TMS wrote:

martin wrote:

TMS wrote:Melo carried the Nuggets past the Orlando Magic earlier this week with a monster game & almost did the same last night against the NBA's top team the Spurs scoring over 30 if he had gotten the benefit of a call from the refs on his last shot that went in at the buzzer (looked like a legitimate non-call to me, but he was called for charging)

i have no idea how people wouldn't want a guy like that on this team... with 2 guys like Amare & Melo, you are presenting matchup nightmares for every other team in the NBA every single night... why is that a bad thing?

it's not a bad thing. Neither is using the same money for Nene and bench.

i don't think addressing the bench is a bad thing either, but it's much harder to get your hands on stud players in this league... i don't want Amare to go through what Ewing had to go through his entire career by trying to carry a team on his back that lacked another legitimate star player... you add Melo to this team & it prevents other teams from doubling him on a nightly basis & saves a lot of wear & tear on his body from expending so much energy every night trying to carry this team in crunchtime... i don't think Amare is gonna continue putting up 30 & 10 type games on a nightly basis, it's just unrealistic... sooner or later he's gonna slow down, & when that happens who is going to step up to carry the load? Ray? Gallo? Wilson? i just don't buy it... i think adding another guy like Melo who can also carry the offense would do wonders for our team & practically guarantees that we stay competitive w/the top teams in the NBA for a longer stretch, & not just when Amare has a crazy game.

i have no problems w/adding a defensive minded C to this team to add to the balance, but i don't think u pass up on Melo to go after Nene... the ideal situation would be landing both in a larger package... or if not Nene, then targetting Camby or Pryzbilla in a separate trade... i'd be fine w/any of those options, but Melo would be my #1 priority.

anyone wanna see what happens when Amare isn't having a monster game, see what happened tonight... Gallo had a nice game but he's not someone that other teams are gonna double team... the Heat were doubling & tripling on Amare regularly in the 2nd half & shut him down... we need another star that can carry the offense when Amare can't.

matt wrote:

TMS wrote:

cheers wrote:

TMS wrote:they just showed a graphic on ESPN... guess who's in 2nd place alltime scoring in games at MSG behind Michael Jordan? that's right... everyone's favorite overrated volume shooter, Carmelo Anthony at 30.4 ppg.

make it happen donnie!

amazing the luxury heat have to rest wade and bosh while lebron light new york up.

anyone wanna see what happens when Amare isn't having a monster game, see what happened tonight... Gallo had a nice game but he's not someone that other teams are gonna double team... the Heat were doubling & tripling on Amare regularly in the 2nd half & shut him down... we need another star that can carry the offense when Amare can't.

Exactly.. Needing one player to avg 30ppg is not a winning strategy

I agree, but I also think part of the problem was that Amar'e is playing out of position at center. Games like this, playing undersized really hurt us.

Solace wrote:

matt wrote:

TMS wrote:

cheers wrote:

TMS wrote:they just showed a graphic on ESPN... guess who's in 2nd place alltime scoring in games at MSG behind Michael Jordan? that's right... everyone's favorite overrated volume shooter, Carmelo Anthony at 30.4 ppg.

make it happen donnie!

amazing the luxury heat have to rest wade and bosh while lebron light new york up.

anyone wanna see what happens when Amare isn't having a monster game, see what happened tonight... Gallo had a nice game but he's not someone that other teams are gonna double team... the Heat were doubling & tripling on Amare regularly in the 2nd half & shut him down... we need another star that can carry the offense when Amare can't.

Exactly.. Needing one player to avg 30ppg is not a winning strategy

I agree, but I also think part of the problem was that Amar'e is playing out of position at center. Games like this, playing undersized really hurt us.

i don't see how we got exposed for being undersized tonight... it's not like Big Z or Joel Anthony were doing anything on offense or rebounding particularly well... we lost because we couldn't match up with Miami's athleticism & relentless defense & had no answer when they started double teaming Amare.

nixluva wrote:It's not just that we didn't get 30 from Amar'e! It was that Felton had a non aggressive game! He's our Nash in this offense. He has to be a scorer and be a pain in the neck for the opposing team. He's got to get everyone else going as well. He just wasn't into the action in this game. Gallo and Chandler were there, but we MUST have Felton and Amar'e too, in order to beat the Heat and teams like them. It's not so much that we can't beat them without a breakdown player like Melo. We just didn't play Knicks BB in the 2nd half. We let them take us out of what we want to do.
If Felton was taking his usual midrange to long range jumpers like he has been doing that would force the D to adjust.

