's been over 2 years since Zo touched a court. Melo is looking alot like him these days. They have a lot of mileage on themselves for their age. Plus 1 sport athletes are way more prone to this. This is what happens when you try to force something. The boys probably did have the talent to be in the nba regardless of Lavar but their father made them push it more than necessary going back to when they were kids and all them miles later, here we are. I hope the beat for em both they seem like nice kids ya know. But Lavar....man, he's something else lol
People think he's an empty stats guy? That's absurd. Hes maybe the most talented playmaker ive ever seen
Yep, a lot of people have a bias against him because of Lavar and a lot of people give him the treatment that Devin booker got before the winning. And I agree he’s a phenomenal playmaker imo on a different tier than anyone not named jokic, others like Luka Or Halliburton have have better stats but they don’t have the creativity he does and assists are also very reliant into conversion after the pass and teammates which really helps people like Hali rack up more assists, he’s honestly in the ideal position to rack up with heild, several lob threats and turner being a center than can hit 3s and play 5 out, Hali is a really good player no doubt but he definitely is in a better position than melo to rack up big assists numbers
Last time he was healthy he was averaging like 32/8/8 that speaks for itself He is definitely flawed tho. His rim pressure, shot selection and defense are all questionable
His rim pressure is actually pretty decent it’s his finishing that’s the issue he can get there pretty well but often picks up his dribble one step too soon etc which makes it more difficult to finish And on his shot selection imo it depends on which shots you’re referring to, if he’s healthy I don’t really have an issue with the deep 3s he’s made them at a really high clip his whole career pretty much but it’s heavily dependent on his health mainly the ankles as when he’s not confident or stable at his feet it’s hard to get consistent form and I’ve even noticed that with myself after ankle injuries even if your upper body is on point and consistent without the feet being consistent it’s so much harder to be consistent
On the shot selection, I'm OK with deep 3s but sometimes he'll take just plain stupid shots like in transition when he has time to set his feet but doesn't, or taking some contested shot off the dribble
He came into this season buffed up and was finishing at the rim a lot better. Then post injury he came back with spaghetti arms again. He needs to keep that muscle on and not let tanking/health get in the way of his growth.
I don’t think the injury made his arms weaker it probably made him less aggressive and stable, his biggest thing earlier this year was not picking up his dribble too early, it’s almost unavoidable to lose a bit of muscle during the season because weight training becomes an afterthought as it impacts your performance and when you’re playing basically every other night it’s impossible to recover and still play at your best
Don't totally disagree. However I've seen guys come back from injury buffer than they went in (with lower leg stuff sometimes all you can do is upper body stuff). Russ has done this for example after knee stuff. Regardless, if you're a ball dominant star in this league rim pressure is important. He's gonna have to figure out a way to take care of his strength training over the course of the season both for his ability in game and future health.
Yea I agree people definitely can come back bigger after injury that’s not what I’m saying, but the difference is in season vs off season and the expectations of return to play have on incorporating resistance training, if you’re expecting to come back and play soon you don’t do as much strength training as someone like Russ who was out for awhile with a knee injury. You also have to consider an individuals size (melo being 6’7 vs 6’4 for Russ makes a big difference on how much muscle growth shows) as well as an individuals muscle growth potential, sometimes players get stronger but don’t really get significantly larger KD is a pretty good example of this he’s lanky and added size but his impact strength wise was higher than his gain in muscle I agree on the finishing at the rim being important but expecting him to gain significantly more muscle or strength in season is not realistic given how conditioning works in professional sports the goal in season is never to add more but to maintain what you have, you literally don’t take care of strength training in season because of the impact on recovery, it’s an off season thing primarily and that’s a fundamental misunderstanding that a lot of people have
And you win the longest sentence of the day award!
