Killa4luv wrote:

AnubisADL wrote:I remember the beginning of the season. All Im saying is Amare knee's arent growing new cartilage and AR, Gallo, and Fields have done nothing to show me they are future all stars.

Bottom line truth right here. We have a window with Amare. We can't win with him alone, and if we can get Melo, a bonafied superstar, who is a top 5 scorer in this league, you do it. Period.

I liek our young guys, and the more we can keep the better, but lets not delude ourselves. Lets not
let sentimentality get in the way of what is obvious.

Why do we need Carmelo?

Because we are not contenders with this team. And we are not a minor tweak away from being contenders.
Carmelo brings us right to the cusp of contention. With him, we'd be a tweak away.

We have gone from 3-8 to 16 and 9 without a tweek off the roster.

Im not saying we are contenders but after 25 games its a team looking at the top end or our expectations.

The goal should always be a championship but each season has its expectations and goals short term as stepping stones.

To go from 29 wins, 10 new players and MAYBE 50 games is a great accomplishment.

We are not the only team that is gelling and coming together.

With Melo this season in a trade you are just not incerting him to this team. Its a team without eitehr or both of Gallo/Chandler. ITs a team witout maybe Fields, or without Turiaf, or without TD.

Not that any of these guys are as good as melo but the sum of thie pieces are a big piece to our recent success.

Many gray areas to consider.

babyKnicks wrote:I'm tending to agree with Briggs. Backup point and another defensive big and we may be ready to take the east.
I really like the flexibility of both Chandler and gallo.
Can we trade everyone else?
Dantoni only uses a 7 man rotation anyway.
Felton, fields, melo, amare, turiaf
Bench: Chandler, gallo, Douglas

That's a championship team with a strong bench. Subbing gallo and Chandler for turiaf and fields.
Douglas fills in at point.

This team still need big defensive C... but looks like we need to wait untill free agency for Melo.
If this will not work we have a lot of assets to upgrade the bench.
As is stands now we are one ingury away from mighty struggle and running on luck.

Wilbon said that the Knicks showed that WITHOUT Carmelo they can play WITH the BEST.
Tony said, yeah, but imagine WITH Carmelo they would be...

Top 5 in the league?

As painful as it might be to give up young players, the Knicks should be willing to trade anyone other than Stoudemire and Raymond Felton, he said.

“It’s not like Denver’s going to take Eddy Curry and a second-round pick and say, ‘Hey, that’s a great trade,’ ” he said. “So you’re going to have to give some very good pieces.”

Yet as Van Gundy spoke, he began to circle back on himself. He conceded that the Knicks’ offense needs little help — “Mike D’Antoni’s teams are going to score” — and said their need right now is a big man who can shoot, defend and rebound, and relieve pressure from Stoudemire.

The more he spoke, the more impressed he seemed by the Knicks’ prowess against the Celtics. The Knicks lost on a last-second shot by Paul Pierce, but they scored 116 points, the most Boston has allowed this season.

“They were playing against the best defensive team in the league by far,” Van Gundy said, “and they were getting quality shots every time down. You don’t see people do that to that defense. It’s not with like overwhelming offensive talent, either.”

Anthony is not much of a defender, so he would not cure the Knicks’ 22nd-ranked defense. But he does get to the free-throw line a lot, which stops the game and helps a defense get set.

Then again, the Knicks are already fourth in the league in free-throw attempts, which suggests they might not need help there, either. And if all he does is score, is Anthony really that critical? Van Gundy’s logic was starting to waver.

“You make a valid point,” he said. “You certainly make a valid point.”

And rather than trade for Anthony, wouldn’t the Knicks be better off waiting until next summer, when he can become a free agent?

“That’s a good point, too,” Van Gundy said.

And since Anthony is not a great defender, he does not really fill an obvious need.

“You could make the case,” Van Gundy said.

Yet Van Gundy ultimately fell back on coach’s intuition, and the firm belief that championship teams require elite talent.

“I can’t see how they wouldn’t be better with him,” he said.

There was only one aspect of this discussion that needed no debate.

“We can all agree the Nets need him, O.K.?”

- NYT

misterearl wrote:“But I always believe sell high,” Van Gundy said, referring to the Knicks’ collection of role players. “I think everybody’s value is upped, and if they think that’s a good fit, now would be the time.”

As painful as it might be to give up young players, the Knicks should be willing to trade anyone other than Stoudemire and Raymond Felton, he said.

“It’s not like Denver’s going to take Eddy Curry and a second-round pick and say, ‘Hey, that’s a great trade,’ ” he said. “So you’re going to have to give some very good pieces.”

Yet as Van Gundy spoke, he began to circle back on himself. He conceded that the Knicks’ offense needs little help — “Mike D’Antoni’s teams are going to score” — and said their need right now is a big man who can shoot, defend and rebound, and relieve pressure from Stoudemire.

The more he spoke, the more impressed he seemed by the Knicks’ prowess against the Celtics. The Knicks lost on a last-second shot by Paul Pierce, but they scored 116 points, the most Boston has allowed this season.

“They were playing against the best defensive team in the league by far,” Van Gundy said, “and they were getting quality shots every time down. You don’t see people do that to that defense. It’s not with like overwhelming offensive talent, either.”

Anthony is not much of a defender, so he would not cure the Knicks’ 22nd-ranked defense. But he does get to the free-throw line a lot, which stops the game and helps a defense get set.

Then again, the Knicks are already fourth in the league in free-throw attempts, which suggests they might not need help there, either. And if all he does is score, is Anthony really that critical? Van Gundy’s logic was starting to waver.

“You make a valid point,” he said. “You certainly make a valid point.”

And rather than trade for Anthony, wouldn’t the Knicks be better off waiting until next summer, when he can become a free agent?

“That’s a good point, too,” Van Gundy said.

And since Anthony is not a great defender, he does not really fill an obvious need.

“You could make the case,” Van Gundy said.

Yet Van Gundy ultimately fell back on coach’s intuition, and the firm belief that championship teams require elite talent.

“I can’t see how they wouldn’t be better with him,” he said.

There was only one aspect of this discussion that needed no debate.

“We can all agree the Nets need him, O.K.?”

- NYT

That's pretty wild. I like your summaries.

Here's what it is: JVG, as part of the Machine, has to go with the Machine line of Melo to NYK, because he's a superstar and all that jazz, rhythm, and blues. But the truth comes to the surface as the interview goes on; his truthful, rational side tells us what it is-- that we shouldn't deal for the kid. That we're balling right now. That if we want him, pick him up in the offseason.

So you have to read between the lines. JVG doesn't waver, he just tip-toes the party line and let's it all hang for those in the know, in the hip funk.

Nalod wrote:Only one that matters is Melo and his resolve to opt out or Walsh.

The more we don't need him. the lower our offer is if he is real about opting out.

Me, I think the whole thing is BS.

melo only matters if you have a deep team. That only happens one way.

Get the star and fill in the blanks later. For years, we have had fill in the blank players and no stars. Fill in the blank players are easier to get than stars. We have a star thats available and wants to come. Get him here.....