DeAnthony Melton

[JCSunsfan]

I guess I had not paid much attention to this guy because we had drafted Okobo, but a lot of people were really high on Melton. Also, the biggest problem with his game was three point shooting, which he has improved greatly. It has been said in a number of places that he will likely be the second round steal of this draft.

Here is a pre-draft article from a Portland perspective.
https://ripcityproject.com/2018/06/01/deanthony-melton-blazers-nba-draft/

Anyway. Its nice to have something fresh to talk about.

 

[Mainstreet]

Here is something about Melton. Maybe the Suns or another team really like him as a prospect.

Melton, however, is right there with Okobo. The 20-year-old fell to 46th overall in the 2018 draft, but he would’ve been a candidates to be drafted 16th if the Suns had stuck there instead of trading up to acquire Bridges. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton’s metric- and scout-based prospect rankings listed Melton as the 12th-best prospect, ahead of Okobo, who was 16th in ESPN’s rankings.

http://arizonasports.com/story/1648...randon-knight-rockets/?show=comments#comments

 

[Raze]

I really liked Melton prior to the draft. I spent some time specifically watching him in SL. He was about what I expected. I didn't see the 36 point night coming though. He has incredible defensive instincts and is a natural passer. A true defensive minded PG. His peak comp is Gary Payton, but with better form on his shot. That whole FBI thing is the ONLY reason the kid fell out of the teens.

Absolutely perfect compliment to Book. His 6'8 reach will allow him to play the toughest offensive PG/SG assignment, allowing Book to take the easier one. I'm pretty excited to land him, even though we now have a log jam of unproven young PGs.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I really liked Melton prior to the draft. I spent some time specifically watching him in SL. He was about what I expected. I didn't see the 36 point night coming though. He has incredible defensive instincts and is a natural passer. A true defensive minded PG. His peak comp is Gary Payton, but with better form on his shot. That whole FBI thing is the ONLY reason the kid fell out of the teens.

Absolutely perfect compliment to Book. His 6'8 reach will allow him to play the toughest offensive PG/SG assignment, allowing Book to take the easier one. I'm pretty excited to land him, even though we now have a log jam of unproven young PGs.

There are some interesting options. You have to be willing to let the cream rise to the top and not fall in love with a particular player just because of where he was drafted.

 

[Phrazbit]

If Booker is a true superstar, some sort of hybrid Harden/Kobe (and yes, I know it's ridiculous to say, but obviously what we and the franchise are praying for) then his ideal pairing is not a play making, ball handling point guard, but a hard nosed defender who can also push the pace and (this is the key part) hit open threes, because if Booker and Ayton have synergy, the other guard is likely to see a LOT of open shots.

As a freshman Melton was a bad outside shooter. I hope he's spent his year off working on his jumper. I like his 3 steals per game in the summer league, I like his 7 boards, but I'm not wild about his 38% from the field and 31% from 3. If he's going to make it those numbers need to be a lot better.

 

[BC867]

I really liked Melton prior to the draft ... He has incredible defensive instincts and is a natural passer. A true defensive minded PG ... Absolutely perfect compliment to Book. His 6'8 reach will allow him to play the toughest offensive PG/SG assignment, allowing Book to take the easier one.

If Book is a true superstar ... then his ideal pairing is not a play making, ball handling point guard, but a hard nosed defender who can also push the pace and hit open threes ... because the other guard is likely to see a lot of open shots.

It's after midnight and my tired brain is trying to discern between these two posts. You both make good points. Actually, both of you acknowledge that Melton has incredible defensive instincts/hard nosed defender and is a natural passer/push the pace.

The only difference seems to be that Phraz gives priority to our Point Guard having to be a skilled 3-point shooter to open the floor. Which leads me to one question. If we can't find all of that in one Point Guard (how many teams have?), won't the easiest factor to give on be the 3-point shooting? Won't that be the easiest thing for the other players on the court to cover? Versus all of the other Point Guard skills that the two of you have pointed out. Plus his height. And ability to take defensive pressure off Booker.

We're not going to find the 100% perfect Point Guard. It seems from both of your posts that giving Melton the chance will come the closest than passing over him. Who is the alternative? And, whoever it is, how would his skills stack up against Melton? And keep Booker from running himself into the ground trying to do it all.

