Pretty fair comments by Billups who was an underrated player and really good leader:

GREENBURGH, N.Y. –- Carmelo Anthony shouldn’t have played in the All-Star Game and he could use some more leadership in the Knicks' locker room, according to former teammate Chauncey Billups.

Billups, who now is an analyst for ESPN, doesn’t understand why the decision was up to Anthony on when to have season-ending knee surgery as well.

“I said it all weekend, I wasn’t crazy about his decision to play in the All-Star Game and not play for his own team,” Billups said on “The Michael Kay Show” on ESPN New York 98.7 FM. “My thing is if you are hurt and you know you are going to shut it down, just get the surgery and make that commitment that the Knicks made to him and just get better and not worry about playing for the fans and the All-Star Game. I thought it was poor judgment but to each his own.”

Billups, who played with Anthony for three seasons in Denver and New York, thinks his former teammate will thrive with more leadership around him.

“I enjoyed playing with Melo in the years I had with him,” Billups said. “My perception of him [is] he really needed my guidance, he needed my leadership. I don’t know that he quite knew how to lead a team or a franchise but at that time he was young. I can’t expect him to. He was already a great player but he is best served when he doesn’t have to be the leader of the team.

“That has been shown for years with me and even the year that Jason Kidd played with the Knicks -- he was kind of the leader of the team and that team was a good basketball team. That’s kind of how I perceive him. He is a great player and one thing I love about Melo is he practiced hard every day. He didn’t sit out games. He was a good soldier, pretty sure he still is. But I think he needs other strong leadership in that locker room with him.”

Team president Phil Jackson could be thinking on the same page as Billups. Will the Zen Master be able to put the right pieces around Anthony this summer or next?

“I am not sure,” Billups said. “This is uncharted waters for Phil Jackson. He’s never put together a team and been the president. I got faith in him as a coach.

“I have seen what he can do as a coach but I haven’t seen what he can do as a president. I got to think that he’s got a great feel for putting the right egos and talent and skill sets together. But in this short little span, we haven’t seen it yet.”

The problem is Melo wants Rondo.

gunsnewing wrote:I don't know man. I'm shocked by how soft Phil has been. I expected a my way or the highway kind of guy. But you are right at $60mil Phil should be the one making all the decisions and that includes personnel & day to day stuff

EXACTLY how I feel.

Thought Phil would come in and own this but so far, it looks like Melo owns Phil which is beyond troubling.

As a coach, he could go at it with Kobe and let the GM worry about the fallout and cleanup but now he is the boss and he seems not willing to rock the boat and be a hard ass.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. –- Carmelo Anthony shouldn’t have played in the All-Star Game and he could use some more leadership in the Knicks' locker room, according to former teammate Chauncey Billups.

Billups, who now is an analyst for ESPN, doesn’t understand why the decision was up to Anthony on when to have season-ending knee surgery as well.

“I said it all weekend, I wasn’t crazy about his decision to play in the All-Star Game and not play for his own team,” Billups said on “The Michael Kay Show” on ESPN New York 98.7 FM. “My thing is if you are hurt and you know you are going to shut it down, just get the surgery and make that commitment that the Knicks made to him and just get better and not worry about playing for the fans and the All-Star Game. I thought it was poor judgment but to each his own.”

Billups, who played with Anthony for three seasons in Denver and New York, thinks his former teammate will thrive with more leadership around him.

“I enjoyed playing with Melo in the years I had with him,” Billups said. “My perception of him [is] he really needed my guidance, he needed my leadership. I don’t know that he quite knew how to lead a team or a franchise but at that time he was young. I can’t expect him to. He was already a great player but he is best served when he doesn’t have to be the leader of the team.

“That has been shown for years with me and even the year that Jason Kidd played with the Knicks -- he was kind of the leader of the team and that team was a good basketball team. That’s kind of how I perceive him. He is a great player and one thing I love about Melo is he practiced hard every day. He didn’t sit out games. He was a good soldier, pretty sure he still is. But I think he needs other strong leadership in that locker room with him.”

Team president Phil Jackson could be thinking on the same page as Billups. Will the Zen Master be able to put the right pieces around Anthony this summer or next?

“I am not sure,” Billups said. “This is uncharted waters for Phil Jackson. He’s never put together a team and been the president. I got faith in him as a coach.

“I have seen what he can do as a coach but I haven’t seen what he can do as a president. I got to think that he’s got a great feel for putting the right egos and talent and skill sets together. But in this short little span, we haven’t seen it yet.”

This is pretty consistent from guys who have played with Melo. This is the best player he's probably played with for any stretch.

mreinman wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:I don't know man. I'm shocked by how soft Phil has been. I expected a my way or the highway kind of guy. But you are right at $60mil Phil should be the one making all the decisions and that includes personnel & day to day stuff

EXACTLY how I feel.

Thought Phil would come in and own this but so far, it looks like Melo owns Phil which is beyond troubling.

As a coach, he could go at it with Kobe and let the GM worry about the fallout and cleanup but now he is the boss and he seems not willing to rock the boat and be a hard ass.

mreinman wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:

He is a great player and one thing I love about Melo is he practiced hard every day. He didn’t sit out games. He was a good soldier, pretty sure he still is. But I think he needs other strong leadership in that locker room with him.”

The Knicks know what they have in Melo. They need to make the moves to maximize his ability. It might be a mistake to assume that with age and accolades Melo becomes the team leader. I think Billups is right. Phil needs to bring in a team leader. Maybe that guy was supposed to be Calderon but I think Melo and the Knicks need a stronger voice.

very few guys like Billups and Kidd that we could bring in.

