Ok say Portland and Houston want to dance in a trade. We trade Scott to Houston for Tari Eason, Portland gets something from Houston and we get Shadon Sharpe from Portland and we still draft Miller. Trade Terry to the Suns for Ayton.
Melo, D Smith
Sharpe, Oubr
Bridges, Miller
PJ, Tari Eason
Ayton, Williams
Wishful thinking
Iām struggling to see what causes some of you to say Scoot is a good fit alongside LaMelo.
If weāre talking pure fit, then itās bad. Both players need the ball in their hands to be most effective. LaMeloās ideal backcourt partner would be able to spread the floor and defend the oppositions best Guard. That isnāt Scoot.
Iām not saying donāt draft Scoot because, short of a trade, he looks like the best return for the #2 pick. However, Iām with @powellrmp on this, his skill set is not what we need. His value might make such conversations redundant, however.
So, in a world where we draft Scott, Iām desperately trying to trade Terry and picks to the Nets for Mikal Bridges.
Havenāt we had enough of short dudes? What about guys who cannot space the floor? What about adding another guy who canāt shoot the three? I know the popular thing here is the āeye testā and often misplaced āgut feelingā (ie Monk, Bouk, and upside guys) around here but cold hard ball ability numbers donāt lie:
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The stats do really suggest miller should be the pick. I do like how well he got to the line in college.
Not being able to shoot is a big deal. We already know where LaMeloās floor is and itās pretty high. For me the biggest issue for LaMelo is paying him $35m+ to miss 30-50% of each season. He may be glass joe.
The other big question is what would scoot do vs NCAA as opposed to g league?
Thereās a lot of ways this can go, but like was said previously do we have the skills to pull off something awesome is the question.
Portland at 3 would probably want Miller based on their roster, if they want a young player. But to appease Dame they could either trade #3 for impact veteran or they could elect to trade Dame and just start over. Theyāre an interesting piece. If they want to blow it up or get vets, we could have a dance partner.
I donāt think Houston or Detroit have anything we would want to consider trading with them really just off first thoughts.
But just off roster fit, Miller makes the most sense. Though Scoot looks very dynamic, can he improve his shooting consistency is the big question, and if he shows that in predraft workouts, then he should be the guy. Looking at the best teams, they all have guys that can work off the dribble in Iso situations and get buckets in the midrange consistently. Scoot is definitely that already.
Now Miller, heās shown that ability too. But with PJ and Miles situations in flux, if they want to move off them and take Miller then it makes sense to me too. Itās a tough but good choice right now, and they need to survey the league for opportunities and be daring to flip the fortunes of the franchise.
Do you, or anyone else thatās watched him, think Miller has the combination of athleticism and handle necessary to be a true #1 scorer in the NBA? Thatās my concern with him.
He lacks a bit of strength too, but that can come with time. However, I havenāt seen much in the way of burst from him. Iāve seen him shoot over smaller Guards and get by bigger Forwards in college, but what about the Wings heāll face in the NBA who are a similar size to him? Does he have the combination of burst and/or handle to get separation in the NBA? Thatās the question I keep coming back to with Miller.
I think they actually fit really well together. If it was 2 small guards, there would be more concerns, but Lillard/McCollum and Garland/Donovan kinda broke that mold if both smalls are dynamic.
But Melo at 6ā7 allows us to have the traditional size of a typical backcourt in an inverted way. And as we all know, Scoot isnāt just your typical 6ā2 guard coming into a draft. He has a really long wingspan, his frame is already of a grown man NBA vet, and his explosiveness creates a rim pressure and gravity that truly alters the floor.
The athleticism brings his comps to Ja, young Derrick Rose, Fox, Mitchell, Westbrook, or if we go old school, Baron Davis and Steve Francis.
