CrushAlot wrote:mreinman wrote:crzymdups wrote:CrushAlot wrote:mreinman wrote:GetThePipe wrote:God this is an awful article. Writing this essay from the presumed perspective of Phil Jackson is over the top obnoxious. I can't believe this was written by a grown man.
Its about the team that Phil wants to build regardless of what Melo wants.
This is not frank isola, its harvey freakin araton!
Yeah and his source is his mind reading skills. Araton writes a hatchet piece on Anthony twice a year.
Phil Jackson himself said this before Melo's free agency: "If Melo stays, man are we fortunate. If Melo goes, man are we fortunate."
Melo needs to suck it up and play winning ball here or do it elsewhere. It doesn't concern you that he is seemingly all about his brand lately? It doesn't concern you that he hasn't welcomed the new players to the team? The rookies or the free agents? Meanwhile Wade is showing Winslow how to adjust to NBA life in Miami, Durant is showing up at OKC Summer League. Dirk is interupting his vacations to try to recruit free agents. Duncan was instrumental in luring LMA to San Antonio. The entire Clippers team flew to Houston to get DeAndre back. Melo is on a yacht in the Caribbean with Lala, nursing his wounded ego.
damn that was an excellent post!
I don't disagree with the sentiment that Melo needs to suck it up and play or leave. But I can't believe a writer is writing what he thinks Phil Jackson thought and is writing it in the first person like Phil is saying it.
He's interpretting Phil Jackson's actions - but also Phil has made some pretty strong comments about Melo this off-season, in his typically off-kilter and laid back way.
On drafting a player who might be a few years away from being a finished product, was he thinking about Melo when he made the pick: “Carmelo’s always on my mind. He’s our favorite son,” Jackson said. “But the second most important thing is what we do for this franchise. That has to be a consideration. I let Melo know that when we made this choice. We anticipate it’s going to be rough, whether we have a 19-year-old KP or 19-year-old whoever.”
Do you detect the sarcasm in Phil saying the franchise is SECOND to what Carmelo wants? Because I think it's pretty damn clear he was being sarcastic as hell.
When asked if Anthony’s importance to the team has ever been greater, Jackson countered with: “I don’t know if that’s how I would even state that.
“With him in mind, a lot of how we directed what we did is the way it plays out in anticipating with a guy like Derrick Williams that he can play a forward spot or the wing spot, guys that can swing back between three and four, have the speed to cover and do that kind of thing,” Jackson added. “His scoring is still going to be very important for us. We really said we wanted to play defense and this is what we’re attempting to do with our free agency and this is what makes a difference in how teams win, by defensively taking a stance.”
Phil has been saying this stuff all summer. And his actions have been backing it up. In that second quote he is basically saying Derrick Williams can play Melo's role in this offense. We are no longer building around Melo. We are building around Kristaps and defense. Melo can fit in or fit out, to quote Lebron.
7/15/2015 7:10 PM