melo traded to Grizz

whos the idiot that wanted Fab Melo?

Danny's not perfect...but he's ahead % wise.

I think Fab has been an easy target for a lot of snickering. 
 
But I do hope that he finds his way and learns how to play.
 
He is certainly a very athletic big man but could never seem to figure out where on the court he needed to be.  He was a shadow boxer with no one around him going for blocks when there was none, or moving to the right when his man was clearly going the opposite direction.  No mastery of angles, no timing...it was as if he was playing in a different time and space. 
 
So much of what he could not seem to understand is clearly instinctive.  But even a dog can be trained to roll over.....Perhaps the coaches were tired of telling him to "go there".
 
Did he get a real shot to develop?  Absolutely not.  But that was not the reason he was traded.  He became a trading chip because there are other fish to fry in this pan.
 
dboss

My daughter's boyfriend lives in Syracuse and watched every one of Fab's college games. He said Fab's biggest handicap is lack of mental acuity. Some people just don't have the innate ability (like me and Melo) to develop basketball smarts.

worcester wrote:My daughter's boyfriend lives in Syracuse and watched every one of Fab's college games. He said Fab's biggest handicap is lack of mental acuity. Some people just don't have the innate ability (like me and Melo) to develop basketball smarts.

worcester,

If your avatar is your new girlfriend, you're more than acute enough in other areas.


bob


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Thanks Bob. Yes my new avatar is of Debbie, my new girlfriend. I had to make a choice between her and the gal who lived in New York City - Doo Wha Doo Wha Doo Wha Ditty - and Deb won out with her ability to turn this frog into a prince. She's 45, and I'm more serious about her than anyone else I've dated in the13 years since my divorce. I just started shopping for an engagement ring and am hoping she'll accept. I'll keep you posted.

worcester wrote:Thanks Bob. Yes my new avatar is of Debbie, my new girlfriend. I had to make a choice between her and the gal who lived in New York City - Doo Wha Doo Wha Doo Wha Ditty - and Deb won out with her ability to turn this frog into a prince. She's 45, and I'm more serious about her than anyone else I've dated in the13 years since my divorce. I just started shopping for an engagement ring and am hoping she'll accept. I'll keep you posted.

worcester,

Wow.

You need to produce a "how to" manual. You really do.


bob


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W,

She's definitely acute one.

All the luck in the world in finding the right ring and putting it on Debbie's finger for keeps.

We're going to be in St. Pete Beach November 12-21, which should allow plenty of time to get together with good friends like you, Debbie, Pete and Donna.. Maybe we could get TJ to join us—as well as any other members on Florida's West Coast.

Please give Debbie my best.

Sam

sam wrote:W,

She's definitely acute one.

All the luck in the world in finding the right ring and putting it on Debbie's finger for keeps.

We're going to be in St. Pete Beach November 12-21, which should allow plenty of time to get together with good friends like you, Debbie, Pete and Donna..  Maybe we could get TJ to join us—as well as any other members on Florida's West Coast.

Please give Debbie my best.

Sam

Sam,

I would definitely meet you and the group when you come to FL.
I will give you my cell number through PM.
Let me know what works best for your schedule.

Sam, It would be great to see all of you. Really great.

dboss wrote:I think Fab has been an easy target for a lot of snickering. 
 
But I do hope that he finds his way and learns how to play.
 
He is certainly a very athletic big man but could never seem to figure out where on the court he needed to be.  He was a shadow boxer with no one around him going for blocks when there was none, or moving to the right when his man was clearly going the opposite direction.  No mastery of angles, no timing...it was as if he was playing in a different time and space. 
 
So much of what he could not seem to understand is clearly instinctive.  But even a dog can be trained to roll over.....Perhaps the coaches were tired of telling him to "go there".
 
Did he get a real shot to develop?  Absolutely not.  But that was not the reason he was traded.  He became a trading chip because there are other fish to fry in this pan.
 
dboss

dboss,

I have a pretty good sense of how good a player will be just by watching him one or two times.
I never got a good feeling about Fab Melo.
He is not a smooth runner for a guy in pretty good shape.
He definitely does not have good court awareness.
There are players in sports like Derek Jeter who almost always knew where to be.
Fab did not seem to have a sense of what might happen in the next 2 or 5 seconds on the court.
Larry Bird had tremendous court awareness of what would happen if a player passed the ball to a certain area or if a player shot the ball from a particular place on the court. That is why Bird's assist, steal and rebound numbers were off the charts for a player with average physical gifts.
Even another non-gifted athlete like Zach Randolph knows where the ball is going to land when a shot is attempted.
Fab was reactive, not proactive.

TJ,

I couldn't agree more with every word you wrote. Although there are exceptions, I've never completely understood the tendency of many people to think relative newcomers to the sport can somehow replicate the kinds of instincts that are bred into most players from an early age. I wonder whether all his soccer experiences have led him to assume it's okay to score only once or twice a game at best.

Looking forward to corresponding about a Florida meeting.

Sam

Melo clears waivers. Now he's an unrestricted free agent. Two teams that might be willing to give him a shot, Chicago and Miami.

I'm not holding my breath, though.


bob


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