RonRon wrote:

nixluva wrote:

Uptown wrote:

nixluva wrote:This is a very strange set of issues.

1. I think Woody made it clear to Grunwald that he didn't feel Lin was the best PG for what he wanted to do.
If you remember Woody made several Disparaging remarks about Lin but walked those comments back. Woody is a LB disciple and the complete polar opposite of MDA.

2. Melo also tried to talk up Lin and make it seem like he was super supportive, but I think that was mostly because he saw how popular Lin was. I think Melo was actually really jealous of Lin and didn't like the MDA style which went thru Lin 1st and Melo 2nd. This gets back to Woody who I believe was brought in to be the future coach and Melo made sure that happened and pretty much was ELATED when MDA left and Woody started talking about going thru Melo.

3. Lin for his part probably saw the writing on the wall and did what was in his best interests. Why should Lin give up guaranteed money for the Knicks when Woody and Melo want to push him back to being serve it up to Melo and get out of the way PG? If i'm Lin I think i'd notice the diff between MDA and Woody in terms of support.

4. This is the right thing to do if you want to play a Pistons style of BB and not have a PG driven offense. All Woody knows is that Pistons style and he's seen it win so why would he want to do anything else??? Woody didn't want to play Teague in ATL and in much the same way he really didn't like Lin's game either. Woody has made a lot of pro Lin comments, but I've never really believed him. Also the way Grunwald built the team you can see that he was gearing it more towards Woody than MDA. That makes sense cuz i'm sure he heard from Dolan that MDA was not getting another extension. This is now a Ground n Pound team with a Ground n Pound Coach.

Talk about speculation!! Why the need to tear-down Woodson and Melo in order to prop Lin up? Everything Woodson and Melo have said about Lin has been positive yet you dont take them at there words and take the cynical approach.

What is your opinion on the first contract leaking and the Knicks making it clear that they would match? Then Lin fly's out to Vegas to renegotiate a new contract that Lin had to know would put the Knicks in a very tough Spot? Where was the loyality from Lin?

Yeah I pretty much don't believe Woody or Melo. I think they both had less love for Lin than they let on when Lin was the star of the show. As soon as MDA left Woody went right in on Lin's role and how he was gonna lean on Melo and STAT. Melo always says the right thing in public but his actions tell a different story. You know it's well documented how he dogged it for MDA and how he made disparaging remarks about MDA's offense. Soon as he gets Woody he's all in and goes ape nuts on D etc. You don't have to dig too deep to figure out how both men really feel about Lin.

Look the Knicks could decide to keep Lin, tho I doubt it, but I think Woody would prefer things the way they are with Kidd and Felton than Lin. He's NEVER liked PG's that play the way Lin does. He wants to play the way they did in Detroit and how he had things in ATL. That's fine if you want to go with a Melo Centric offense then you build towards that goal. What's the point of having Lin if you're going to shackle him and not let him be what he is, an attacking, ball dominant PG?

You make some valid points, but the master of that ground and pound style has even changed with The Spurs/Poppoavich.
The league has changed, the players have evolved, and we have the adapt to the league's players/coaching philosophies.
How many teams back then could put in 4 legit 3point shooters with the athleticism and guard skill set there is in todays game?
There are teams that could put 5 shooters and still have good length, size, athleticism, and versatility.
When you have that many shooters, it takes away the shot blocking ability from the bigs that cannot step out to the 3point line, or it gives them a wide open shot.
This opens up the lane to penetrate and post up 1v1 when you have a mismatch with players like Lebron, Dirk, Durant, Kobe, Wade, Harden, Westbrook, Deron, Joe Johson, etc...
How many agile bigs were there?
How many guards, form PG- SF's that have such size, athleticism, length, speed/quickness, and ability to take contract/finish over bigs?

