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Knicks' best player isn’t going anywhere - By MIKE VACCARO
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babyKnicks
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7/18/2012  10:21 AM
Knicks' best player isn’t going anywhere
By MIKE VACCARO

Last Updated: 7:47 AM, July 18, 2012

Posted: 2:22 AM, July 18, 2012

If you're mad, I’m not going to tell you that you shouldn’t be mad. If you want to burn your Knicks paraphernalia, starting with your No. 17 jersey, I’m not going to advise you against that bonfire. Though I do ask a) that you be careful, and b) how in the world did you make it this far after enduring the past 11 years?

You are more than entitled to be angry about the fact that Jeremy Lin is now a Rocket. Trust me, I enjoyed writing about Linsanity every inch as much as you enjoyed watching it, thrilling to it. You can rail against the owner with both fists shaking to the sky. He’s earned your wrath across his stewardship of this team. Have at it.

You want to switch your loyalties to the Brooklyn Nets?

Go with God, I say (and see how long it takes for Joe Johnson to get on your nerves every bit as much as Melo used to).

But here are a few truths — some of them inconvenient — you might want to ponder on your way out the door. Take them, leave them, throw them on top of the fire if you want, that’s fine. Rooting interests are personal things. You want to feel fury? Feel fury. You are allowed that much as a fan. Passion comes with two faces.

Truth 1(a): The Knicks would not have made the playoffs without Lin last year. Indisputable. They were a dead team at 8-15, then Mike D’Antoni inserted Lin against the Nets on the night before the Super Bowl, and in an eyeblink they were 15-15 — much of this done without Amar’e Stoudemire in the lineup, all of it without Carmelo Anthony.

Truth 1(b): The Knicks would not have made the playoffs without a 12-5 burst down the stretch. The Knicks were a half-game ahead of the Bucks for the last playoff slot on March 24, one game under .500. They finished as the seventh seed, six games over. And every second of this was done with Lin wearing civvies on the sidelines.

Truth 2(a): Linsanity was, well, otherworldly. It was. The highlights were breathtaking: the Nets game, the T’wolves game, the Lakers game, the Mavericks game. The end of the Raptors game. The teeth of Linsanity was an 8-1 stretch beginning with the Nets and ending with the Mavs, and Lin went berserk: 25.0 points, 9.2 assists, 51-percent shooting, 33 percent from 3. If you like modern metrics, he had an average game score (which adds and subtracts every meaningful stat) of 18.9 during that stretch. By comparison LeBron James, the league MVP, was 22.9 for the year and Chris Paul’s was 19.3.

Truth 2(b): And here’s where we release the hounds. During that 17-game stretch to end the season, here are some numbers for another member of the Knicks, performing when every game was critical to the cause: 29.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 49 percent shooting, 43 percent from 3. Game-score average of 20.8.

Yes. That would be Carmelo Anthony.

And here is something to ponder as you absorb where the Knicks are right now: Anthony is their best player. He is the team’s superstar. You may not like that. You may not like him. Again, entirely your right. But it’s interesting to measure the hysteria growing at the prospect of a Lin-free New York.

Here is unofficial Truth 3(a): The Knicks didn’t just let Walt Frazier, circa 1973, escape the building. And Truth 3(b): They also didn’t let Carmelo Anthony, circa 2012, leave, either.

Going forward, that’s something Anthony will deal with every night at the Garden. Forgetting his ridiculous “ridiculous” comment the other day, and bypassing the conspiracy theories that he pushed Lin out the door, it is on him now to become — what? Invaluable? Likeable? Loveable? Is any of that even possible?

But here’s something that might be useful to remember whenever you mention how different the Knicks’ season would have looked without Jeremy Lin:

It would’ve looked awful without Melo, too.

You’re mad? Good for you for caring so much. Maybe Lin will be a 10-time

All-Star, and you can take solace in being right here. But this is the last inconvenient truth, part 4(a): We don’t know, one way or the other. Nobody does. Twenty-five starts isn’t enough time to know. It just isn’t.

Part 4(b)? We know about Melo. He’s proven it. Here. Even if it’s convenient to forget that sometimes.

michael.vaccaro@nypost.com

Let's go Knicks. That's amare
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GoNyGoNyGo
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7/18/2012  10:23 AM
Yes, the guy who admitted that he did not play hard for his coach.
fishmike
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7/18/2012  10:26 AM
stupid read. The goal is to improve your team. Knicks have the cash, but let egos and bull**** take precedence as usual.