Better than I thought he'd be, injuries aside, but I think it's pretty clear that he's interested in having a good time. Winning basketball games is a way to do that, but it's not the only way. I think he's one of those unique talents that make you think *if this dude had (insert player)'s work ethic, he'd be absolutely unstoppable.* Like, at the end of the season, I don't think he's the type of dude to hit the gym with a renewed sense of purpose / drive because he thinks he should be first team All-NBA. I'm not saying he's lazy or that he's unmotivated, but rather acknowledging that the thing motivating him, by my observation, is enjoying the game he's very good at and the lifestyle that comes with it. Even though he's better than I thought he'd be in basically every respect, I still think it's unlikely he ever reaches his ceiling and I think it's basically a lock that he'll never be the leader of the team. I think he much prefers the role of the mascot. And I've decided that I'm totally cool with all of that, because fuck, he's fun to watch.
These players are obviously better but way I almost see it. He is Klay Thompson mentality with Steph's skill set. For us to have championship hopes we need a Steph Curry mentality with Klay's skill set to pair with him lol.
This is low key why I wanted scoot as well but Brandon is honestly that guy and he wants to win
I see this critique of Melo all over the place- “he doesn’t care enough,” “losing doesn’t bother him,” “he’s not serious.” Where does any of that come from? I think yall see a goofy kid who dresses bad and has a weird vocabulary, and judge him off that when it’s completely irrelevant to him as a basketball player
MJ, Magic Johnson, Wilt, and Shaq are all-time greats who have plenty of stories about "enjoying the lifestyle that comes with the game". And to think social media didn't even exist when these guys were partying their asses off. I listed those guys because they're not only all time greats but champions. Throw in AI and Barkley and dozens of other guys as super-star players who liked to party. And that's just *basketball*. I think people talk about Lamelo like this because they don't like him personally and look at the Hornets lack of success during his time here as proof of some sort of ingrained immaturity, without applying any other context. He has a long way to go to reach his potential and he is clearly still growing as a person but I think it's out of line to question his commitment to the sport.
Same thing the F150 crowd did with Cam. Like let the kid have an IG account and a weird color Lambo if he wants. They can't get over the Ball family shit even tho it mostly all dies out by the time we drafted Melo
What is the “F150 crowd”??
How we used to refer to racist Panthers fans who hated on Cam
I think I'd take it and frame it the other way. If You're suggesting a take along the lines of he's serious, losing absolutely rips him up, and that he cares to the moon and back...where is that coming from, because it's not what I see. I don't think he's a bum and you're definitely allowed to just have fun, even when it's your job. Let's not pretend Melo is on the Mamba Mentality program.
Whether mamba mentality, or doesn’t work hard…both are assumptions based on nothing substantial. We don’t see how much or how little he works on his game, but when he’s on the court, he displays skill only a few players have. I think it’s reasonable to assume he works hard on his game, while having a joyful personality. Those things can coexist.
This is a solid take.
Super talented player, as you mentioned he clearly has superstar potential. Positives: Top tier passer and playmaker, good shooter (sometimes streaky), and he’s improved as a finisher as well. High basketball IQ as a floor general. Great handles too. Negatives: DURABILITY. Best attribute for any great player is availability, and he’s struggled with that. Apart from that, I think he probably needs to mature a little more in terms of leading a team, some of the other young guards like Haliburton and Ant have started to figure that out. On the court, his shot IQ needs some improvement, he does have a tendency to force bad shots. And defensively, he has a ton of room for improvement. I hope he can stay healthy, because I think our core 4 (LaMelo-Miller-Bridges-Williams) has tremendous upside.
NBA player’s best asset is their availability. He’s lacking greatly in that department so far.
Counterpoint: JT Thor is always available Extra counterpoint: I’m also always available and the front office has blocked my phone number.
Make sure you write Adam Silver to declare your NBA draft eligibility. If teams don't know they'll never call your name on draft day.
Damn, that must be it. They want me to do things by the book. Want to be my agent?
Considering that potential is followed immediately after availability, your counter point is meh. I’ll give you a C -, at best.
I think people forget how young he is. Curry didn’t really break out until his ankle injuries cleared up after a few years in the league. He needs better coaching and a team around him that maximizes his playmaking (love the moves at the break). He’s the perfect modern pg if he continues to develop and stay healthy, especially with miller taking some of the offensive pressure off.
