fitzfarm wrote:nixluva wrote:Knicks Brass with a serious Poker Face regarding Melo. They're playing this all the way out. Melo will either accept a team like the Blazers or stay in NY. It's the only smart play by Mills/Perry.
I like it to, it makes melo feel outta control. Perry basically said to melo forget about Houston it an’t happening. You either live your worst nightmare and suit up for us or you take a trade to a team that we get proper return back for you... or ruin your reputation and stay home. either way you are not part of our future and we aren’t bending for you .
The Knicks have close to no leverage here.
1) Melo on this roster could risk a severe injury at some point this season. In which case, he OPTS IN and becomes a media and roster and team chemistry distraction for TWO FULL YEARS. Ugh...
2) Melo on this roster could easily create a massive media and conflict issue all season long, and up to two full seasons, poisoning the future of Zinger on this team. If Melo is on this team, Zinger will never see the ball.
3) Melo doesn't care about winning, not if it's not in line with his "Brand" and making max money. If he can win after those two things are covered, he would seem happy as that as a bonus. He doesn't care about winning. He doesn't care about playing team basketball. He doesn't care about giving max effort. So he'd be happy to rot here if it came to that.
There is no "smart play" by the Knicks here to keep Melo on this roster. They are stuck with him if he chooses to not waive his NTC for more teams because THEY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE, IT'S NOT A SMART DECISION. IT IS, IN FACT, NO DECISION AT ALL.
IT IS, IN FACT - NO DECISION AT ALL
IT IS NO DECISION AT ALL
NO. DECISION. AT. ALL.
Of course Perry and Mills say they are "comfortable" with Melo on the roster. What else are they going to say?
Of course they are not comfortable with him on the roster. Hornacek is fighting to keep his job. To do so, he needs to win and needs to win over Zinger on a interpersonal level. Zinger is not going to be won over if he never sees the ball. Melo is never going to pass the guy the ball. Hornacek needs wins. To win, you need to play team basketball when you don't have a ton of talent and you need to make defensive stops playing some actual team defense. You aren't getting any of that with Melo on the floor. Melo is a certifiable coach killer.
Mills is also fighting for his job. He needs wins and a push for the 8th seed as much as Hornacek. This is not happening with Melo on the roster.
Jack and Sessions are mentoring younger players because they want to make the team. They recognize at this point in their careers, it's near the end, and they need to convert to quasi player/coaches to stay in the NBA. This is not altruism here. Jack and Sessions don't play in a team oriented style to make the younger players better. They were available FOR A REASON. They are MINIMUM players for a REASON. At least Jack is a good locker room guy. Both play a very selfish brand of low IQ ball, given a relative push/pull with their skill set. Jack does not play smart basketball. At all. If you want rookies to learn how to take badly contested long twos with zero defense and no sense of how to run a functional NBA base offensive set, then sure Jack is your guy.
This is all just media fluff, but it's not like Perry and Mills have a choice in what to say here. At least they are saying the politically correct things to not spur any more controversy.
Mills wants to SAVE HIS JOB
Hornacek wants to SAVE HIS JOB
That's it. What's good for the team will be secondary to saving their jobs. Even for another month, another year. Another day. This is why "lame duck" coaches and executives are bad bad situations for teams. You don't want a lame duck guy making short term moves to save his job at the cost of long term negatives for the future of the franchise. You see how badly the Rose/Noah/Lee situation worked out for the Knicks with Jackson edging near the end and knowing it.
If they wanted to keep Hornacek , I understand, but Mills should have been clipped too, on general principle. To prevent any long term deals that would hurt the Knicks long term to save someone's job short term ( like the Noah deal)
No one is "comfortable" with any of this in the Knicks front office. Melo won't even RAISE HIS HANDS when closing out a shooter on defense. If he even makes a half hearted attempt to stroll near the shooter in the first place. Think about that. He won't even PUT HIS MOTHER F^^KING HANDS IN THE AIR. You think these guys don't know this is the kind of happy horse**** that gets dudes fired?
This team needs to get him off this roster. At some point, the bad deal is him staying and risking two years of poisoning Zinger.
9/22/2017 9:58 AM
