mrKnickShot wrote:

CashMoney wrote:

mrKnickShot wrote:

nyk4ever wrote:great article. melo has superstar talents but that has never translated into truly winning basketball. he seems like a smart player so i think its only a matter of time before he actually "gets it" and his all-world scoring translates into a couple more buckets for teammates and better team basketball.

time will tell.

i think kobe went through alot of the same stuff when he was younger, he was looked at as a player who just wanted to get "his" and didn't want to share the spotlight with anyone. lucky for him he was paired with one of the greatest big men of all-time and he was still able to win.

Good point about Kobe. He was like that and still is - just take a look at how he plays on team USA. But you are correct. Lucky for him that he was paired with those great players and the best coach of all time. And Voia! LABEL GONE!

"I have to be assertive, and if the ball doesn't go in, it gives us a good rebounding opporunity." - Kobe Bryant

What was the context of this statement?

Not sure. It was in a book of dumb sports quotes my wife gave me a while back. Probably something along the line of Wow, Kobe 35 shots tonight?

fishmike wrote:

mrKnickShot wrote:

nyk4ever wrote:great article. melo has superstar talents but that has never translated into truly winning basketball. he seems like a smart player so i think its only a matter of time before he actually "gets it" and his all-world scoring translates into a couple more buckets for teammates and better team basketball.

time will tell.

i think kobe went through alot of the same stuff when he was younger, he was looked at as a player who just wanted to get "his" and didn't want to share the spotlight with anyone. lucky for him he was paired with one of the greatest big men of all-time and he was still able to win.

Good point about Kobe. He was like that and still is - just take a look at how he plays on team USA. But you are correct. Lucky for him that he was paired with those great players and the best coach of all time. And Voia! LABEL GONE!

boy you really believe Melo > Kobe. Funny.

I have never said that - please show me a post where I state or allude to this.

What I do say is that most of the criticisms that are put on Melo can be attributed to Kobe as well.

Ball Hog, Chucker, Coach Killer, Selfish Prick, Rapist, FG%, ...

The only defense to this argument is that Kobe won rings and I state that he did not do that with Nene's but with Shaq's.\

Kobe is better because he was a first team all defense and averaged 1.5 more assists per game (though he always had the ball so I am not sure if that is so great).

Melo is a better rebounder and better clutch shooter.

Kobe is the better player but you guys would hate the fukka!

fishmike wrote:

CashMoney wrote:

mrKnickShot wrote:

CashMoney wrote:

mrKnickShot wrote:

nyk4ever wrote:great article. melo has superstar talents but that has never translated into truly winning basketball. he seems like a smart player so i think its only a matter of time before he actually "gets it" and his all-world scoring translates into a couple more buckets for teammates and better team basketball.

time will tell.

i think kobe went through alot of the same stuff when he was younger, he was looked at as a player who just wanted to get "his" and didn't want to share the spotlight with anyone. lucky for him he was paired with one of the greatest big men of all-time and he was still able to win.

Good point about Kobe. He was like that and still is - just take a look at how he plays on team USA. But you are correct. Lucky for him that he was paired with those great players and the best coach of all time. And Voia! LABEL GONE!

"I have to be assertive, and if the ball doesn't go in, it gives us a good rebounding opporunity." - Kobe Bryant

What was the context of this statement?

Not sure. It was in a book of dumb sports quotes my wife gave me a while back. Probably something along the line of Wow, Kobe 35 shots tonight?

the fact is anyone that puts Kobe/Melo together and only separate them by Kobe playing with Shaq and Phil being the difference is laughable. Its tells everyone what is already obvious, that you are just a Melo jock rider and have nothing intelligent to say about the subject except my guy is just as good as anyone else in the league followed by a litany of excuses for not producing.

Kobe = top 5 in MVP votes TEN TIMES and won once. Melo? Never broke top 5
Kobe = first team ALL NBA defense, first team ALL NBA either first or second 24 times... as in TWENTY FOUR. Melo? Once he was 2nd team ALL NBA.

You want to call Kobe's game selfish? Fine... call it anything you want but he's been a top 5 player in the league for over a decade and has the individual awards to match the championships. Melo has none of that. Might as well be comparing Marbury's career to Jason Kidd's. Its stupid.

fish, you're a smart dude, but i think you are looking at things a little too black and white here.

i don't think anyone (i know i haven't) has compared melo's ability to kobe's. the only thing i compared melo and kobe about were the labels that both of them have been given by the fans and media. i think it was a bit easier for kobe to shed his selfish label because he did play with one of the greatest big men ever - and also the fact that he is a better player and was able to iron-out and the "selfishness" (as it were labeled) in his game.

i think melo can do this too. i think for all of melo's faults, he's a top scorer and he seems like he has a good bball IQ, but hasn't had the luxury of playing with any player that near matches his god-given talent, until amar'e (and so far that hasn't worked). i just think it was a bit easier for kobe to shed his labels because he did play with a guy like shaq and they won in the meantime (because kobe IS a better player and was quick to change his game to better suit team ball).

i dunno, im probably not making any sense in what im trying to say haha.

Vmart wrote:Melo should easily be a 25points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists player on 50% shooting. I never questioned his talent level but I do question his will and desire to be the best player. The problem with Melo is that he thinks he is already a complete/best player and that is where the problem stems from with Melo.

Vmart wrote:Melo should easily be a 25points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists player on 50% shooting. I never questioned his talent level but I do question his will and desire to be the best player. The problem with Melo is that he thinks he is already a complete/best player and that is where the problem stems from with Melo. Because of that attitude Melo will not realize his full talent level so he will not work harder to achieve the next level of player. The next level is the greatest players to ever play and Melo is no where in that category. Great players keep pushing their talent level and I'm not sure Melo will do that. The worst thing is when a player has an enormous amount of talent and they become content. I personally think Melo is content, and great players never are content.

