Great words from Baron, and he is right.
The people that had Haliburton over Lamelo will look like fools this year. This is the season he proves he is just as much of a superstar in the making as Edwards and more of a winner.
Lamelo needs to be on team USAā¦ heās only the best passer in the league.
Itās no secret I agree with the sentiment of this article.
With that said, I am not advocating trading him or anything. I would certainly listen to all calls but would have to be really overwhelmed to accept. I would (if I were the FO) be hoping that "It's Miller Time!" becomes the leader and winning player with Mark Williams being the other huge + on the floor like he seems to be. Itās a brutally tough ask for Miller to become some personality particular version of Tatum or Paul George, but I think that is what it is going to take.
I also know that I am probably Chuck Nolan on this island which doesnāt bother either
I donāt think this article is unfair necessarily. Weāve definitely witnessed some games where Lamelo had impressive stat lines but didnāt play particularly well in terms of his overall impact on the game. But the Boston win certainly had a different feel. That had a take over the game, but in a controlled and responsible way, kind of feel to it. We saw good decision-making and great execution in clutch moments, which are the things superstars are made of. But weāve also seen the kind of reckless, AAU type play Chef has mentioned as well. What we donāt know yet is whether Monday night is going to be the exception or the norm. Only time will tell.
I will say though that I generally find the āempty statsā criticism to be a bit unfair. No player can win without a talented core of players around them and sound coaching. But just because a player hasnāt been on a winning team doesnāt mean they canāt impact winning if theyāre in the right situation.
I think the criticism of Lamelo is fair, although at times embellished. That probably comes from expectations of a #3 overall pick. (Not directed at anyone here, just in general) not to be a Lamelo apologist, but I think at times he feels like he has to take over or make a play because no one else is. You can just sense itās coming sometime. Thatās on the FO for not improving the roster or a lot of the time, injuries. I think the Boston game was a culmination of additions made (Miller, Williams), the return of Bridges, and trust. Lamelo said after the game he has a trust factor with MB. Not that he doesnāt trust others, but they seem close. Looks like heās developing trust with Miller and MW as well. Weāll see how he plays going forward, but as the overall talent on the team improves, as well as trust, Iām willing to bet Lameloās play will too.
Lamelo is a loser but Haliburton is a winner, even though Haliburton hasnāt done shit.
I have a problem with the article because its just more Lamelo hate. He will prove people here and people elsewhere wrong as he has time and time again
That article is cherry picking BS. Melo shut down his beloved Halliburton with the damn game on the line first of all.
Melo has gotten in the weight room and is finishing much better at the basket - 72 percent I Believe is the number I heard on the broadcast the other night.
Melo playing winning basketball is a Charlotte Hornets franchise issue more than a Melo issue, thatās just not fair. He played just fine when we won 43 games though.
And to echo the sentiment, what playoff series has Halliburton won to say he plays winning basketball? I guess Indianaās elite 8-5 start to the season is good enough.
Iām tired of people taking lazy shots at our best player. If you want to talk shit talk about our inconsistent guys or front office that canāt make a move to our us over the top. Dumb ass shit.
This is where I sit too. LaMelo is a very talented player. He has elite vision and passing ability, which might sometimes lead to ill-advised and overly flamboyant passes, but Iāve never thought it to be egregious. Without doubt, LaMelo is not a good defender, but there are incredibly few players in the league with his offensive ability who are plus defenders. That would be an extremely rare beast indeed.
We need, and itās been said a few dozen times, a true leader and tone setter for this franchise. Iām listening to @Plowrightās latest podcast and I agree with what heās saying. We have a strong foundation in LaMelo, Miller & Williams from a talent perspective. LaMelo will lead our offence, but heās his own man and not meant for a leadership role. Mark needs to toughen up and fight for defensive rebounds. Heās a fine prospect, but no tone setter and no leader. Miller is the closest we have. Already, he has shown heās not to be messed with and is happy to call out other players when needed. He might become āthat guyā but Iām not so sure. We need a Wing and a #4 to fill out our starting unit, and one of them needs to be a defensive force and a tone setter. To paraphrase from the podcast, a player the opposition dreads playing against. A tough MFāer.
On the court, so forgetting the need for a new GM, HC and infrastructure investment, that missing, tone setting piece should dominate our recruitment focus.
Appreciate the listen and kind comment. Hopefully we managed to walk the delicate line discussing LaMelo Ballās areas for improvements, it was a tricky one.
I think Lamelo is more of a leader than people give him credit for.
Both you guys walked that line just fine, partly because you have the necessary logic credit in the bank. Neither of you go for the sensational take, you speak from a considered and logical pov, not an emotional one. You back your thoughts and opinions with evidence and stats.
You and Chase join me for my walk back from dropping my girls at Nursery/School in the morning, and the walk to pick them up in the evening and have the best podcast on the Hornets, IMHO. Thank you for putting the high level of content that you do, out there. My listen is a simple byproduct.
Love this line.
Thankful for all of the planeteers
Dam, if we could put that on a billboard!
We canāt afford it, but an Apple Review with words to that effect would be amazing.
Some love from NBA: Why LeBron James headlines 10 players who deserve more thanks | NBA.com
1. LaMelo Ball, Hornets
Heās hard to find because the Hornets are, too, way down in the East basement. Thatās not Ballās fault, though. He has never been better than now, with improvements across the board.
A wiser player whose basketball IQ was already high, LaMeloās improvement lies with shooting ā heās averaging 25.9 points ā and better defense.
And as always, LaMelo is entertaining as well, throwing lobs and behind-the-back passes that defy logic. He just needs to get strong enough to deadlift the Hornets from the bottom.
I agree with that list. Especially Derrick White. I wasnāt mad he was a DNP when we played the Cs. Heās become one of the leagueās better big shot makers.
Yep big time. Derrick white was a guy I really wanted. Him and jrue holiday are low key some of my favorite players.
WTH
Iām legit pissed. 1) Dude should be wearing ankle braces without a fucking question. You get used to it dude. I had to do it, it wasnāt fun but it kept me from further destroying my ankle. 2) Melo has to find different shoes. Adequate shoes with ankle brace should largely help prevent and minimize this stuff.
Thereās no excuses. He just signed a humongous deal. This should be a non negotiable item. I get that the able brace isnāt super comfortable, but you get used to it over time. What sucks even more is destroying your ankle and turning into Gordon Hayward who misses half the games heās paid for.
And then thereās the overcompensating for the weak ankles with other muscle groups, which will lead to very serious injuries (knee, tendons, ligaments, Lonzo).
I slept on it, and Iām still legit upset.