 

[hcsilla]

His movement and shooting form remind me of George Hill.

 

[taz02]

In his first year in the NBA .385% FG and .272% from 3.....Jason Kidd.

 

[SirStefan32]

It's after midnight and my tired brain is trying to discern between these two posts. You both make good points. Actually, both of you acknowledge that Melton has incredible defensive instincts/hard nosed defender and is a natural passer/push the pace.

The only difference seems to be that Phraz gives priority to our Point Guard having to be a skilled 3-point shooter to open the floor. Which leads me to one question. If we can't find all of that in one Point Guard (how many teams have?), won't the easiest factor to give on be the 3-point shooting? Won't that be the easiest thing for the other players on the court to cover? Versus all of the other Point Guard skills that the two of you have pointed out. Plus his height. And ability to take defensive pressure off Booker.

We're not going to find the 100% perfect Point Guard. It seems from both of your posts that giving Melton the chance will come the closest than passing over him. Who is the alternative? And, whoever it is, how would his skills stack up against Melton? And keep Booker from running himself into the ground trying to do it all.

Well, I think the problem is that Melton is a rookie drafted in the second round. We do not know what Melton's skills are in the NBA. Setting that aside, the original argument is quite interesting. I think I agree with Phraz. Booker is the primary playmaker. Suns don't need a young Ason Kidd (without the "J"). They need a Derek Fisher to Kobe's Booker. Bring the ball up the court, pass to Kobe (Booker), stand in the corner and be ready to hit open threes. Defend on the other side of the court.

It gets a little more complicated depending on the makeup of the roster, starting unit, etc. I know he is gone now, but I'll use Chriss in the first example. If a combination of Warren, JJ, and Chriss are your starting forwards, then you absolutely must have a shooter at 1. If Bridges and Bender are your forwards, you can probably get away with a point guard that can't shoot. We also don't know if Ayton is gonna be able to hit jumpers to open up the middle for Booker. I think he will, but we don't know. I just don't think you can survive in today's NBA if only one or two starters can hit 36% or so from behind the line.

It also gets complicated if there is no other facilitator on the roster. Teams could double/ pressure Booker, in which case, the PG would need to facilitate a bit. This may not be a huge issue if Ayton establishes himself as a real low-post threat, which I do think he will.

This is a really interesting discussion. I maintain that with Booker's play making, along with Ayton's likely low-post presence, the Suns need shooters around them.

 

[Russ Smith]

I really liked Melton prior to the draft. I spent some time specifically watching him in SL. He was about what I expected. I didn't see the 36 point night coming though. He has incredible defensive instincts and is a natural passer. A true defensive minded PG. His peak comp is Gary Payton, but with better form on his shot. That whole FBI thing is the ONLY reason the kid fell out of the teens.

Absolutely perfect compliment to Book. His 6'8 reach will allow him to play the toughest offensive PG/SG assignment, allowing Book to take the easier one. I'm pretty excited to land him, even though we now have a log jam of unproven young PGs.

I don't know that NBA teams care about the FBI stuff. Mayo was a high pick with a MUCH worse case of getting caught violating rules before admittedly a much better college player but if you can play the NBA won't care about that. They care about PED's(Trier) and drug use, things that can get you suspended quickly, but I don't think they care about money. Plus in his case it's pretty apparent the guy who took the money was a family friend, funneling it to other members of his family. Do I believe he didn't know, probably not, but it's not like he was there with his hand out demanding cash, I think his family did that.

Payton is definitely a peak comp, I don't see anywhere near that level of offense in his game right now, Payton was one of my all time favorite players and he was just so tough on offense, great ballhandler, and just tough, he willed his way into scoring he was never a great shooter. I think Melton has a nice feel for passing and his shot has improved, but he's not a guy who has the handle to do what Payton did. But he has a chance to be an elite defender. One of the things I could never figure out about Andy Enfield is how he could have a roster that athletic and not be a great defensive team, they had McLaughlin(terrific defender), Stewart, Metu, Melton etc and yet were a very average defense. It seemed(I haven't looked at the numbers) that the defense got MUCH better with Melton in the game.

He has freakishly long arms but he also has exceptional feet on defense.

 

[devilalum]

In his first year in the NBA .385% FG and .272% from 3.....Jason Kidd.

