...since when is Carmelo not a good off the ball player?
Since Never.
Felton and Chandler have always been bad 3pt shooters. It's a skill you work on. Think one of the best scorers in the game could improve?
Most important: oc Melo's 3 shot will be particularly bad; like la2ny said, he gets Kobe-treatment and when you're taking tons of tough shots and shouldering an offense, oc the lowest % of shots to begin with that is predicated on good looks will take a big hit.
People questioning his toughness or leadership? smh guys. Led syracuse to a title as a freshmen; consistent leader in NBA in game winners/buzzer beaters. Has destroyed teams in playoffs single handedly -- like Amare to the Lakers when he couldn't be stopped.
This is all especially funny since Amare had 1000x as many defense/leadership/attitude red flags, with many less examples to be confident of in those areas than Melo.
Moreover, a biggest need right now -- particularly up front -- is rebounding. Which Melo excels at. He is also a competent passer, which never hurts in this offense.
To the points about We Don't Need More Offense. It's a fallacy rooted in truth. Ideally, we would love Dennis Rodman. But added offense is no better or worse than added defense.
You just want to boost expected point differential and intangibles like closing out games.
Melo adding offense doesn't mean we reduce defense. The added points of Melo are just as valuable as added point differential if "Melo" didn't add of subtract from offense, but boosted defense.
You don't get points for being pretty in the NBA. You just score more points and increase your differential.
There's no such thing as enough offense or enough defense, really. When you can add to one you likely do it; when you can really add to one and not sacrifice much or at all from the other, you definitely want to do it.
Financially speaking, it's a win, too. Walsh is going after another max contract. We would have given one to Joe Johnson if HE had wanted us. Melo will not be "overpaid" in any way to the market, and he ensures we don't make a riskier move on a max going forward.
He's 26, and in solid health. Longterm, as Amare begins a slow decline, Melo will still be in prime helping us still contend and setting us up for a smooth transition to a new era of being contenders.
Adding him is all-around win. oc it's predicated on a GOOD trade. If we truly gut the team you have to seriously question it. But that is a total unknown.
Chandler, Douglas, and two other 1sts from trading AR and buying a pick or trading Turiaf to ORL for one (who btw is 5M to our cap). I would put that deal in the sweet spot of liklihood and what wouldn't be a rape to any party.
I'd leave us with Rupaul's last second, game winner that iced us.
That is precisely the dimension Melo brings to us, and what we would be doing to other teams.
*not to mention Melo would have been the one blanketing Rupaul and other teams' finishers in such spots to begin with.