The Melo pick, while not surprising, is disappointing. I can't think of many players who did less with his talents and the situations he had. I had hoped that the NBA would stop honoring chuckers after the 90s; the last 10 years has seen the true elevation of "team" ball, San Antonio in 14/15 and GS for their stretch (and I'd argue Boston's failed few years showed you simply cannot win with hero ball and no defense and when Tatum finally stopped trying to be Kobe they finally won but I'm not here to argue about Boston).
Melo was never able to put aside his ego, arrogance or ignorance and learn to be part of a system on offense, let alone defense which he showed consistent contempt for. The closest he got to competing was in Denver--and that was mostly thanks to Chauncey and over-performances by most of the rest of the team. He immediately took that great team and opportunity and decided to get a bag instead, moved to NY and took himself out of competitive basketball in hims prime so he could be a NY superstar and work on his brand and celebrity which Denver couldn't offer. He took less money to go to NY, and because he demanded a trade before his contract was up, it forced NY to give up most of the young talent they had--so he arrived to a historically struggling basketball city that had been building a nice young core that it had to gut to get him. I don't recall if they ever even made the playoffs with Melo. He should have been booed at every touch for his duration there.
Melo never wanted it in the NBA, shrunk in the big moments, never committed to any sacrifice nor leading by example...until he finally had a mini-renaissance with a reduce role on the Blazers--something had he done it years prior would have made him a wicked weapon as a 6th man, but with that ego it wasn't happening.
If Melo gets in, Bradley Beal should get it. Can score with their eyes closed but want no part of what it takes to win. Hopefully the last relics of a dinosaur era where stats didn't matter.
Howard did more and did enough. Intensely unlikable guy, and while his ring wasn't really "his", he played some nice support minutes to AD and added value and managed to keep his idiocy in check thanks to the bigger dogs having him on a leash. Howard deserves HOF in my book.
As it should be. They will lock you up, deport you, trod on your rights unless you're rich or powerful or pose a threat.
Politeness should have gone out the window long ago.