Travla wrote:Melo should play like Kobe has the last 2 games. 14 assists in each game. Melo will pass the ball when double-teamed and in trouble, he must learn to use himself as a facilitator, not just off broken plays but as an integral part of the offense. I put that on Melo but more on coaching. Too much standing around with iso-ball, use iso-ball to facilitate offense, when Melo goes toward the hoop, at least 2 players should go also and make defenses pay for double and triple-teaming him. Teams have caught up to the Knicks and if they change their offensive schemes, they will probably play .500 ball the rest of the way.

Exactly he will never have the ball handling, court vision 7 speed to drop 14assists but he can average around 5 instead of his career 3.1assists

Bonn1997 wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:Under 30? We have him at a max salary for 2 1/2 more years. Why wear out his body just to get a couple more regular season wins?

To secure a top 2 seed and avoid another 1st round sweep

So we're gonna use up all the cartilage in the knees of our $100 mil investment to get one round further in the playoffs?

Chances are he is not going to last another 2 1/2yrs regardless. Gotta go all out this year. This is the year for this squad. Its only getting worse after this year. Start Amare play him under 30mins, play him less on back to backs but establish that Tyson, Melo and Amare can play together and the struggles last year had more to do with Dantoni's system. I'm willing to bet anything Amare will start once Sheed is back in a week or 2

IMO Woodson is slowly easing into starting Amare. Tyson, Amare and Melo are seeing a lot of time together. Only reason he is not starting is cos Sheed and Camby are out and there's no one to backup Tyson

SupremeCommander wrote:really? look at the standings

yea 2 games from falling to 6th. Rather not look

fishmike wrote:

Anji wrote:Time to dump on Melo already???

In a week this thread will be gone and forgotten.

agree... kinda like that MVP "discussion" went away.

This is fine. It makes perfect sense that while Amare is looking better and better on offense shooting > 50% that Melo and JR take 43 shots vs. 9 for Amare.

The best part is when this style of play leads to yet another Melo first round exit folks will be killing Amare's D and blame Novak or something.

When Melo has a game like he had vs. the Hawks it only serves to justify all the 11-28 shootings nights he will follow it up with. Doesnt help he hasnt played a lick of defense since the first month of the season. Yawn. Im sure nykmentality will launch into a 3 page response detailing all the reasons for this.

Actually, the biggest defensive play of the game was when Melo and Amare trapped Smith at halfcourt causing the violation....To be fair, Amare took about 13 shots when you consider he was fouled while shooting and he took 8 Freethrows.

I agree 28 shots per is a bit much, although cant fault him too much for the Hawks game since he was so hot, but keep in mind Amare is only getting 25-28 mins to Melo's 42-44 mins nightly. Keep Melo on the floor that long he's going to launch cause that what he does. Amare's touches are a direct correlation to the PNR, our pg and our coach. Not sure why Woodson hasn't called more PNR with Stat.

Uptown wrote:

fishmike wrote:

Anji wrote:Time to dump on Melo already???

In a week this thread will be gone and forgotten.

agree... kinda like that MVP "discussion" went away.

This is fine. It makes perfect sense that while Amare is looking better and better on offense shooting > 50% that Melo and JR take 43 shots vs. 9 for Amare.

The best part is when this style of play leads to yet another Melo first round exit folks will be killing Amare's D and blame Novak or something.

When Melo has a game like he had vs. the Hawks it only serves to justify all the 11-28 shootings nights he will follow it up with. Doesnt help he hasnt played a lick of defense since the first month of the season. Yawn. Im sure nykmentality will launch into a 3 page response detailing all the reasons for this.

Actually, the biggest defensive play of the game was when Melo and Amare trapped Smith at halfcourt causing the violation....To be fair, Amare took about 13 shots when you consider he was fouled while shooting and he took 8 Freethrows.

I agree 28 shots per is a bit much, although cant fault him too much for the Hawks game since he was so hot, but keep in mind Amare is only getting 25-28 mins to Melo's 42-44 mins nightly. Keep Melo on the floor that long he's going to launch cause that what he does. Amare's touches are a direct correlation to the PNR, our pg and our coach. Not sure why Woodson hasn't called more PNR with Stat.

Melo seems to be under the impression Knicks need him to shoot 30x a game to win. To be fair that will get this group to 50 wins assuming the others play hard around him. It will also get us out of the playoffs in the first round as it always does. The only way this team comes close to hitting its ceiling is if there is balance, and right now there is zero balance. You have two volume low % shooters taking almost half the shots night in and night out. Thats a recipe for failure come postseason. It always is.