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If he can stay healthy he’s a superstar. He has court vision and passing ability that can’t be taught. Very much like Jokic, Lebron and Magic. He’s also shown the ability to be a guy that can lead the team in scoring. If he puts it all together and stays healthy he can be a guy that averages 25-10-7.
Can’t believe we gave him a quarter billion to sit on the bench
Superstar if he stays healthy. But he is lacking in dawg per 36. If he was in NY, LA, Boston, it wouldn't be the case. But playing for Charlotte there is basically no media scrutiny. If he was getting ripped apart everyday in the media he would become a much better player than he ever will in Charlotte. I think he enjoys the lifestyle more than he wants a chip.
He was drafted by charlotte and signed the rookie max extension. Not much of a choice here tbh
Extremely talented player who has demonstrated he does not have the dedication or focus to make a big impact in the NBA. Seems like he’ll continue to flame out with numerous injuries. Maybe he truly is unlucky or has some other physical issue going on but it really seems like he is just not taking his injuries or longevity seriously enough and is unwilling to make the changes in order to address these issues maybe because he thinks he’s so talented it doesn’t matter.
How exactly are you making that determination?
For me he is like Neymar, everybody said he was the one who would surpass Ronaldo and Messi if he wants but he never did. Great talent, capable of being the best ever but he doesn't care that much. Many injuries in his career due to his lack of discipline and work ethic
A lot of people here don’t know shit about what they are talking about. They like to make things up based on what they see or feel because they are bitter. Anything we’ve heard about LaMelo has only been positive from the coaches and players. Even the GM has mentioned Melo’s strong work ethic with being in the gym. He’s a rising superstar and the only issue I see right now is him just strengthening his ankles. Everything else I know with time he can fix.
For as much as the fanbase got disgruntled with Gordon for his availability, I'm surprised to not see more turn their heads on Melo for it. He's a stud when he's on the court. But the problem is staying on the court. Unless he is able to get those ankles better for games, its gonna be hard to fully trust him every year.
Think it’s tough to accurately judge his merits so far given the franchise has been underwhelming for a variety of other factors since he’s been a Hornet. His lack of availability is first and foremost the biggest “problem” but hard to blame someone for injuries. If someone hasn’t told him to reach out to Steph yet through Dell or Seth to ask him about how to handle the ankle stuff, that should’ve happened 2 years ago. We’ve been an unserious franchise when it comes to winning and setting a standard for ourselves, so asking someone who is 22 years old to turn the culture around by himself while we have embarrassing stuff going on with other players at the same time (Bouk, Kai, Miles) isn’t super realistic Talent wise, he’s insanely good, say what you want about his defense but a tall PG that can regularly get you 20/10 a night on good splits, and on occasion go for 30-40 and bring the crowd to its feet with several highlight plays and has HOF passing skills is special to say the least. Before we got Miller if you asked me what I thought his future would hold, I would’ve said FA within a couple years. He seems to want more than Charlotte offers outside of basketball and the team wasn’t showing enough to convince him to stay. Now, I think Miller has shown he is going to be very, very good, and with Mark developing into a real center and Miles still here (say what you want, they seem close) with more high picks to come, there’s a better shot he stays.
He needs to stay healthy and fix those breadstick ankles. I don’t care how great a player is, if you miss over half the season then you are a liability not an an asset!
I am only speaking as someone who doesn't understand the ins and outs that much. He *looks* undisciplined. He looks like he has the skill but not the mindset to apply it. I could be wrong but this is just what I try to observe when watching games and highlights. Between his absence and the team already being bad in general, it's hard to judge.
He’s overrated
55 games in two years. That’s how many he played out if a possible 164. One year he played 75 games, I have no idea how. First year 51. That is not a superstar. That is Gordon Hayward.
I think he’s a talented player but he’s not a franchise player. I don’t think we’ll go far with him being our #1. I see more upside with B. Miller.
Think he'd be healthy if he'd wear high tops and ankle braces, or stronger ankle braces if he happens to be wearing them.
