ChuckBuck wrote:

NYStateOfMind wrote:

nyknickzingis wrote:It's not Melo's fault that the team's starting unit is constructed the way it is, he is trying to help.
I'm not a big keep Melo in NY fan, I am very open and willing to trade his butt for some younger talent and draft picks.

The Knicks need to get quicker and more athletic with their starters. Not about names like Rondo, Conley, Howard even. Get guys that will come in and want to hustle on defense and fit in the offense you want to run. We absolutely can not come back with 4 or more of the same starters back. At most we should come back next year with 3 of the same starters (KP, Melo, Afflalo or Lopez). There needs to be 2 new starters added via free agency.

All that in mind, so far Melo has played a horrendous yet typical example game. He's a great scoring talent, yet the focus level and consistency just isn't there. It's ok if you shoot the ball poorly. However as a top player in the league you can't come in and play so carelessly. It's not unusual for Melo to play like that. There's just a fire missing in him. It's who he is.

It is Melo's fault he doesn't hustle back on D. He is the team leader and should set an example for others to follow. Problem is, he does, the wrong message. If everyone got a good example and hustled back on D, they wouldn't be giving up so many easy baskets in transition fast breaks at the hole. We do not have a good enough defensive team to pressure on the inbound, just too slow and both ends. He has complained less, but Melo is still lazy.

Melo's been missing that fire since he entered the league in 2003. I don't mean to say he doesn't flat out care anymore...but the $23 million a year does soften the blow.

He's a Pay check player, a merc. Give him a break, he's not rah rah and winning comes 2nd to his brand.

Yeah, he has no fire. All star appearamces, 22k points asside, just no fire. Also take away leading the league in buckets a couple of years ago for our Knicks. When was the last time someone did that? Just no effort. Changing his game for the best all around year of his carreer in spite of bad knees is also overstated by most. Just look at all these affordable options around him and how they are basically identical. Specially the first year stud who has not shown any signs of fatigue or inability to adjust to defensive adjustments teams have made now that they actually know who the F he is. I would much rather have guys like Jeremy Lin or every upcoming draft pick in the upper teens for him. Add those guys to the advanced squad we have and the sky's the limit.

23 Million? That's a lot of money. That's almost two of Rolo. Can we get one more Rolo so that they can both sit 3/4 of the game and dissappear every other game. Btw. Doesn't it suck that he makes $23 million. Really sucks, just not fair. These famous athlete's.