We had enough talent to win this game without Melo, just not enough poise.

Cartman718 wrote:I am sorry but why are we assigning blame to a single reason...
There are several reasons we lost...
1. Fisher admitting in the post game interview that he should have subbed more guys. Keep legs fresh.
2. We won the Boston game without Melo because we had built a substantial lead and all we had to do was HOLD ON to the lead, also Isiah Thomas made a mistake or two at the end.
3. Players outside of DWill didn't play with enough energy. I clearly remember a few passes that Grant should have made, but didn't; a few shots that Lance should have taken, but didn't; a few shots that Jose should have taken, but didn't; a few drives that DWill shouldn't have made, but did; a few shots that KP should not have taken, but did.

We had enough talent to win this game without Melo, just not enough poise.

This isn't about assigning blame for the loss.

This is saying here is a concrete example of how Melo makes things easier for KP - he had much less room to operate against the Nets and had a guy in his face for 14 of his 17 shot attempts, leading to him shooting 5-17. If Melo plays, he would've gotten better looks.

They still could've lost if Melo played, but I sort of doubt it

dk7th wrote:

crzymdups wrote:Melo creates so much space and takes so much attention off KP. When the Nets played the Knicks at the Garden, they had to put Thad Young, their best defender, on Melo. Melo out? KP gets the other team's best defender and gets no space to operate.

Also, I think a lot of people noticed how much the defense suffered without Melo, too.

This is why keeping Melo really helps KP's development. He's not ready to be a #1 option - Melo's pressence immeasurably helps KP's game in all faucets.

trade which melo? the one that played here prior to this season or the one that is playing great since the arrival of kp?

and how does the team do with melo on the floor without kp? better, the same, or worse? the article only shows what kp is doing with pout melo out there.

Even if Melo played yesterday, this might have been a tough game to win, due to Fisher's short rotation, after a long hard grinding game the day before. It was evident in our 3 pt shooting percentage right out of the gate. We missed several WIDE OPEN 3pt attempts as a team, that we normally make. But on the days when our legs are fresh, we usually make a high percentage. Melo would've helped KP and others get open shots. And this is Melo's team until he retires. That should've been clear before the lost to the Nets yesterday. It doesn't take us to lose yesterdays game without Melo to realize KP is not on Melo's level right now. And worse case, he may never be that alpha dog, you never know. But we do know KP will compliment any star player we add during KP's career as a Knick.

PresIke wrote:Melo also has been benefiting from not being double and triple teamed as much as he usually is, and getting better looks of late as well. Both the triangle system, good team players, and KP's offensive ability have contributed to him of late I think.

This is totally false.

"fans" who don't actually watch the games always seem to expose themselves when they make statements like this.

PresIke wrote:Melo also has been benefiting from not being double and triple teamed as much as he usually is, and getting better looks of late as well. Both the triangle system, good team players, and KP's offensive ability have contributed to him of late I think.

In fairness, KP seemed tired as well, as did the rest of the team, so not sure that game was the best way to measure this. The game against Memphis will be more telling if Melo sits again.

Either way, anyone questioning Melo's value now seems off. He and KP are developing a very nice relationship on the court. Unless we are replacing Melo with the right player, I don't see us trading him anyway. We're going to look for a PG, most likely.

nobody can question melo's value to the knicks the way he has been playing this season. if it were not for lebron james i think melo would have to be considered 1st team all-nba. this is the first season we can see melo playing the right way, making others around him better on BOTH ends of the court.

he isn't perfect, and i have issues with the way he has played in the last 4 minutes of certain games, where he seems to revert to the old melo, ie making bad decisions. outside of that, even someone with the greatest antipathy to wards the kind of player he has been has to be thrilled with the way melo is playing this season.

just don't tell me kp's emergence has nothing to do with it, or a good chunk of the rest of the roster for that matter, or last but certainly not least, coach fisher.

newyorker4ever wrote:

crzymdups wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:

crzymdups wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:
5 for 17 adds up to tired legs.

