03-30-2021, 12:39 PM
(03-30-2021, 07:39 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: I really liked the first look of Melli last night. Time will tell if he is an every game rotation player or a spot duty guy. But the Mavs need help at the PF spot and what Melli provided last night is exactly what they need as a guy off the bench.
He looked really comfortable out there. He set good screens. He moved the ball well. He was active on the boards. He looked to play good team defense in my quick glance. Just looked to be a smart IQ player. He provides something our other bigs can't really do. We will see if that translates into a every game role, but last night was definitely a good start.
I was really impressed with the way Melli seemed to fit in so well and looked like he knew what to do in his FIRST game as a Mav. Even really good players usually need some time for a chemistry adjustment. A breath of fresh air!
Mason Ginsberg of Bourbon Street Shots made a few observations about Melli and the trade in Sidney Myers' podcast. Said he was brought there to be a stretch four. Was better than expected defensively, and played an effective role in lighting his teammates' defensive fire off the bench. Cannot switch onto a guard in the PNR very well, but has some definite defensive strengths.
Per Mason, his undoing in NO was his shooting; he never developed a consistent three-point shot, and at the end, was unsustainably bad, despite getting pretty good looks due to Zion's gravity. Ginsberg said he would not be surprised to see some sort of major regression to the mean, with him "lighting up the nets" in Dallas.
Carlisle said that his real question about Melli was whether he was going to be able to play both the 4 and 5 positions, and that he was pleased to see Melli play the 4 very effectively in OKC.
With all the caveats about its being only one game against a tanking team, etc., the guy looked ready to play, which would be an unexpected delight, if it holds up.