nixluva wrote:Uptown wrote:nixluva wrote:MDA did not have a losing record last year. This year with Melo playing his worst BB for most of the season, that was a major contributor to the losing record. Yeah we had the stretch with the no PG thing, but even in that instance if Melo was playing great they could've overcome the lack of a PG. Sometimes you have to look at the players as the PRIMARY source of why a team plays well or not. Take Tyson and Jared off the floor and the team still stinks on D even with Woody. The players are the bulk of the reason teams win. The coach can set an agenda and get a team to operate at a higher level in many areas, but the bulk of the work is still on the players. This is why Melo get's so much blame for the teams record since he's come here. Just think about how little press Scott Brooks gets in OKC. The credit goes mostly to the players. No one thinks that they win because Brooks is such a masterful head coach. Tho he's doing a GREAT job and should get more credit. It's just that people rightly acknowledge that it's the great talent they have and the players holding up their end of the bargain. Doc Rivers is a great coach, but it's not like he doesn't have a top tier level of talent in KG, Pierce, Allen and Rondo. Melo has had GOOD coaches. He's really only got himself to blame for not doing more in his career. He can look in the mirror and say to himself that he needs to take his conditioning MUCH more seriously. He needs to listen to his coaches that have tried to get him to play more team oriented. Karl and MDA have very good track records for getting players to play team ball at a high level. There's no excuse for Melo not to have learned the lessons. Instead now he has a coach that believes in ISO ball and Melo is happy. I can only hope that Woody can get thru to Melo about taking things more seriously.
Woodson recognized the strength of the roster and planned accordingly to play to that strength. He's a coach not a GM. Coach what you have and make it work. Woodson coached this team to an over .700 win percentage and had this team playing better than any team in the league that didn't play in San Antonio. The Previous coach ignored the strength, and didn't coach the players he had but coached them into what he wanted them to be. It was foolish; it didn't work and MDA knew this thats why he quit.
Also, what do you mean Melo has only himself to blame for not doing more i his career? In terms of what? Going further in the playoffs? Those Denver teams were not better than the Lakers or Spurs the teams they lost to and you know it. Was he supposed to beat Boston by himself last year while Stat and Billups sat on the bench?
These top teir players you speak of are successful because they ave each other. KG, Ray and Pierce were on losing teams until they teamed up. What the hell did KG do in the playoffs in Minny? The Celts and Pierce were as bad as us before KG and Allen. The Sonics never did a thing in the playoffs either. Swap and Pierce and Melo and Pierce would be the one we would call and under achiever and Melo would be the standard for Pierce.
The team as a whole was not against MDA!!! This so called ignored strength is 100% total BS. In what way did MDA not use Melo? He put the ball in his hands and basically allowed him to do whatever he wanted for most of the year. The only time Melo was restricted in any way was when he came back in the 10 game stretch before MDA resigned. The TEAM was winning before Melo came back and it was clear that the LOVED playing team ball MDA's way just like MOST players love playing in that system. You NEVER hear any player saying "OH NO! I don't wanna play in that players system and score a ton of points".
The team was winning with Defense and offense before Melo came back. People don't want to admit the defense part, even tho it's true!!! They didn't only start defending under Woody!!!
As for Melo not going further, he was part of a TEAM and only one time did that team advance playing TEAM BALL because Billups made sure they did!!!
The team as a whole was not against MDA!!! This so called ignored strength is 100% total BS. In what way did MDA not use Melo? He put the ball in his hands and basically allowed him to do whatever he wanted for most of the year.
Having Melo run point forward setting up plays 30 feet from the basket is not playing to his strength. When Melo came back, he was camping out on the wing behind the 3 point line like Shawne Williams. Melo is a career 31% 3 pt shooter. That is not a strength. He's a high post rhythm shooter who excells mid range and in. That wasn't happening on a consistant level.
The TEAM was winning before Melo came back and it was clear that the LOVED playing team ball MDA's way just like MOST players love playing in that system. You NEVER hear any player saying "OH NO! I don't wanna play in that players system and score a ton of points".
The team won some games before Melo came back and won way more after MDA left. So whats your point? Its not about loving a system its about winning with the players you have. Yes, they played defense during the Linsanity streak and they played even better defense when Woodson took over. They won more games when Lin and Stat sat-out than they did when Melo was out. Theres no way they win those games without Lin had MDA not resigned.
As for Melo not going further, he was part of a TEAM and only one time did that team advance playing TEAM BALL because Billups made sure they did!!!
So the only reason the Nuggs advanced is because Billups made sure they played team ball? Dude, how biased does that sound?! How about, they advanced because Melo finally had a legit second option and a legit PG to play alongside him. Just like KG finally advanced because he was paired with a legit 2nd and third option.
5/8/2012 6:56 PM