Are Melo and CP3 staging “Go Slows”?

A “Go Slow” is an unauthorized form of employment protest where the disgruntled worker shows up for work but deliberately produces less than his optimum level in an effort to hurt his employer’s profitability.

Last night during ESPN’s NBA Preview Roundtable, the four ESPN experts talked at length about the future plight of disgruntled stars Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony.  The four discussed the players’ individual states of mind and how much leverage each had to force his way off of his particular team.  

It was agreed that both were extremely unhappy in their current situations.  There was no suggestion however that Carmelo Anthony was dogging it as a result of his unhappiness, but there was some suggestion that Chris Paul might be.  In fact, Ric Bucher said Paul looked dramatically out-of-condition and Bucher actually described the point guard as ”fat”.

Is there any truth to that?  Well, first of all, I doubt either player would actively perform at a level that was not his best.  Such a tactic would seem to have very little upside and whole lot of downside for the player’s career trajectory.

With that said, Carmelo Anthony has responded to his situation by playing some outstanding basketball.  He is normally ”just” an above average but not elite win producer but so far in the young exhibition season he is performing at an elite level (MWS48: +5.57).

On the other hand, Bucher may have been right about Chris Paul.  Paul is normally an elite level win producer but so far this exhibition season he has merely been above average (MWS48: +0.76).  That win number is well below CP3′s normal standard. 

In general the New Orleans Hornets look awful.  Their current level of play projects them as a solid lottery team.  Whether they are just trying out new mechanics (that’s what pitchers who struggle in spring training always say), I don’t know.  But they don’t look good at all.