Everyone already knows Melo is a 2nd tier star destined to lead teams to the playoffs where is 47% iso game just doesnt measure up against better competition, and everyone knows its the iso-joe offense that Woody knows how to run. This was about hope for the future and about a gift from the basketball gods. Instead we had a guy who was fat all year last year and a 40 year old wife beating drunk. Shocking Lin had any desire to move on.

"winning is more fun... then fun is fun" -Thibs
tj23
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7/18/2012  10:27 AM
Yeah um small small sample size for Melo. What about the rest of the games? What about the point In the season when Melo was at 39% shooting? What about the 9-14 record his team posted 2 years ago when he was traded here?
Bonn1997
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7/18/2012  10:29 AM
Best player is Tyson, not Mr. .470
ChuckBuck
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7/18/2012  10:46 AM
Bonn1997 wrote:Best player is Tyson, not Mr. .470

Not based on PER.

tkf
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7/18/2012  11:19 AM
vacaro is making the same common mistake.. He is looking at carmelo's career scoring numbers and calling him the knicks best player.... because there is nothing else to suggest that carmelo is better than amare or for that fact chandler... i WILL go on to argue that a healthy amare is a better team player than carmelo.. and this is a team game! Lin was not only a player who can galvanize a team and get others to play at a different level, but he was one of those young guys, we haven't had in years, decades that could actually on any given night flirt with the upper crust of talent in this league... in other words, on certain nights he displayed the type of play and effect that guys like lebron, kobe, nash and others have on a team. Not saying he is on their level, but he has displayed that same energy....

the writer can spin this however he wants, but honestly can anyone tell me why should I turn on to watch a knick game, other than being a fan? other than shumpert who is out for a while, who is worth turning on the knicks to watch? really?

But we will get the same old BS.. this team needs time to mesh... yea, mesh with guys hitting 40 years of age...
This team was completely destroyed in less than 2 years.. that has to be some kind of record.....

we went from embarrasing to hope, with youth, assets and a 28-26 record with a young team and picks and young talent, to what the hell is this team doing? does anyone have a clue. .seriously?

Anyone who sits around and waits for the lottery to better themselves, either in real life or in sports, Is a Loser............... TKF
fishmike
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7/18/2012  11:26 AM
ChuckBuck wrote:
Bonn1997 wrote:Best player is Tyson, not Mr. .470

Not based on PER.

Brandan Wright, Ryan Anderson, Marcin Gortat, Nikola Pekovic, Greg Monroe.... what do these great players all have in common? A better PER rating than "our best player who isnt going anywhere."

Keep up the good work my battered young google enthusiast.

"winning is more fun... then fun is fun" -Thibs
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7/18/2012  11:27 AM
I think the whole thing will continue to implode. Carmelo forced D'antoni out. I don't think Amare is still very happy about that or how it all went down. So I'm not sure that the two can coexist, Amare probably wants to leave but he is kind of untradeable because of his salary so it's a bad situation.
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7/18/2012  11:29 AM
tkf wrote:vacaro is making the same common mistake.. He is looking at carmelo's career scoring numbers and calling him the knicks best player.... because there is nothing else to suggest that carmelo is better than amare or for that fact chandler... i WILL go on to argue that a healthy amare is a better team player than carmelo.. and this is a team game! Lin was not only a player who can galvanize a team and get others to play at a different level, but he was one of those young guys, we haven't had in years, decades that could actually on any given night flirt with the upper crust of talent in this league... in other words, on certain nights he displayed the type of play and effect that guys like lebron, kobe, nash and others have on a team. Not saying he is on their level, but he has displayed that same energy....

the writer can spin this however he wants, but honestly can anyone tell me why should I turn on to watch a knick game, other than being a fan? other than shumpert who is out for a while, who is worth turning on the knicks to watch? really?

But we will get the same old BS.. this team needs time to mesh... yea, mesh with guys hitting 40 years of age...
This team was completely destroyed in less than 2 years.. that has to be some kind of record.....

we went from embarrasing to hope, with youth, assets and a 28-26 record with a young team and picks and young talent, to what the hell is this team doing? does anyone have a clue. .seriously?

