Let's get Donnie Walnuts signed to an extension ad keep this train moving.

Billups - I see no reason he can't come back strong and healthy next year. A number of the stars his age or older have done well this year and stayed healthy. Nash, Kidd, Ray Allen, Pierce, Grant Hill, Garnett, etc.

To that end, Chandler may come back to give some depth.

Marv wrote:Melo, as we know, produced in the playoffs. Even under conditions where he was getting next to no support and was being keyed in. you put him out there with a healthy amear and chauncey, and another excellent player and some capable role players – I’m good to go with that. I much more trust in that than rolling the dice on the development of the traded guys.

Marv wrote:I was ok with the risks of the trade because I thought that the odds of building something great around melo and amear were greater than building something great around that team – and it’s cap space and picks.

In the playoffs, the players we gave up did the following:

Gallinari 30mpg 12ppg 43% fg 4fta 3rpg 2apg

Felton 30mpg 12ppg 36% fg 5fta 2rpg 4apg

Chandler 23mpg 5ppg 28% fg 2fta 4rpg 0apg

Mosgov all 0’s

While melo did the following:

Melo 39mpg 26ppg 38% fg 9fta 10rpg 5apg

this is what I expected. I think the guys we gave up are “all right” support players but not the kind of players to rise up in the playoffs. They’d be fine as bench guys or the one weakest starter on their team.

Are they still young? Could they get better? absolutely. But you have to look at the body of evidence and make your judgment and then take your risk either way.

Melo, as we know, produced in the playoffs. Even under conditions where he was getting next to no support and was being keyed in. you put him out there with a healthy amear and chauncey, and another excellent player and some capable role players – I’m good to go with that. I much more trust in that than rolling the dice on the development of the traded guys.

Marv, is this your Melo "value" statement of where you stand?

Silverfuel wrote:

fishmike wrote:

Silverfuel wrote:

Marv wrote:Melo, as we know, produced in the playoffs. Even under conditions where he was getting next to no support and was being keyed in. you put him out there with a healthy amear and chauncey, and another excellent player and some capable role players – I’m good to go with that. I much more trust in that than rolling the dice on the development of the traded guys.

good post Marv.

sorry guys.. I gotta say it. What did he produce again?

sorry fishmike, but I have to ask. What were your expectations from him?

Silverfuel wrote:

fishmike wrote:

Silverfuel wrote:

Marv wrote:Melo, as we know, produced in the playoffs. Even under conditions where he was getting next to no support and was being keyed in. you put him out there with a healthy amear and chauncey, and another excellent player and some capable role players – I’m good to go with that. I much more trust in that than rolling the dice on the development of the traded guys.

good post Marv.

sorry guys.. I gotta say it. What did he produce again?

sorry fishmike, but I have to ask. What were your expectations from him?

the only specific expectations I had were that if the games were tight as the first two were that Melo's ablilty to close would get us a win. Before the series I predicted we lose 4-1 only winning a meaningless game 4 at the garden. I just thought Boston was a terrible matchup for us every which way. I would have given the Knicks a good chance to win against Orl, Chi or Mia, but Bos was just a bad matchup. Like the Twins getting the Yanks or something.

I would give him a D for Boston series. I was fine with games 2,3 and 4. Game 2 was obviously great. Games 3-4 execution was poor but he played hard, he tried to get teammates involved, he rebounded, etc... winning just wasnt in the cards.

Game 1 upset me. Not because he didnt play well, but his effort was poor, plain and simle. Your first playoff game as a Knick and he treated it like a YMCA game on a Tues night when its more about hitting the pub afterwards.

The 5-18 shooting was bad, but that happens. EVERY player has that happen, and I dont have a problem there. But dont great players find other ways to impact the game? Or when your shot isnt falling whats the #1 rule? Attack the basket and get to the line. Melo took 4 FTs and pulled down 4 rebounds. Thats totally unacceptable and if we get anything from him in that game we win game one and things look a bit different. Yes he was in foul trouble but what did he contribute in his 30+ minutes? Terrible.

Guys... I still havent heard from anyone. Silver? Marvelous? What did you think of Melo's performance in his first Knicks playoffs?

And Nalod.. can you trim that photo? Jesus!