dk7th wrote:

nixluva wrote:

nixluva wrote:The more legit players we put around Melo the more his assists should improve. Often he passes to no effect because guys either miss the open shot or turn down the open shot. This is a team problem and not so much just a Melo problem. Should he get better at being more of a team player, YES, but he's made to look worse due to the players he's been surrounded by most of his time here.

Melo has his flaws and i've had my issues with him over the years, but it's FAR more important to fix the rest of the roster than to be worrying about Melo. We literally have to establish a new core to this team. We need a starting quality PG, SG, PF and Center!!! This is what Phil needs to be most concerned with fixing.

Following an Atlanta Model ie "Money Ball" is within Phil's ability to accomplish with his current options. Draft pick, 3 Solid Free Agents and maybe a trade using his trade exceptions. It's going to really be important to make smart decisions and we'll have to see just what they do. Gotta make every decision count.

dk7th wrote:it is the responsibility of the best player to do whatever it takes to make others around him better. if he is incapable or incompetent in this regard then... why does he ask for max money in new york with a meaningless discount?

Melo is who he is. I expect him to put forth his best effort to do all that he can to help the team win, but we have also accept him for who he is. He's not Lebron. He's a scorer and he does quite well in that role when he has a good floor leader and a decent team around him. He's not going to be that player who does it all but he can be a very good piece on a good team.

dk7th wrote:and if it isn't his responsibility to make others around him better and he needs to get better players around him then, again... what is he doing asking for max money in new york with a meaningless discount?

Melo is paid what the CBA says he can make. He's getting paid what MSG is willing to pay him. It's not about him asking for Max money and it's not about the small discount. Let's also remember that Melo could've asked for a short contract where he could take advantage of the Cap increase which is going to be coming. His small discount actually locks him into the old CBA cap numbers which is a further savings for the team.

dk7th wrote:does he honestly expect to win without putting in the hard work required and making some genuine sacrifices? how is that digital athlete thing going to work out when he has left behind a losing legacy, or someone who simply gave up on the knicks?

Now you're just being nasty towards him for no reason. Who said he doesn't put in hard work or sacrifice? You aren't easily pleased by anything he does so I doubt he could sacrifice enough for you to be happy with him. At this point we know who and what Melo is. He isn't likely to change drastically at this point. It's not even necessary for him to change into someone he's not. The key is for Phil to build a good team and let Melo do what he does best. This is what happened on the WCF's team in Denver and for a while during the early part of the 54 win season in NY before it fell apart.

well phil said that melo had another level he could get to as a player. do you disagree with phil's assessment?

that level was last night. There is no excuse for him to not pass the ball like he did last night, especially when his shot is off (and he is desperately trying to shoot it back on).

dk7th wrote:

nixluva wrote:

nixluva wrote:The more legit players we put around Melo the more his assists should improve. Often he passes to no effect because guys either miss the open shot or turn down the open shot. This is a team problem and not so much just a Melo problem. Should he get better at being more of a team player, YES, but he's made to look worse due to the players he's been surrounded by most of his time here.

Melo has his flaws and i've had my issues with him over the years, but it's FAR more important to fix the rest of the roster than to be worrying about Melo. We literally have to establish a new core to this team. We need a starting quality PG, SG, PF and Center!!! This is what Phil needs to be most concerned with fixing.

Following an Atlanta Model ie "Money Ball" is within Phil's ability to accomplish with his current options. Draft pick, 3 Solid Free Agents and maybe a trade using his trade exceptions. It's going to really be important to make smart decisions and we'll have to see just what they do. Gotta make every decision count.

dk7th wrote:it is the responsibility of the best player to do whatever it takes to make others around him better. if he is incapable or incompetent in this regard then... why does he ask for max money in new york with a meaningless discount?

Melo is who he is. I expect him to put forth his best effort to do all that he can to help the team win, but we have also accept him for who he is. He's not Lebron. He's a scorer and he does quite well in that role when he has a good floor leader and a decent team around him. He's not going to be that player who does it all but he can be a very good piece on a good team.

dk7th wrote:and if it isn't his responsibility to make others around him better and he needs to get better players around him then, again... what is he doing asking for max money in new york with a meaningless discount?

Melo is paid what the CBA says he can make. He's getting paid what MSG is willing to pay him. It's not about him asking for Max money and it's not about the small discount. Let's also remember that Melo could've asked for a short contract where he could take advantage of the Cap increase which is going to be coming. His small discount actually locks him into the old CBA cap numbers which is a further savings for the team.

dk7th wrote:does he honestly expect to win without putting in the hard work required and making some genuine sacrifices? how is that digital athlete thing going to work out when he has left behind a losing legacy, or someone who simply gave up on the knicks?