You can't really compare anybody to Kidd. He impacted games in other ways. Steals, defense, passing, I saw a game where he had something like 8 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds but was obviously the game MVP.

 

[Yuma]

I watched almost every Magic Johnson game on TV as the Lakers were not blacked out in Yuma. He was HORRIBLE from 3 when he started. At the end he had that push shot set shot three down to a science, LOL.

 

[leclerc]

In his first year in the NBA .385% FG and .272% from 3.....Jason Kidd.

He was a terrible shooter.

 

[Yuma]

Melton has a lot of "underground" rep. Articles I read always have phrases like, "coaches had said," or "analysts say." No real identifiable quotes from big name guys it seems. Supposedly he is the steal of the draft as a few articles say. Just always with those nebulous backings. Draft analysts say Melton may be the steal of the draft.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I watched almost every Magic Johnson game on TV as the Lakers were not blacked out in Yuma. He was HORRIBLE from 3 when he started. At the end he had that push shot set shot three down to a science, LOL.

3 point shooting, in fact outside shooting in general, was not a highly valued skill for point guards back then. Now, it's a necessity.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Well, I think the problem is that Melton is a rookie drafted in the second round. We do not know what Melton's skills are in the NBA. Setting that aside, the original argument is quite interesting. I think I agree with Phraz. Booker is the primary playmaker. Suns don't need a young Ason Kidd (without the "J"). They need a Derek Fisher to Kobe's Booker. Bring the ball up the court, pass to Kobe (Booker), stand in the corner and be ready to hit open threes. Defend on the other side of the court.

It gets a little more complicated depending on the makeup of the roster, starting unit, etc. I know he is gone now, but I'll use Chriss in the first example. If a combination of Warren, JJ, and Chriss are your starting forwards, then you absolutely must have a shooter at 1. If Bridges and Bender are your forwards, you can probably get away with a point guard that can't shoot. We also don't know if Ayton is gonna be able to hit jumpers to open up the middle for Booker. I think he will, but we don't know. I just don't think you can survive in today's NBA if only one or two starters can hit 36% or so from behind the line.

It also gets complicated if there is no other facilitator on the roster. Teams could double/ pressure Booker, in which case, the PG would need to facilitate a bit. This may not be a huge issue if Ayton establishes himself as a real low-post threat, which I do think he will.

This is a really interesting discussion. I maintain that with Booker's play making, along with Ayton's likely low-post presence, the Suns need shooters around them.

This is an interesting discussion. Gambo is saying that Dragic is available. But Dragic is NOT the type of player you are describing. He needs the ball in his hands to be effective. He will not be happy with Booker running the half court show and he is not good enough on defense.

Shaq and Melton might be better choices if they were not so young.

 

[SirStefan32]

This is an interesting discussion. Gambo is saying that Dragic is available. But Dragic is NOT the type of player you are describing. He needs the ball in his hands to be effective. He will not be happy with Booker running the half court show and he is not good enough on defense.

Shaq and Melton might be better choices if they were not so young.

Agreed, but if we are going with a stop-gap PG, I am OK with Dragic.

 

[GatorAZ]

This is an interesting discussion. Gambo is saying that Dragic is available. But Dragic is NOT the type of player you are describing. He needs the ball in his hands to be effective. He will not be happy with Booker running the half court show and he is not good enough on defense.

Shaq and Melton might be better choices if they were not so young.

How many PG’s don’t need the ball to be effective? I remember Dragic and Bledsoe having career seasons in the same year. Between the last two seasons and the Eurobasket Championships Dragic had been playing for nearly two years straight. I think that had something to do with his deteriorating numbers last season. Whether or not he comes back fresh and records a solid season or continues to deteriorate remains to be seen.

 

[Mainstreet]

How many PG’s don’t need the ball to be effective? I remember Dragic and Bledsoe having career seasons in the same year. Between the last two seasons and the Eurobasket Championships Dragic had been playing for nearly two years straight. I think that had something to do with his deteriorating numbers last season. Whether or not he comes back fresh and records a solid season or continues to deteriorate remains to be seen.

I think as long as Dragic is playing point guard he will be happy. The Suns expected him to act like a shooting guard too much. IMO, this should not be a problem with Booker. My concern with Dragic is the Heat wanting too much for him.