I'm just saying what the thinking of the Knicks Org. actually is. They brought in Woody for a reason. They fully intended for him to eventually be the coach, perhaps it came a bit earlier than they expected, but this was the plan. Adding Melo and then Tyson you could see that Grunwald was headed in this direction. IF you have Woody, Melo, Tyson and then add Kidd, Camby, Felton and KT you pretty much are going with an older style of BB. You have Woody calling for STAT and Tyson to learn post moves so that he can get away from High Post PnR a lot more and go with a more traditional style of BB.

Woody wants guys in there spots! PG out at the 3pt line, Melo on one block, Tyson on the other, Perhaps STAT in mid post and then moving to the low post when Tyson goes to the bench. Extremely Basic BB. You get a slower pace, more controlled and fewer TO's. It's just the reality of what the team is now.

OasisBU wrote:

GodSaveTheKnicks wrote:Howard Beck ‏@HowardBeckNYT
MT @rodboone Asked Melo if Knicks would be OK at PG with Kidd & Felton: "I mean, what other point guards are we going to get at this point?"

Rod Boone ‏@rodboone
Melo on assumption Lin would return: "I think a lot of people kind of jumped the gun with that, that he’s going to be back no matter what."

If those quotes are real then it's clear Melo is no fan of Lin. I'm not sure what to believe there but I'm not sure Melo would say that stuff right now. I guess you never know.

I mean think about it. You killed yourself to get out of the rough streets of Baltimore. You won a championship your freshman season at Syracuse. You put up big #s every season and hold your own in head to head matchups with Lebron, etc.

Then MDA asks you to go stand in the corner while Toney Douglas tries to run pick n rolls on top of the key. The media and the fans are turning on you. This Lin kid comes in and now it's all about him.

People start talking about YOU, Carmelo Anthony having to adjust YOUR game to some undrafted chinese kid (probably not too many of this in B'more) from HARVARD (not too many of those in the NBA). TIME magazine and everyone else is on his nuts.

Every alpha dog in this league has an ego. D-Will showed how ticked off he got with all the Linsanity stuff. Kobe showed it too. The Heat showed it too.

Please don't take this as an attack on Melo because honestly if I was Melo and I think MOST players in Melo's position would be like WTF???

Yeah he ain't got no ring/he can't get out of the 1st round blablabla but can you imagine say KG in Minnesota (before he won a thing) or say Ray Allen in Milwaukee or AI in Philly being asked to take a back seat to Jeremy Lin?

OasisBU wrote:

GodSaveTheKnicks wrote:Howard Beck ‏@HowardBeckNYT
MT @rodboone Asked Melo if Knicks would be OK at PG with Kidd & Felton: "I mean, what other point guards are we going to get at this point?"

Rod Boone ‏@rodboone
Melo on assumption Lin would return: "I think a lot of people kind of jumped the gun with that, that he’s going to be back no matter what."

If those quotes are real then it's clear Melo is no fan of Lin. I'm not sure what to believe there but I'm not sure Melo would say that stuff right now. I guess you never know.

What do you expect him to do? Pull a tantrum in the middle of USA Basketball practices? Like that is gonna help? The guy will still be a Knick and in the NBA you need to develop tough skin because anybody can be traded or in this case not brought back. Melo know live goes on with or without Lin. Why the need to see more than there is in a one line quote?

"It's not up to me," said Anthony. "It's up to the organization to say that they want to match that ridiculous contract."

Lin's breakthrough came while Anthony was injured.

"I'd love to see him back, but I think he has to do what's best for him right now."

http://Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/222336/Carmelo_Calls_Lins_Third_Year_Balloon_Salary_Ridiculous#ixzz20iQGjw00

Lets see if Carmelo will opt out of his final year of his contract, and demand a 3 year extension in the likes of Joe Johnson.
Would such a contract NOT ridiculous, especially at a mutliyear deal?

