No he's not and no they're not. Gay is coming off a serious injury and has rarely played on a winning team.
When he was in DEN, Melo's teams regularly won 50+ games and finished 1st in the NW Division. His first full season in NY, they won 54 games, finished first in the ATL division and advanced to the second round.
Since then (and even before then), the Knicks were a dumpster fire of catastrophic proportions.
Melo has averaged over 28 ppg three times in his career and over 21 ppg 14 times. Gay's best is 21.1 ppg . Melo's career best is 8.1 prpg, he's averaged over 7 rpg four times. Gay's best is 6.7 rpg . Melo's career best is 4.2 apg, he's averaged over 3 apg 7 times. Gay's best is 3.7 and he's only averaged over 3 apg that one time. Not the same player. Not even close.
Your point is valid, but you're over selling it.
BNM
Gay has rarely played on a winning team... Same with Carmelo.
In Melo's prime, he had a decent team around him. He's not in his prime anymore.
Melo shoots more than Gay on the same or worse efficiency.
The year he had 8rpg he was playing 39 minutes per game.
He had one year of 4apg, for as ball dominant as he is, to average only 3 assists over the course of his career if horrible.
In the past 6 years he hasn't shot over 47.6% from 2pt. That's a 95 ORTG on shots he shoots from 2pt land. And it's not like his aggressiveness form 2pt creates good shots for other players, as his assist numbers show.
He's shot between 33% and 36% from 3pt in the last 3 years. That's average to below average.
Apparently his "star status" will bring more whistles... however, his free throw rate was .26 (compared to Lillard's .36).
He literally does nothing good for a team. Just playing team-offense will result in better shooting percentages than if Melo shoots. He's not efficient, not a passer, a horrible defender, not a good locker presence (like some suggest), he's on a horrible contract, he wouldn't embrace Portland or the fanbase.
I'm not over selling it. He'd be a
horrible acquisition.