Well said!

ChuckBuck
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7/18/2012  11:44 AM
fishmike wrote:
ChuckBuck wrote:
Bonn1997 wrote:Best player is Tyson, not Mr. .470

Not based on PER.

Brandan Wright, Ryan Anderson, Marcin Gortat, Nikola Pekovic, Greg Monroe.... what do these great players all have in common? A better PER rating than "our best player who isnt going anywhere."

Keep up the good work my battered young google enthusiast.

Okay Mister GM. If you had a poll of every GM in the league and asked them who's the flat out better player with the better career, Tyson Chandler or Carmelo Anthony, who do you think they would choose?

FeltonandAmare
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7/18/2012  12:18 PM
ChuckBuck wrote:
fishmike wrote:
ChuckBuck wrote:
Bonn1997 wrote:Best player is Tyson, not Mr. .470

Not based on PER.

Brandan Wright, Ryan Anderson, Marcin Gortat, Nikola Pekovic, Greg Monroe.... what do these great players all have in common? A better PER rating than "our best player who isnt going anywhere."

Keep up the good work my battered young google enthusiast.

Okay Mister GM. If you had a poll of every GM in the league and asked them who's the flat out better player with the better career, Tyson Chandler or Carmelo Anthony, who do you think they would choose?

Be careful you're using logic and the Melo haters don't understand logic.

Knicksfan
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7/18/2012  12:19 PM
tj23 wrote:Yeah um small small sample size for Melo. What about the rest of the games? What about the point In the season when Melo was at 39% shooting? What about the 9-14 record his team posted 2 years ago when he was traded here?

What's fair for Lin has to be fair for Melo, too.

Knicks_Fan
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7/18/2012  12:22 PM
Really, who cares who is the best player on the Knicks?

Our strength as a team and our hopes for success rely on our team work, not on a single player. Yes, Melo picked us up at the end of the season, as much as Lin picked us up before that. Tyson Chandler picked us up on defense all season long. J.R. picked us pu when he was signed. Novack picked us up... Well, you see the trend.

We are a team and we move forward as one.

Knicks_Fan
ChuckBuck
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7/18/2012  12:25 PM
Knicksfan wrote:Really, who cares who is the best player on the Knicks?

Our strength as a team and our hopes for success rely on our team work, not on a single player. Yes, Melo picked us up at the end of the season, as much as Lin picked us up before that. Tyson Chandler picked us up on defense all season long. J.R. picked us pu when he was signed. Novack picked us up... Well, you see the trend.

We are a team and we move forward as one.

Nyah huh! Acoording to Fishmike, Amare Stoudemire is the best player on the Knicks, and we should run Pick and Rolls exclusively on offense for 48 minutes. Amare scoring 25 pts on 54 FG% will negate any need for defense from Chandler. Anything we get from Melo is a bonus.

fishmike
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7/18/2012  12:37 PM
ChuckBuck wrote:
Knicksfan wrote:Really, who cares who is the best player on the Knicks?

Our strength as a team and our hopes for success rely on our team work, not on a single player. Yes, Melo picked us up at the end of the season, as much as Lin picked us up before that. Tyson Chandler picked us up on defense all season long. J.R. picked us pu when he was signed. Novack picked us up... Well, you see the trend.

We are a team and we move forward as one.

Nyah huh! Acoording to Fishmike, Amare Stoudemire is the best player on the Knicks, and we should run Pick and Rolls exclusively on offense for 48 minutes. Amare scoring 25 pts on 54 FG% will negate any need for defense from Chandler. Anything we get from Melo is a bonus.

I see you battered fan syndrome is making you delusional, but yes... if both players are 100% then Amare is the better more valuable. Not even close. Amare's health is the key to the season.

You are correct however... if you have two guys who score 25ppg and one does it at 54% and the other at 47% the 54% guy should shoot more. Boo ya!

"winning is more fun... then fun is fun" -Thibs
Anji
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7/18/2012  12:37 PM    LAST EDITED: 7/18/2012  12:38 PM
Man oh man, you know exactly who this article is going to send into a "Melo" frenzy.