 

[SirStefan32]

I think Goran's best days are behind him. He'd be on a reduced role here, at least as scoring and running the show is concerned.
That, along with his defensive fit alongside Booker is an issue, but he is a good NBA point guard and he is very familiar with Igor, so I'd be fine with him if nobody better and younger is available.

 

[Mainstreet]

There is an article than explains the Suns options in signing Melton. I don't recall it being posted.

Here is an excerpt from the HoopsRumors article:


"However, Melton remains unsigned, meaning the Suns will have to lock him up to an NBA contract now that they’ve traded for him. And because Melton was a second-round pick, he’s not subject to any sort of rookie scale — Phoenix will have to use cap room or an exception to sign him.


NBA teams have increasingly used either cap space or the mid-level exception to sign these second-round picks, since doing so allows clubs to offer three- or four-year contracts to those players. Nearly all of this year’s second-rounders have signed for at least three years, with only a small handful of exceptions, such as Jevon Carter of the Grizzlies and Alize Johnson of the Pacers."

September 3rd 2018 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2018/09/suns-contract-options-for-deanthony-melton.html


It looks like the Suns will need to clear some salary space.

 

[Phrazbit]

There is an article than explains the Suns options in signing Melton. I don't recall it being posted.

Here is an excerpt from the HoopsRumors article:


"However, Melton remains unsigned, meaning the Suns will have to lock him up to an NBA contract now that they’ve traded for him. And because Melton was a second-round pick, he’s not subject to any sort of rookie scale — Phoenix will have to use cap room or an exception to sign him.


NBA teams have increasingly used either cap space or the mid-level exception to sign these second-round picks, since doing so allows clubs to offer three- or four-year contracts to those players. Nearly all of this year’s second-rounders have signed for at least three years, with only a small handful of exceptions, such as Jevon Carter of the Grizzlies and Alize Johnson of the Pacers."

September 3rd 2018 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2018/09/suns-contract-options-for-deanthony-melton.html


It looks like the Suns will need to clear some salary space.

Reading the full link, it sounds like they have a ton of options for how to sign him and are not really limited by much of anything, besides offering him way more than any second round pick ever gets paid.

I would guess this is a much ado about nothing.

Given that the Suns don't currently have a beat reporter for such minor things as 2nd round pick contract negotiations... I wouldn't be surprised if all the paperwork is already in.

 

[Mainstreet]

Reading the full link, it sounds like they have a ton of options for how to sign him and are not really limited by much of anything, besides offering him way more than any second round pick ever gets paid.

I would guess this is a much ado about nothing.

Given that the Suns don't currently have a beat reporter for such minor things as 2nd round pick contract negotiations... I wouldn't be surprised if all the paperwork is already in.

I'm definitely hoping the paper work is already submitted. The frustrating part is we really don't know without a beat reporter. This could be a frustrating season if this matter is not remedied with someone knowledgeable.

 

[DevonCardsFan]

You can't really compare anybody to Kidd. He impacted games in other ways. Steals, defense, passing, I saw a game where he had something like 8 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds but was obviously the game MVP.

Which is why its crazy Ball has the exact sqme stat line as Kidd as a Rookie and all of you hate him. He would fit this team perfect if he became available, this team needs a distubutor

 

[elindholm]

Which is why its crazy Ball has the exact sqme stat line as Kidd as a Rookie and all of you hate him.

Fake news.

The key differences are two-point shooting and free-throw shooting. Kidd as a rookie made 43% of his twos on 7.6 attempts per game. Only about 30% of Kidd's FGA were three-pointers (and yes, he was terrible at them).

Ball made 42% of his twos, so not much worse, but he took only 5.2 per game. More than half of Ball's FGA are from behind the line (and yes, he is terrible at them).

Free-throws tell an even bigger story. Kidd got to the line 3.5 times per game and made 70%. Ball got there only 1.4 times per game and made 45%. That is not a typo. He averaged less than one made free throw per game.

Kidd was a threat to score. He wasn't efficient, and teams dared him to shoot, but at least he was a threat. If he got into the paint, he did a decent job of getting to the line, even as a rookie, and he shot well enough there to make teams pay.

If you watch Ball, it's immediately obvious that he has no scoring potential at all. He chucks threes, which he rarely makes, and that's pretty much it. He doesn't command the defense's respect, and if he does manage to get to the line, he's a failure there too.

Their rookie seasons were very, very different.