Off Season Changes?

Hornets Talk
964

Somewhat related, here’s where I’m at: I honestly don’t care if we build a championship team. I think it’s incredibly hard for a team do build a championship and is generally equal parts luck as it is all of the other things.

Just give me a competitive team that makes me feel good about watching a game. Play hard, entertaining basketball that inspires me to come on this site and post, buy a t-shirt, make plans around a basketball game, because I get such joy from watching them play that it’s worth giving up my personal time and money. Make a run in the playoffs. I don’t care if it’s to the finals or even the conference finals. Just make me a believer in the team and proud to be a part of the fanbase. That’s what I’m looking for right now.

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965

I am more than happy to have a team that can win 50 games along with a playoff series. Don’t even need ECF.

966

Melo is the third best Hornet we drafted witch puts him in good company behind LJ and ZO
Loseing Bridges was a kick in the balls . With it being no fault of the Hornets . The team is in a mess and not ready to compeate in the east. We need to keep our money high to go over the cap next season . Westbrook would help a lot cap wize . Terry for a first could help too. Moving Hayward and terry in addition to expirings would allow for two , Max contracts and another solid filler. Put that around Mello and see what we have. With the young draft pick we
would have.

967

Agreed. So which team should we follow this year?

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968

Miami would be too turncoat. May go for Cleveland.

969

Really good thought exercise.

All I’ll add to the comments of others is, the only thing I can see that might actively drive LaMelo away is this front office choosing to neither break it down and rebuild or make trades to put another good young(ish) player around him … in other words, the ‘stuck in the mud’ course of inaction we’ve taken.

Surely LaMelo, like most of us, sees that this team is a play-in calibre outfit without much upside. Strip away the bigger contracts, play/develop our youth and get good odds to be at the sharp end in a stacked draft, so we can add a Wing or Big to build around alongside LaMelo. Then, a good free agent might look at us and think, joining two young stars is worth their consideration.

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970

Agree, wholeheartedly.

I can get behind a rotation of LaMelo, Cody, McDaniels, PJ, Williams; Bouknight, Thor, Bryce, Kai (& Kemba?). I’d MUCH rather watch that rotation win 25-30 than our current expected rotation with 10 more games. Give me fun, energetic and competitive young players and a clear rebuilding direction to follow, over the head-in-the-sand, middle ground we’re currently occupying.

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971

carolina hurricanes

972

turncoat yes, but at this point, i will follow any team that shoots mid range jumpers or utilizes the post.

i heart jimmy butler’s game.

973

Well said. Trouble is, outside of LaMelo I’ve lost faith in anyone else amounting to anything. I suspect the guy they gifted to the Pistons is better and tougher than all of them.

But you’ve got to see and if any of the players don’t (and won’t) have it then move on.

What will happen though is they will find a way to sign and play marginal vets for those 5 or 6 extra wins and it will be infuriating. Wait for it.

I suspect Bouknight and Jones will be shipped back to Greensboro if not out of the organization entirely. Clifford won’t tolerate them for long. Thor will be given an early look and then be allowed to fade away. Williams will prove to be reasonably skilled but kind of soft and passive for his size. He’ll have a few moments but we’ll still see Plumlee or a new face at the 5 a lot; or Washington God forbid. PJ will start aggressive but learn that it doesn’t really matter and roll back to his on/off aggressive/aloof style. Look for a PJ contract run late to help assure we drop to the 10th pick or lower.

Did I mention Clifford? My goodness Steve Clifford is our coach again or did I dream that? Good grief, just stop, stop it.

Yeah I know I’m a downer. Go Pistons.

974

Wouldn’t that be funny if Clifford and Melo got along really well? Be a real odd couple coach/player duo haha

Dallas has always been my second team. So that’s where I’ll turn my attention.

975

From what I hear, Cliff is a big Lamelo fan. He says he is “obsessed with basketball” and knows how to put in the work. Cliff reviewed film and gave Lamelo 3 things to work on this summer (not sure what those 3 things were).

I think Cliff will be excellent for Lamelo.

976

Just wanted to chime in on the whole Melo label thing…

I think terms have been overused and spread to thin when describing stars. Generational star has been stretched to cover the superstars of the generation, while the word superstar has been overused to just an basic star on any team.

Generation should be the type of talent that almost redefines a position, and the type of talent other teams must figure out a way to go through to win. I think there can be more than a few generational talents at a time, because I think it does come down to position. Bird/Magic and Jordan are the easy ones, but the Barkley/Ewing/Malones were just the “superstars”of their generation.