CP3 is the type but we are not getting him. Same with Tony Parker and Curry.

Lowry is the type but we fukked that up.

I don't think that Dragic fits the bill.

Mike Conley seems like the type.

Perhaps Lillard.

Maybe Brandon Knight can be that guy?

Phil will have a hard time bringing in one of these leader types.

Its funny.. you hear the DKs of UK crap on Melo's conditioning, and you hear guys like Billups talk about him being such a hard worker. Melo needs to lean on Fisher and Phil for direction in this regard. Hopefully for Knick fans its a good fit. Im optimistic Melo can be a very big piece moving forward. Getting healthy is challenge #1. This is the first time he's missed the end of a season because of injury. Considering how much he has to prove this could be a blessing in disguise.

fishmike wrote:

mreinman wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:I don't know man. I'm shocked by how soft Phil has been. I expected a my way or the highway kind of guy. But you are right at $60mil Phil should be the one making all the decisions and that includes personnel & day to day stuff

EXACTLY how I feel.

Thought Phil would come in and own this but so far, it looks like Melo owns Phil which is beyond troubling.

As a coach, he could go at it with Kobe and let the GM worry about the fallout and cleanup but now he is the boss and he seems not willing to rock the boat and be a hard ass.

Go look at the parts I bolded. What you guys may not like, but what is reality is Melo is considered one of the top player in the NBA by his peers, and those peers are not going to appreciate Phil Jackson saying my way or the high way. Thats not what these guys are signing up for. Sorry, that works in college (maybe). This is the NBA.

I agree with what you bolded as well. Melo is a good player when he is deferring to a leading teammate.

mreinman wrote:

fishmike wrote:

mreinman wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:I don't know man. I'm shocked by how soft Phil has been. I expected a my way or the highway kind of guy. But you are right at $60mil Phil should be the one making all the decisions and that includes personnel & day to day stuff

EXACTLY how I feel.

Thought Phil would come in and own this but so far, it looks like Melo owns Phil which is beyond troubling.

As a coach, he could go at it with Kobe and let the GM worry about the fallout and cleanup but now he is the boss and he seems not willing to rock the boat and be a hard ass.

Go look at the parts I bolded. What you guys may not like, but what is reality is Melo is considered one of the top player in the NBA by his peers, and those peers are not going to appreciate Phil Jackson saying my way or the high way. Thats not what these guys are signing up for. Sorry, that works in college (maybe). This is the NBA.

I agree with what you bolded as well. Melo is a good player when he is deferring to a leading teammate.

I think Melo's leadership "problem" is simple. To him its still very important that his teammates like him. That comprimises any ability or chance of him calling someone out. Overall I think this still is also WAAAAY overblowen. I mean Kidd did nothing in the 2nd half of the year and it was Melo that won POM in April and lead the Knicks on that strong finish in Kidd's last season.

To me its just talent. When he doesnt have good players around him the holes and bad habits in his game become magnified and you see some really really bad basketball. To me the only real difference between the 54 win season and last year was the supporting cast performed at a high level. Novak, Copeland, Tyson, JR... some guys had career years. The following year some guys had career lows. The result was we stunk. I dont think its too much more complicated than that.

fishmike wrote:Good read but we kinda knew this already... folks can focus on what they want to focus on

GREENBURGH, N.Y. –- Carmelo Anthony shouldn’t have played in the All-Star Game and he could use some more leadership in the Knicks' locker room, according to former teammate Chauncey Billups.

Billups, who now is an analyst for ESPN, doesn’t understand why the decision was up to Anthony on when to have season-ending knee surgery as well.

“I said it all weekend, I wasn’t crazy about his decision to play in the All-Star Game and not play for his own team,” Billups said on “The Michael Kay Show” on ESPN New York 98.7 FM. “My thing is if you are hurt and you know you are going to shut it down, just get the surgery and make that commitment that the Knicks made to him and just get better and not worry about playing for the fans and the All-Star Game. I thought it was poor judgment but to each his own.”

Billups, who played with Anthony for three seasons in Denver and New York, thinks his former teammate will thrive with more leadership around him.

“I enjoyed playing with Melo in the years I had with him,” Billups said. “My perception of him [is] he really needed my guidance, he needed my leadership. I don’t know that he quite knew how to lead a team or a franchise but at that time he was young. I can’t expect him to. He was already a great player but he is best served when he doesn’t have to be the leader of the team.

“That has been shown for years with me and even the year that Jason Kidd played with the Knicks -- he was kind of the leader of the team and that team was a good basketball team. That’s kind of how I perceive him. He is a great player and one thing I love about Melo is he practiced hard every day. He didn’t sit out games. He was a good soldier, pretty sure he still is. But I think he needs other strong leadership in that locker room with him.”

Team president Phil Jackson could be thinking on the same page as Billups. Will the Zen Master be able to put the right pieces around Anthony this summer or next?

“I am not sure,” Billups said. “This is uncharted waters for Phil Jackson. He’s never put together a team and been the president. I got faith in him as a coach.

“I have seen what he can do as a coach but I haven’t seen what he can do as a president. I got to think that he’s got a great feel for putting the right egos and talent and skill sets together. But in this short little span, we haven’t seen it yet.”

This is pretty consistent from guys who have played with Melo. This is the best player he's probably played with for any stretch.

you saw this when kidd was on the roster, thats why I get confused by the hate, this guy was never a leader, doesn't want to be the leader because of his skills