Agree with everything except 50% shooting. The only non PF/C who shoot that well are Nash and Lebron. If he improves his shot selection I can see him getting to around 47% but not any higher than that.

I think he has been content with his game, but things are different now. All that Lebron talk in the media is gone and now is going to be 100% on Melo. Full training camp, the coach he wants and the most talent he's played with in his career. I think he's actually listening to the criticism with an open mind. Woodson told him to come to camp in better shape and bang "I dropped 12 pounds."

Lebron has his ring and Wade has 2. Don't think they're not talking smack to Melo in London. If there was ever a time for Melo to come in with a fire this is the year. I have faith in the guy and hope he changes the conversation.

CashMoney wrote:

Vmart wrote:Melo should easily be a 25points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists player on 50% shooting. I never questioned his talent level but I do question his will and desire to be the best player. The problem with Melo is that he thinks he is already a complete/best player and that is where the problem stems from with Melo. Because of that attitude Melo will not realize his full talent level so he will not work harder to achieve the next level of player. The next level is the greatest players to ever play and Melo is no where in that category. Great players keep pushing their talent level and I'm not sure Melo will do that. The worst thing is when a player has an enormous amount of talent and they become content. I personally think Melo is content, and great players never are content.

Agree with everything except 50% shooting. The only non PF/C who shoot that well are Nash and Lebron. If he improves his shot selection I can see him getting to around 47% but not any higher than that.

I think he has been content with his game, but things are different now. All that Lebron talk in the media is gone and now is going to be 100% on Melo. Full training camp, the coach he wants and the most talent he's played with in his career. I think he's actually listening to the criticism with an open mind. Woodson told him to come to camp in better shape and bang "I dropped 12 pounds."

Lebron has his ring and Wade has 2. Don't think they're not talking smack to Melo in London. If there was ever a time for Melo to come in with a fire this is the year. I have faith in the guy and hope he changes the conversation.

Vmart wrote:

CashMoney wrote:

Vmart wrote:Melo should easily be a 25points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists player on 50% shooting. I never questioned his talent level but I do question his will and desire to be the best player. The problem with Melo is that he thinks he is already a complete/best player and that is where the problem stems from with Melo. Because of that attitude Melo will not realize his full talent level so he will not work harder to achieve the next level of player. The next level is the greatest players to ever play and Melo is no where in that category. Great players keep pushing their talent level and I'm not sure Melo will do that. The worst thing is when a player has an enormous amount of talent and they become content. I personally think Melo is content, and great players never are content.

Agree with everything except 50% shooting. The only non PF/C who shoot that well are Nash and Lebron. If he improves his shot selection I can see him getting to around 47% but not any higher than that.

I think he has been content with his game, but things are different now. All that Lebron talk in the media is gone and now is going to be 100% on Melo. Full training camp, the coach he wants and the most talent he's played with in his career. I think he's actually listening to the criticism with an open mind. Woodson told him to come to camp in better shape and bang "I dropped 12 pounds."

Lebron has his ring and Wade has 2. Don't think they're not talking smack to Melo in London. If there was ever a time for Melo to come in with a fire this is the year. I have faith in the guy and hope he changes the conversation.

Why does everyone forget that Melo shot a season at 49%. He has done it before he can do it again and should be able to do so. That was I believe his third year in the league he did that. He should be able to shoot 50% and should make it a goal to do so. Instead of improving on that season he has taken a step back wouldn't surprise me if he lost commitment to want to be the best and became content.

His shooting pct of 46 for his career is good for his position (e.g. PP is at 44)

However, I do agree with you. He can take better shots and stop forcing bad ones. He takes too much on himself while not trusting his teammates. He also has the mentality that kobe has - that every shot they take is going to go in.

I would love the see a FG of > 48% this year and I think he can do it but he has to adjust his game. It would be great if we can win with him shooting at 45 pct like kobe did with Shaq but unfortunately, we don't have Shaq so he better step up if we have any chance.

Bonn1997 wrote:

CashMoney wrote:

Vmart wrote:Melo should easily be a 25points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists player on 50% shooting. I never questioned his talent level but I do question his will and desire to be the best player. The problem with Melo is that he thinks he is already a complete/best player and that is where the problem stems from with Melo. Because of that attitude Melo will not realize his full talent level so he will not work harder to achieve the next level of player. The next level is the greatest players to ever play and Melo is no where in that category. Great players keep pushing their talent level and I'm not sure Melo will do that. The worst thing is when a player has an enormous amount of talent and they become content. I personally think Melo is content, and great players never are content.

Agree with everything except 50% shooting. The only non PF/C who shoot that well are Nash and Lebron. If he improves his shot selection I can see him getting to around 47% but not any higher than that.

I think he has been content with his game, but things are different now. All that Lebron talk in the media is gone and now is going to be 100% on Melo. Full training camp, the coach he wants and the most talent he's played with in his career. I think he's actually listening to the criticism with an open mind. Woodson told him to come to camp in better shape and bang "I dropped 12 pounds."

Lebron has his ring and Wade has 2. Don't think they're not talking smack to Melo in London. If there was ever a time for Melo to come in with a fire this is the year. I have faith in the guy and hope he changes the conversation.

Nash, Lebron, Harden, Wade, & Durant

Interesting that you chose 4 guys from 2 teams and the 2 teams were freakin loaded. Kinda like watching team USA. We see what that does to Melo FG pct.

Anyway ... Melo is not Lebron or Durant or Wade.