Young Shaq was generational, Kobe’s there, could even argue AI based on how impactful he was at his tiny size and, also bringing the flashier type ball handling in the league. Duncan was the most boring, but with his defensive instincts and impact on his team and games, he’s included. But Pierce/Vince/Tmac could only qualify for the superstar status of their generation.

Current ones are of course Lebron, Durant, and Curry. Luka basically is there, just a couple more years of consistency will solidify it. Jokic is reaching there as well because of the overall skill level at that size and pudginess. AD is one of those enigmas, where he has generational talent, but the injuries are gonna be what keeps him out.

The superstar title has lost its luster a little bit, but it should be reserved for those that you expect to make the all star team just about every year in their prime. Not the ones you hope might make it during a good year, but those that you know are always gonna be there. Tatum and Brown, Butler, Booker, KAT. Draymond I actually can’t include, I feel its more team success gets him there, but I would call him a regular star.

Melo will be in the discussion for all star every year of his prime. If you don’t want to call him a superstar yet until he proves it over the years, that’s fine, but we can say budding superstar instead. He does actually have the talent and drive to become a generational type player, but I think it goes more to the mentality - does he want to become a killer that carries teams home at the end of games and will make every game a challenge? If he’s averaging 26+ with 10 assists and 7-8 rebounds a game, he’ll definitely start creeping into the next level.

Either way, he’s the best player we hoped we could get the last 30 years, and could be another 30 til the next. I would not look to get rid of him for any reason, don’t care the teams current status. Giving him up early is such defeatist attitude that would actually maybe force me away from my Hornet fandom, which I wouldn’t think could happen based on my tortured dependent relationship with the locals.

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977

This makes sense. I see LaMelo more as a Dame Lillard than someone who wants to go be a part of someone else’s legacy. He’s 1 of 1 and those guys want to build their own world. And it’s not hard to top our glory of having LJ and Zo for a couple of 2nd round playoff exits sadly. Lol

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978

I mean the thought of trading Melo has crossed my mind (just wondering what kind of haul we could get for him) but theres no way I’d do it and no way it will be done. A bird in the hand beats two in the bush. And EVERY SINGLE YEAR we hear how NEXT YEARS draft is THE loaded draft of the decade. I’m skeptical. We haven’t had a player as young and talented with as much potential as Melo since LJ or Zo, maybe you’d argue Baron Davis. Needless to say it’s been forever so no I’m not giving him up with this many years of control over his rights left….

That being said, I’ve said forever that this team needs multiple stars and the draft is the highest probability route for a team of our ilk to get those stars. And if you’re going to get stars in the draft the highest probability is to draft in the top 3. I’m not necessarily pro tank at this point but honestly we’ve probably got to position ourselves in that top three draft pick range to get no brainer pick opportunities like Melo that will more than likely become stars.

I’m not opposed to playing the young guns extended minutes and letting them take their lumps especially if the season gets off to a bad start. Find out what we have and I’m confident we’ll find we have an asset, if not building block in Bouknight.

It really is F’d up because our whole outlook changes soooooo dramatically if only our 2nd best player was a normal, half level headed human being in stead of a POS. I mean is that really too much to ask… Only for the Hornets.

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979

Going by the Ja, Trey Young, Luka comparison… They are all 2-3 years older than Melo. Let’s just enjoy what we have in him. He has huge potential. He just finished his second year in the league. It’s like the National media has clouded peoples judgment on him.

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980

That’s an astute comparison, and I agree that LaMelo is likely the type to want to build something with ‘his’ Hornets. However, there might come a time when front office inaction/incompetence and ownership’s lack of willing to back up their stated ambition becomes a problem.

For the record, I don’t think we’re there yet, but I do view the next 2-3 years as absolutely crucial.

981

Absolutely. Thank you. He’s 2-3 years younger than those guys. Guy literally just turned 21 a few weeks ago.

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982

I might be biased, but to me Melo has more potential then Ja and Trey considering a 2-way player approach. If Melo ups his defense, he can easily surpass Trey, and he has a higher BBIQ than Ja imo. Luka is a class of his own, and has top 10 all-time potential and will be a force to be reckon with.

983

Agreed. At least you can look at Portland and say they have tried and they made the Western Finals though they got swept, it’s something a lot more than we can say for sure.

Other thing is we don’t know what his motivations are yet - some guys are okay with being who they are. A lot of media puts things in guys that they just aren’t sometimes.