Here, Fisher admits he goofed the game at 1:08 mark:

http://www.nba.com/knicks/video/teams/knicks/2016/01/14/dropbox_nyk_fisher_011316_MSGI_2528k_1280w.mp4-228853

Stop with the Melo idolotry, the Knicks world doesn't rotate around him. Knicks should've won this game, but didn't close out. KP is human and will make mistakes (he is 20), but will handle the franchise torch by season's end.

Or maaaaaybe 5 for 17 adds up to Kristaps not getting the good looks he gets when Melo plays. Which is what he said after the game. Which is the point of this thread. Glad you're all caught up now.

But on Wednesday, Anthony's absence allowed Brooklyn to focus its defense on Porzingis.

"I could feel the pressure from the beginning," he said afterward. "They were really getting into my jersey and playing tighter defense."

Thaddeus Young wouldn't leave the rookie alone. With Anthony out, Young -- and the rest of the Nets' front line -- didn't have to.

KP shot 3-10 against Miami on a back to back and 4-13 against Boston on another back to back.

Dead legs, stop over analyzing.

Yup, you should all be caught up now.

He had the best game of his life on a back to back in Houston, one night after playing in OKC. He had 24pts 14rebs 7blks on 8 for 12 shooting. Pretty impressive for dead legs!

http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400828081

Now that's reality but i'm sure certain people will find an excuse for why he did good in that back to back.

It's so weird that nobody has said anything to this post yet about how well KP played in the back to back with Houston and OKC. Hello, guys can you please tell us why his tired legs and arms worked so well in that back to back?? Please.

dk7th wrote:trade which melo? the one that played here prior to this season or the one that is playing great since the arrival of kp?

What difference does it make? Trade the former you also traded the latter.

Cartman718 wrote:2. We won the Boston game without Melo because we had built a substantial lead and all we had to do was HOLD ON to the lead, also Isiah Thomas made a mistake or two at the end.

KNicks had a 1 point lead at 11:26 of the 4th and were behind of tied in the 4th from 7:22 to 4:18 and again at 2:44.

They didn't hold onto the lead in the 4th. They won the game in the 4th.

Knickoftime wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:

Knickoftime wrote:

dk7th wrote:trade which melo? the one that played here prior to this season or the one that is playing great since the arrival of kp?

What difference does it make? Trade the former you also traded the latter.

Correct. You trade both Melos, especially today's DadMelo to get some value back, so you can finally move forward as a franchise.

Meds ain't working, eh?

Can't hold onto a single screen name I see.

ChuckBuck wrote:

Knickoftime wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:

Knickoftime wrote:

dk7th wrote:trade which melo? the one that played here prior to this season or the one that is playing great since the arrival of kp?

What difference does it make? Trade the former you also traded the latter.

Correct. You trade both Melos, especially today's DadMelo to get some value back, so you can finally move forward as a franchise.

Meds ain't working, eh?

Can't hold onto a single screen name I see.

Nope, KNickoftime or as it reads in my sig, Bigbasketballs. Take your pick. One in the same.

dk7th wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:

Knickoftime wrote:

dk7th wrote:trade which melo? the one that played here prior to this season or the one that is playing great since the arrival of kp?

What difference does it make? Trade the former you also traded the latter.

Correct. You trade both Melos, especially today's DadMelo to get some value back, so you can finally move forward as a franchise.

you're really getting carried away. melo is a very valuable player right now. i enjoy watching him play for the first time. the issue is the unfortunately-titled thread. seems like trying to stir up trouble where it just isn't warranted.

the issue is that we have not seen this melo ever before, so why pretend otherwise, which is why the thread-starter is a wee bit gratuitous and jejune.

I don't mind Melo's play right now. It's all the critics ever wanted from him from the get go.

From George Karl, from Mike D'Antoni, from Mike Woodson. They all wanted this version of Melo.

Someone that's a willing distributor that picks their spots to take over, and play defense on every possesion, not when they feel like it.

Anyone that thinks Melo's always played this way in the past is just delusional biased rose tinted glasses homer liars.