"Carmelo Anthony better worry about doing more than finishing on 50 win teams if he wants my respect"

"Really, all Americans want is a cold beer, warm p***y, and some place to s**t with a door on it." - Mr. Ford
ChuckBuck
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7/18/2012  12:40 PM
fishmike wrote:
ChuckBuck wrote:
Knicksfan wrote:Really, who cares who is the best player on the Knicks?

Our strength as a team and our hopes for success rely on our team work, not on a single player. Yes, Melo picked us up at the end of the season, as much as Lin picked us up before that. Tyson Chandler picked us up on defense all season long. J.R. picked us pu when he was signed. Novack picked us up... Well, you see the trend.

We are a team and we move forward as one.

Nyah huh! Acoording to Fishmike, Amare Stoudemire is the best player on the Knicks, and we should run Pick and Rolls exclusively on offense for 48 minutes. Amare scoring 25 pts on 54 FG% will negate any need for defense from Chandler. Anything we get from Melo is a bonus.

I see you battered fan syndrome is making you delusional, but yes... if both players are 100% then Amare is the better more valuable. Not even close. Amare's health is the key to the season.

You are correct however... if you have two guys who score 25ppg and one does it at 54% and the other at 47% the 54% guy should shoot more. Boo ya!

Remind me. When was the last time Amare Stoudemire averaged 54% or more for a whole season? Was there a little guy called Nash there?

Anji
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7/18/2012  12:42 PM
fishmike wrote:
ChuckBuck wrote:
Knicksfan wrote:Really, who cares who is the best player on the Knicks?

Our strength as a team and our hopes for success rely on our team work, not on a single player. Yes, Melo picked us up at the end of the season, as much as Lin picked us up before that. Tyson Chandler picked us up on defense all season long. J.R. picked us pu when he was signed. Novack picked us up... Well, you see the trend.

We are a team and we move forward as one.

Nyah huh! Acoording to Fishmike, Amare Stoudemire is the best player on the Knicks, and we should run Pick and Rolls exclusively on offense for 48 minutes. Amare scoring 25 pts on 54 FG% will negate any need for defense from Chandler. Anything we get from Melo is a bonus.

I see you battered fan syndrome is making you delusional, but yes... if both players are 100% then Amare is the better more valuable. Not even close. Amare's health is the key to the season.

You are correct however... if you have two guys who score 25ppg and one does it at 54% and the other at 47% the 54% guy should shoot more. Boo ya!


*Trying to find that one article where the coaches, players, writers, ever mentioned Stat in the same offensive category as Duncan, Kobe, Durrant, ie best in the game*
"Really, all Americans want is a cold beer, warm p***y, and some place to s**t with a door on it." - Mr. Ford
fishmike
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7/18/2012  12:45 PM
ChuckBuck wrote:
fishmike wrote:
ChuckBuck wrote:
Knicksfan wrote:Really, who cares who is the best player on the Knicks?

Our strength as a team and our hopes for success rely on our team work, not on a single player. Yes, Melo picked us up at the end of the season, as much as Lin picked us up before that. Tyson Chandler picked us up on defense all season long. J.R. picked us pu when he was signed. Novack picked us up... Well, you see the trend.

We are a team and we move forward as one.

Nyah huh! Acoording to Fishmike, Amare Stoudemire is the best player on the Knicks, and we should run Pick and Rolls exclusively on offense for 48 minutes. Amare scoring 25 pts on 54 FG% will negate any need for defense from Chandler. Anything we get from Melo is a bonus.

I see you battered fan syndrome is making you delusional, but yes... if both players are 100% then Amare is the better more valuable. Not even close. Amare's health is the key to the season.

You are correct however... if you have two guys who score 25ppg and one does it at 54% and the other at 47% the 54% guy should shoot more. Boo ya!

Remind me. When was the last time Amare Stoudemire averaged 54% or more for a whole season? Was there a little guy called Nash there?


his first year with the Knicks. In comes Amare, he gives you 25ppg on over 50% shooting and Knicks go from lottery team to playoff team.

Funny.. your good at copy and pasting things from other forums but you cant look up stats? Go look up Melo's BEST CAREER FG%. Notice anything funny? He wasnt the primary scorer... See? Melo is actually a better player when he's playing 2nd fiddle. Boo ya!

Dont tell Dolan what you find...

"winning is more fun... then fun is fun" -Thibs
Knicks' best player isn’t going anywhere - By MIKE VACCARO

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