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[PhoSita]

This might be one of the most unfair threads i've ever seen on CB. Then against i've seen them for every rookie for the past 5 years.

Yeah, pretty silly to make a judgment about a guy based on how he plays in a handful of minutes of garbage time.

Until Melo plays 10-20 minutes a night for 5-10 games, we can't really draw any conclusions.

[LooseCannon]

Until Melo plays 10-20 minutes a night for 5-10 games, we can't really draw any conclusions.

There are reasonable conclusions that one can draw if he doesn't get that playing time.

[PhoSita]

Until Melo plays 10-20 minutes a night for 5-10 games, we can't really draw any conclusions.

There are reasonable conclusions that one can draw if he doesn't get that playing time.

Sure, that he's not ready yet, or at least that the coaching staff doesn't think he is, or that it would be better for him to spend more time learning before playing him significant minutes.

That's not the same thing as saying Melo is worse (e.g. less productive / even less skilled offensively etc.) than Jason Collins.

The point is, until he's played some real minutes it's stupid to draw conclusions about his ability to produce at an NBA level because there's just no visible evidence one way or another.

[Jon Niednagel]

Like others have said, it was too limited of a sample size to draw too much from it in my opinion. Also, doesn't he have a quad injury or something?

[crimson_stallion]

Give him time.  Look at how long it took Courtney Lee to get comfortable in Boston, and even Jeff Green has only just started to come alive in the last month.

You're talking about a guy who's yet to place even 10 minutes of NBA time.

Hell even Sully looked like his game needed alot of work in his first month or so of action. 

[Rtpas11]

LOL!!!! He played like 2 minutes in garbage time against a guy who was already warmed up & playing well.

Unfair thread...

[Celtics4ever]

You could see his bad hands on that rebound.   But he looked huge out there and had great size.  I think he has been working hard on his body.

Defensively, he is a better help defender  and shot blocker than Collins and has great potential there.   But he was clearly lost on some of the rotations and still isn't up to snuff and needs work.

I don't think his team mates like him or the they don't respect him because usually guys try to get a guy they like a point or shot when they come in.   I saw several times where he was posted up and they ignored him.  There could be several reasons for this:   1) They don't like him  2) They were stat padding for themselves  3) They don't trust him or 4) They see him as a threat.

Give him the ball down low when he has position!

Sully had tons of basketball IQ.   I don't think Melo does save on defensive.   But that is ok because I think he is a hard worker.  He looked like he has been in the weight room a lot.   Now he just needs to play with a tennis ball against the ball all the time until his hands improve, juggle and do ball handling Maravich drills.  If he does this his hands will improve.   Hands are easy to improve, foot coordination is much harder.

[Roy H.]

I don't think he was a particularly good player in college, and I don't expect him to become a starter in the NBA.  That said, it's too early to say anything about where his skills will eventually end up, and it's certainly not fair to make long-term judgments based upon a handful of minutes in his first NBA game.

[TripleOT]

The only things Melo's two minutes of garbage time showed me:

He's big.

He's wide. 

He needs a better drawstring on his basketball shorts. 

[droopdog7]

For the record, I'm not calling Melo a bust.  I think he was obviously nervous and it showed.  My ONLY point was to say that right now, at this moment, that Collins is better prepared to help the Celts than Melo. 

[Celtics4ever]

He's big.

He's wide.

He needs a better drawstring on his basketball shorts. 

he did look huge.

I was laughing at this shorts issues too, dude was D-ing up with one hand on his pants because the other was holding up his pants.

I don't think he is a bust.  He is a project.  Our system is built for a limited C because it was designed with Perk in mind. 

[Vermont Green]

Yes, it was only two minutes or whatever but he was a beat slow.  He was chasing the play, not keeping up.  Same problem that O'Bryant had.  That is not something that can be taught.  It is innate reaction time.

I fear he is not that good.

[mkogav]

If in those 3 minutes if PT Melo grabbed a couple of rebounds, dunked a ball or two, and has a monster-block on someone, we would be putting him into the HOF.

Mk

[Atzar]

Yes, it was only two minutes or whatever but he was a beat slow.  He was chasing the play, not keeping up.  Same problem that O'Bryant had.  That is not something that can be taught.  It is innate reaction time.

I fear he is not that good.

He's been dealing with a leg injury. 

[Redz]

The only things Melo's two minutes of garbage time showed me:

He's big.

He's wide. 

He needs a better drawstring on his basketball shorts.

The last point being most glaring IMO.