Felton, Amare, Fields all neutralized tonight.

nixluva wrote:

TMS wrote:a winner in your own mind maybe... Ewing's teams were probably some of the best defensive teams in the history of the game... playing MDA style of ball it's almost impossible to hold ANY teams to low scoring games, much less as talented a group as the Miami Heat... this is not the Pat Riley/JVG slow it down, halfcourt set style offense & choking defensive teams of the old days... MDA doesn't believe in that kind of basketball... his philosophy is all about outscoring the opponent with a high volume of shot opportunities & possessions... adding as many scorers as possible feeds into that style of basketball.

Actually it's not just about the pace as much as it is about the efficiency of the offense. The idea is to play fast cuz that often leads to better shots cuz the D doesn't have time to react. We play fast and efficient and the idea is to be more efficient than the other team and most nights you'll win. Tonight the Heat made all their shots and we didn't, plus we stunk at the line which was a bad sign to begin with.

It's true that this is not going to be a defensive juggernaut, although I think the Heat are a unique team in that they have 2 of the best breakdown players and amazing shot makers you can imagine. That's not even remotely normal. Most great teams only have one guy like that!!!

We need more scoring that will keep us from having those scoring droughts or from allowing teams to take away our best and only real options. You stop Felton/Amar'e and that's pretty much our whole offense! So yes I would agree that you do need more scoring in the sense that you want another guy that can dominate. It just adds up when you see a great defensive team stop your best options. There's nothing a defense can do against a guy that can get his jumper off at anytime and over anybody like Lebron was doing. How can you defend that unless you send a double every time and you know that won't really work against the Heat. So YOU MUST BE ABLE TO KEEP SCORING and match them point for point. In the end this is probably what makes the deal happen. I'm sure Donnie and Dolan got a good look at what happened tonight.

exactly, and i agree with your whole post too. just me adding to the bold part.. does coach not see gallo saying with his play, let me be the man. when gallo is hot let him be the focal point of the offense. when you have a legit 6'10 player stepping up, reward him, give him touches.

TMS wrote:

nixluva wrote:...although I think the Heat are a unique team in that they have 2 of the best breakdown players and amazing shot makers you can imagine. That's not even remotely normal. Most great teams only have one guy like that!!!

We need more scoring that will keep us from having those scoring droughts or from allowing teams to take away our best and only real options. You stop Felton/Amar'e and that's pretty much our whole offense! So yes I would agree that you do need more scoring in the sense that you want another guy that can dominate. It just adds up when you see a great defensive team stop your best options. There's nothing a defense can do against a guy that can get his jumper off at anytime and over anybody like Lebron was doing. How can you defend that unless you send a double every time and you know that won't really work against the Heat. So YOU MUST BE ABLE TO KEEP SCORING and match them point for point. In the end this is probably what makes the deal happen. I'm sure Donnie and Dolan got a good look at what happened tonight.

exactly... we don't HAVE a guy like that that's the kind of amazing shot maker that can breakdown his man off the dribble like teams like the Heat, Celtics & Lakers have... Melo could fill that role for us... u add Melo to Amare, Felton & either Fields, Wilson or Gallo, & you got yourself a formula that is pretty much impossible to defend for other teams, even for the Miami Heat.

I can only guess that both Denver and Donnie are holding out right now for the best possible deal That means nothing happens until the deadline. It's a shame, but it always comes down to that. Both sides know it's probably the only solution that works for everyone involved, but they won't make it happen until there's no choice but to make a deal and see who blinks.

The only danger I see is that we end up not making any move trying to hold out for the Melo deal and then Denver pulls some crap and we end up not getting him and maybe missing out on some other deals. This is like high stakes poker.