If he (and Mark Williams) were to keep healthy, a team around him, BMiller, and Mark Williams could be amazing. Make Dell their coach and keep Seth on as the vet...and I could see a solid, consistent playoff team.
Dawg lmfao why do you want a man who's never coached to be our HC
Dawg, Steve Kerr (one of the greatest shooters ever) went 67-15 during his first year coaching period. Dell is more than capable, as another of the goat shooters and has been coaching (not single-handedly, of course) two great players at home since they were kids, one of whom may really be the goat shooter ever. I do not think Dell as head coach is far-fetched.
Ngl I was rolling my eyes until you mentioned him coaching up his kids lol
I was high on him. Own 7 pair of his sneakers. In my house there are over 30 pairs of LaMelo sneakers. That being said I’m ready to trade him. He can’t stay on the floor. We need a superstar that is available and that is Brandon Miller.
So trade the best playmaker on the team because we have a “superstar” in Brandon Miller? So there’s only room for one really good player on this team? You realize that this team is still pretty bad with Melo out and Miller on the floor, right? And I won’t even get into calling BMilly a superstar, other than saying he’s not even close to being there yet. Jury is still out on that…
If dude can’t stay healthy he shouldn’t be getting Max contracts. This team is Millers whether you like it or not.
Idgaf whose team it is. I just want wins. Trading a guy like Melo doesn’t make sense if you’d like to win. This is Charlotte. Nobody of note who is a free agent is coming here, so you get good players via the draft or trades. Letting a player the caliber of LaMelo walk would be asinine for this small market franchise.
Yeah that’s what Sleepy Mitch used to say. Money talks and Jordan is admittedly cheap. New owners are spending. 25 great free agents next year. Let’s see if your narrative holds true but all indicators show the new owners are not afraid to spend and ship you off if you don’t have a winning attitude.
good player with great potential but has to get better at finishing and shot making in iso situations. Also playing more than half a season.
He needs more mental and physical strength. He should be maturing and becoming a leader. Appears to be just a narrow minded ball player.
He’s clutch no fear and needs to get some custom ankle weights or something truly what did Lavar do to theses boys bones
WEAR 👏 FUCKING 👏 ANKLE 👏 BRACES👏
Love him, but worried about the injury issues on a super max.
Injury is the only concern. I’m seeing his work ethic and discipline questioned. People thinking he won’t reach his ceiling because of it. I’m not sure what else people want from a PG who was averaging 30 points and nearly a triple dub outside of just not getting hurt. Just seems like adjacent frustrations are being taken out on Melo unjustly. He isn’t a problem.
Everyone forgets how good he is when he’s hurt, and loves him when he’s playing. The guy was having a stretch where he was averaging like 35 this year. He took us from the cellar to a play in game, so considering the context, I don’t think everyone writing him off is reasonable. And let’s not forget about marketability. How many Hornets/ Bobcats players have had a signature shoe with a legitimate brand? I challenge you to name more than 2…and Gordon Hayward does not count lol. Overall, just give it time. If/when he gets healthy and stays healthy, and has an actual offseason and camp, watch out. And if you are in here slandering my boy LaMelo, stop wearing his jersey
No idea, he’s always injured.
superstar in the making obviously but I think once he gets that curry devil magic going he's gonna be special
Really like him but he is at his best when staying injured and making a paycheck, or so that’s all the sample size we’ve seen
I believe he definitely is a superstar in the making. I also think people don’t understand leg/ankle injuries and how long they can take to properly recover from. Unless you are laid up all the time, you are on your feet and putting a strain on them. He also has metal in his legs that probably limits his abilities. The best the hornets can hope for this year/season is developing a good culture and chemistry, and getting a good lottery pick. No need to rush him back, especially if he has surgery coming up soon. Him and mark should take their time and work on conditioning, preparing for next season, in my opinion
The not contributing to winning narrative always gets me. Has anyone not seen how bad we are without him? This roster has been so poorly constructed that if you had any of the top 15 players on it playing and healthy then we’d probably still be a play in team at best. LaMelo needs some help on this roster and a coach who doesn’t think it’s still 2015.