Hereās Sam Vecenieās analysis from the Athletic:
The Fit: I love the idea of putting Henderson in the backcourt with LaMelo Ball. It would create one of the most exciting, up-tempo attacks in the NBA with how good both players are at pushing pace. But more importantly, they complement each other well. Both have the ability to blend scoring and playmaking together, but Henderson tends to think more about the scoring side of the things, and Ball thrives as a creative decision-maker who can make high-level passing reads from any angle. Hendersonās elite midrange game would complement Ballās 3s and layups approach. And I would bet Hendersonās overall competitiveness and attitude will really vibe with the intensity coach Steve Clifford brings. Donāt rule out Miller here, though. The team does have a significant need on the wing long term. This will be the swing point of the top five.
I absolutely see where youāre coming from, and maybe I overstated the fit when I labelled it as bad, but itās far from ideal. Now, is it one that can work? I think/hope so, though Terry must surely be moved for a 3&D Wing now? Iāve posted about Mikal Bridges a few times, and I think a player of his style would certainly help smooth out any kinks.
The only way Iām drafting scoot is if Iām offloading rozier.
After watching more video and reading I can see what people mean when they say scoot isnāt a typical 6ā2 guard. Heās long and rangy. Strong. Crazy explosive.
Also, scoot has a sick mid range game. Which really won my heart over.
Scoot is the guy IDK why ESPN is pushing this Miller stuff. He has a legitimate NBA body and will compliment Lamelo really well. He has good size too even though he would be slightly undersized for a 2, and he plays way above the rim. Wow! So happy that we got 2nd. We all wanted Wemby but Scoot could be it! I would agree that getting something for Terry+27 and other stuff would be vital. Hayward is also on expiring now so thats an actual positive contract and situation and it seems like he doesnāt want to be here anymore, so we could give someone Terry on a good deal and an expiring Hayward to take back a big contract or maybe even 2.
Also, Lamelo, Scoot, Miles, PJ, Williams is a really legit young core. Plus prospects in Thor, Kai, Mcgowens, ?Bouk?, and a few picks this year. We are building this the way it has to be done.
@QC_Thundercats I like the old school references there. I literally just thought about it but damn we had success with Baron Davis and David Wesley together with the headband Hornets in the backcourt. Who knew Paul Silas was a revolutionary and we never realized it? Lol
That being said, I think itās also about Miles/PJ. If they bring them both back, Miller doesnāt make a ton of sense. I also prefer Scoot because even though Miller played through injury, that tournament performance still sticks with me.
We building something folks
Guys, Iād love to ditch miles and also get Brandon Miller somehow too. I just really canāt move on with miles, I hate him. Sorry guys.
You take the best player available and make it work. Scoot can play the two because heās an elite bucket getter. The kid has the tenacity and drive to extend his range and is an insane athlete.
Thatās an interesting proposition tbh, if we could do something like Miles + 27, + next yearās first top 3 protected
Iād do it with the Trailblazers
So here me out. Scoot is the dude. Itās a forgone conclusion. We want the scooter.
As this season progresses, I want the ball to shift away from Melo and more into the hands of scoot. I want Melo to be a flashy triple threat deep shooter who can do anything, and allow scoot to attack the rim.
Face it, weāve all been begging Melo to attack the rim, get stronger, and get to the line more. And maybe thatās just not going to be Melo.
So let scoot be the āJa Morantā physical attacker at the rim, and let Melo play off ball a little more.
I bet it would take a lot more than that. Theyād need some cap help if theyāre taking on Miles.
Scoot and Melo wonāt work unless, MAYBE(?), you get some truly innovative coach in here. Meloās mentality is having the ball in his hands to create, and therefore Scoot destroys your offensive spacing with his unproven 3-ball.
At least Melo will automatically miss 30 games each season, so Scoot is valuable as the PG alternative in that scenario.
Perhaps itās time to trade Melo for something nice, while heās still young and highly valued around the league.
One thing Iād say, if we do draft Scoot, so we resign Dennis Smith Jr. I feel their games are pretty similarā¦ obviously Scoot is the guy, but Dennis Smith would still be a great back for him. Rozier is definitely the guy who needs to go sadly.
YES PLEASE ON ELITE MID RANGE. it would certainly make me tune in a whole lot more