Now you're just being nasty towards him for no reason. Who said he doesn't put in hard work or sacrifice? You aren't easily pleased by anything he does so I doubt he could sacrifice enough for you to be happy with him. At this point we know who and what Melo is. He isn't likely to change drastically at this point. It's not even necessary for him to change into someone he's not. The key is for Phil to build a good team and let Melo do what he does best. This is what happened on the WCF's team in Denver and for a while during the early part of the 54 win season in NY before it fell apart.

well phil said that melo had another level he could get to as a player. do you disagree with phil's assessment?

Just because he's making the most money doesn't mean that he's going to be the floor leader or even the focus of the offense in the future. My guess is that another wing player will take charge of the action and a post player will be the main focus of the future team. Melo will have a prominent role but not be alone as the only focus of the team. That IMO is the best outcome for the new roster.

The Triangle is far more flexible than some have the understanding of it. Anyone can be a focal point of a set and tho PG is not used as a ball dominant position that doesn't mean that a PG can't be a focal point on offense. The ball moves and whoever has the open shot or ability to attack the defense can do that. So far SG's have been the most dominant perimeter players Phil has had because of Jordan and Kobe but a Combo guard can equally be as effective. Phil just needs to find perimeter players capable of getting the job done. If he had Curry and Klay he'd have no problem adjusting the Triangle to take advantage of their skills.

I can imagine a guard like Dragic, Knight or R Jackson being able to find success in the Triangle playing off post players like Melo and Okafor/Towns. Phil just needs a good draft and smart FA signings.

TripleThreat wrote:
Back when the Mavericks and Spurs had Avery Johnson ( what a great underdog story for the NBA ), what separated his ability from others in terms of his court vision was WHEN HE DIDN'T HAVE THE BALL. It's not a coincidence. Magic Johnson was even more lethal without the ball in his hands at times. When Chris Paul occasionally was put out there with a Eric Bledsoe or a Darren Collision to run the point, you could see how much awareness he had without the ball in his hands.

What makes a great passer usually also incorporates what makes a player understand how to move well without the ball in his hands. Timing, rapport, trust, how to break down a defense, how to stay a step ahead of a defensive rotation, knowing how to find a seam within a defense that you can exploit, that appears one second, but would disappear a second later.

Melo's passing problems don't root from his teammates and their inability to finish, they root from his being a one dimensional low BB IQ gunner. Now he's a lethal one vs one isolation player, no doubt. But he's more Vinnie Johnson than he is Joe Dumars, much less Zeke as a player.

If Melo had the HIGHER CEILING to be a better passer, it would show in his ABILITY TO MOVE OFF THE BALL EFFECTIVELY. Which is simply something he doesn't do well.

Players who can read and break down a defense are DOING IT ALL THE TIME, not just with the ball in their hands.

A FRANCHISE PLAYER is such because he offers more solutions than problems/trade offs to his game. LBJ can guard all five positions. He can play pretty much any of them at any time. If his team needs more passing, he does it. More scoring, he does it. More defense on the perimeter, he can do it. The elite players you build a franchise around are ones where other teams have sleepless nights before they face them. They create a pick your poison scenario. Give me this open window, I will firebomb you. Take that way, and collapse on me, and I'll drop dimes all over you. For ever tactic to stop them, there is a counter. That's when a player stops becoming dangerous and simply becomes downright lethal. Melo is ONLY lethal at one thing - one vs one isolation basketball. You don't need to shut down Melo, let him score his 35-40 in an inefficient offense and watch his team lose night after night.

Argue Melo any way you please, but face the reality of his game. He brings more questions/problems/trade offs than he does solutions. There are plenty of guys like that in the NBA, they are called non franchise players.

Argue the labels all you want. Call Melo a core player or not. Or in your mind, a franchise player or not, in the end, when it comes to chasing a championship and playing critical playoff style ball, it's a lot easier to lose with him than win with him.

(exactly why Melo will be an effective sixth man in two years)

Outstanding writing worthy of being published in any newspapers sports section. Thank you TripleThreat

Jordan got paid 30million his last two seasons.

30million. Today he'd make as much as melo. I think we tend to value guys based on what they get paid.
Guys paid Max Melo, Max Harden, Max Love, Max Irving, Max Iso Joe, Maxime Bosh, etc......