Do the math, add Felton/Kidd and Lin's 3rd year contract COMBINED, and it would the same as Melo and Amare's each year, especially at their peaks, in fact if Melo opts out, he could demand more?
Lin cannot do what is in his best interest but Melo has earned that right?

Well there is a loophole, Melo can opt out of his contract at his final year, and take LESS MONEY than he his 24m to make up for the extra 5m that we are expected to have paid to retain Lin's services.
Now would Melo be a team player?
Does he really want to keep Lin around like he says he does?
Lets see! Cause if he really wants Lin to stay, he has the ability to allow him us to make up for the deal, would he resign a Paul Pierce/KG like deal, 13m at a multi year deal or will he demand MAX?

Anyone see my argument and point?
We have payed 100m salaries to be in the lottery in the past, followed by continuing to trade/add salary which we could have payed taxes for?
So I don't see $$$$ being the issue for Dolan?
But Dolan DOES NOT LIKE to feel disrespected?

So matching the offer and trading him after is a legit option, to a team that would have that flexibility in 2015!
Lin, generates fans and money, and is still a good although not 100% proven PG, but if he even is a decent starting PG, he is well worth that one year IF YOU DONT HAVE TO PAY much taxes!
It is a no brainier that he is still an asset to those teams!

Pacers
Dallas
Suns

Bobcats
Kings
OKC

There are many teams that could use Lin and have assets to give up for him!
Teams that fit their team as well, as well as could use a PG of his caliber, and can not worry about salary in year 3 in 2015 *OKC depending on what they do with Harden/Ibaka*
Grunweld will do the match and match, while there are many options in saving salary in year 3.

1) Trading Tyson Chandler with Camby here is a possibility that I fear!

2) Melo taking less money, he can opt out that year!

3) Trading Lin when we are eligible in half a year or before this 3rd year.

Building a team to improve our chances of winning in our 3 year window while collecting assets that Grunweld somehow managed with NOTHING, NO CAP ROOM, 2nd picks, and what we could get off Lin.
It could help our present and out future by matching his offer, we shall find out in a couple of days.

Melo is at WORSE the 3rd best SF in the NBA. Lin isnt even top 10 in NBA PG's.

STATMELO wrote:It is definitely the right thing to do. Jeremy Lin had only played in 25 games and had no playoff experience. It was too big of a risk to take, he didn't seem to want to be here. From the beginning all you heard were pessimistic comments from Lin and his agent how his return not being a sure thing. Lin is the one who re-negotiated with Houston, we would have easily matched the first offer. He did not really seem to want to stay here. So good riddance to you Jeremy Lin. Raymond Felton and Kurt Thomas>Jeremy Lin. Stop with the Felton jokes he's been a solid 13 and 7 PG for his career. As we saw when he was on the Knicks he can run the P&R, he's a better defender than Lin and he thrives in the big moment, he's pretty fast considering he's "fat". You have to remember how he played with us he was nearly an All-Star. Thomas has already been here we've seen what he can do he's older but he can defend the paint. How can this be called idiotic its one of the best basketball decisions James Dolan has made.

You've convinced me, Felton's played in 9 career playoff games and that clearly puts him over the top

Uptown wrote:

OasisBU wrote:

GodSaveTheKnicks wrote:Howard Beck ‏@HowardBeckNYT
MT @rodboone Asked Melo if Knicks would be OK at PG with Kidd & Felton: "I mean, what other point guards are we going to get at this point?"

Rod Boone ‏@rodboone
Melo on assumption Lin would return: "I think a lot of people kind of jumped the gun with that, that he’s going to be back no matter what."

If those quotes are real then it's clear Melo is no fan of Lin. I'm not sure what to believe there but I'm not sure Melo would say that stuff right now. I guess you never know.

All year long Melo has supported Lin. Even Lin has stated many times that he and Melo got along really well. Not sure why everyone doesn't want to believe it....I guess its the need to continue to make Melo the punching bag...

Cuz it's fun to imagine melo and Lin hate each other