Lots of guys over paid. Brandon Roy got over 19mm this year, Amare, Deron, etc......Paid based on past years. The young guys are getting Lebron/Durant money are not nearly that good.
Its the cap.

By that standard, and since we traded half our team we pigeonholed ourselves with Melo, but basically he got market rate. Knicks could offer more years.

It is not his fault, he is a great scorer, and a great shooter
However, he must be able to play off the ball, and shoot in less volume
He must join a team that is SUPER STRONG on both DEFENSE, REBOUNDING, and multiple versatile talents on both ends
With a POST presence and a penetrating presence to take the facilitating out of of CA's hands and you have a deadly scorer
That would ultimately make him the 3rd option as well, also needing shooters to space him out

RonRon wrote:CA is not a player to build around, especially at his age/contract

It is not his fault, he is a great scorer, and a great shooter
However, he must be able to play off the ball, and shoot in less volume
He must join a team that is SUPER STRONG on both DEFENSE, REBOUNDING, and multiple versatile talents on both ends
With a POST presence and a penetrating presence to take the facilitating out of of CA's hands and you have a deadly scorer
That would ultimately make him the 3rd option as well, also needing shooters to space him out

He's sounds very "HIGH MAINTENANCE"

nixluva wrote:Melo is here and Phil is going to try and put a better team together with him here. A good reference point is the 2008-09 WCF's team in Denver. Solid team that won 54 games and a WCF's. Not a great team but a solid roster. We have to believe we can put together a better core than this!!!

Player	Age  G   MP    FGA   FG%   3PA  3P%   2PA   2P%   FTA  FT%   TRB  AST  STL  BLK  TOV  PTS
Billups	32   77  35.3  12.5  .420  5.1  .410  7.4   .427  5.8  .913  3.0  6.4  1.2  0.2  2.2  17.9
Carmelo	24   66  34.5  18.3  .443  2.6  .371  15.7  .455  7.1  .793  6.8  3.4  1.1  0.4  3.0  22.8
Nene 	26   77  32.6   9.2  .604  0.1  .200  9.1   .607  4.8  .723  7.8  1.4  1.2  1.3  1.9  14.6
Kenyon 	31   66  32.0   9.8  .491  0.6  .368  9.2   .498  3.0  .604  6.0  2.0  1.5  1.1  1.6  11.7
J.R. 	23   81  27.7  11.7  .446  5.6  .397  6.1   .491  3.4  .754  3.7  2.8  1.0  0.2  1.9  15.2

If this team could get to the WCF's then it is possible to build a roster that includes Melo and can be highly competitive. A legit quality PG. A legit Solid Big man tandem. Decent 6th man. We're not talking about superstars and fantasy league approaches. Just a smart approach to bringing in a good mix of players that are efficient and productive and can play a team oriented game.

The league doesn't stand still you realize this

Just because Melody was able to win with that roster

Does not mean a comparable roster is able to compete with the landscape

Of today's teams which many of them are probably better than their 2008-2009 date of expiration

What I want you to do is start setting goals for yourself

Starting with analyzing other teams in the same manner you do ours

Bonn1997 wrote:

F500ONE wrote:

nixluva wrote:Melo is here and Phil is going to try and put a better team together with him here. A good reference point is the 2008-09 WCF's team in Denver. Solid team that won 54 games and a WCF's. Not a great team but a solid roster. We have to believe we can put together a better core than this!!!

Player	Age  G   MP    FGA   FG%   3PA  3P%   2PA   2P%   FTA  FT%   TRB  AST  STL  BLK  TOV  PTS
Billups	32   77  35.3  12.5  .420  5.1  .410  7.4   .427  5.8  .913  3.0  6.4  1.2  0.2  2.2  17.9
Carmelo	24   66  34.5  18.3  .443  2.6  .371  15.7  .455  7.1  .793  6.8  3.4  1.1  0.4  3.0  22.8
Nene 	26   77  32.6   9.2  .604  0.1  .200  9.1   .607  4.8  .723  7.8  1.4  1.2  1.3  1.9  14.6
Kenyon 	31   66  32.0   9.8  .491  0.6  .368  9.2   .498  3.0  .604  6.0  2.0  1.5  1.1  1.6  11.7
J.R. 	23   81  27.7  11.7  .446  5.6  .397  6.1   .491  3.4  .754  3.7  2.8  1.0  0.2  1.9  15.2

If this team could get to the WCF's then it is possible to build a roster that includes Melo and can be highly competitive. A legit quality PG. A legit Solid Big man tandem. Decent 6th man. We're not talking about superstars and fantasy league approaches. Just a smart approach to bringing in a good mix of players that are efficient and productive and can play a team oriented game.

You the league doesn't stand still you realize this

Just because Melody was able to win with that roster

Does not mean a comparable roster is able to compete with the landscape

Of today's teams which many of them are probably better than their 2008-2009 date of expiration

What I want you to do is start making goals for yourself

Starting with analyzing other teams in the same manner you do ours

Building a team that wins ten times as many games as this year's is pretty straightforward - almost inevitable

If Melo was never on a winning team much less a team that got to the WCF's, then I would say there's no sense in trying, but he actually was on winning teams and was on a team that went to the WCF's. Seems pretty clear to me that we need to build a better team around him. The Nuggets weren't even a great team IMO. Just looking at who was on the team it's a good core roster that should be achievable if not better with smart moves and a little luck in the draft.

That Denver team had a really smart and productive PG in Billups. Nene and Kenyon was a very strong big man tandem and for that season JR was productive. We need to build a core that is as productive if not more so, than that core. IMO it's very doable. We're talking about 4-5 quality additions to the roster.

nixluva wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:

F500ONE wrote:

nixluva wrote:Melo is here and Phil is going to try and put a better team together with him here. A good reference point is the 2008-09 WCF's team in Denver. Solid team that won 54 games and a WCF's. Not a great team but a solid roster. We have to believe we can put together a better core than this!!!

Player	Age  G   MP    FGA   FG%   3PA  3P%   2PA   2P%   FTA  FT%   TRB  AST  STL  BLK  TOV  PTS
Billups	32   77  35.3  12.5  .420  5.1  .410  7.4   .427  5.8  .913  3.0  6.4  1.2  0.2  2.2  17.9
Carmelo	24   66  34.5  18.3  .443  2.6  .371  15.7  .455  7.1  .793  6.8  3.4  1.1  0.4  3.0  22.8
Nene 	26   77  32.6   9.2  .604  0.1  .200  9.1   .607  4.8  .723  7.8  1.4  1.2  1.3  1.9  14.6
Kenyon 	31   66  32.0   9.8  .491  0.6  .368  9.2   .498  3.0  .604  6.0  2.0  1.5  1.1  1.6  11.7
J.R. 	23   81  27.7  11.7  .446  5.6  .397  6.1   .491  3.4  .754  3.7  2.8  1.0  0.2  1.9  15.2

If this team could get to the WCF's then it is possible to build a roster that includes Melo and can be highly competitive. A legit quality PG. A legit Solid Big man tandem. Decent 6th man. We're not talking about superstars and fantasy league approaches. Just a smart approach to bringing in a good mix of players that are efficient and productive and can play a team oriented game.

You the league doesn't stand still you realize this

Just because Melody was able to win with that roster

Does not mean a comparable roster is able to compete with the landscape

Of today's teams which many of them are probably better than their 2008-2009 date of expiration

What I want you to do is start making goals for yourself

Starting with analyzing other teams in the same manner you do ours

Building a team that wins ten times as many games as this year's is pretty straightforward - almost inevitable

F5 and a few other guys are trying to make me sound like i'm naive. In their efforts to keep trying to do this they run up against common sense. It's just STUPID to suggest that building a winning roster would be futile. No matter what happens with Melo we still need to build a better roster. PERIOD. As long as Melo is here then we have to include him as part of the team and in the past he's been part of teams that won games. The reason I chose the WCF's team is obvious. It's the best example of what is possible SINCE IT DID HAPPEN.

If Melo was never on a winning team much less a team that got to the WCF's, then I would say there's no sense in trying, but he actually was on winning teams and was on a team that went to the WCF's. Seems pretty clear to me that we need to build a better team around him. The Nuggets weren't even a great team IMO. Just looking at who was on the team it's a good core roster that should be achievable if not better with smart moves and a little luck in the draft.

That Denver team had a really smart and productive PG in Billups. Nene and Kenyon was a very strong big man tandem and for that season JR was productive. We need to build a core that is as productive if not more so, than that core. IMO it's very doable. We're talking about 4-5 quality additions to the roster.

straightforward questions that will address the question of whether you're naive:

did the knickerbockers overpay for carmelo anthony's services? what is carmelo ACTUALLY WORTH to the knicks if the goal is to win a title?

what would YOU have paid carmelo if you could have?

let's cut to the chase once and for all, nixluva

fishmike wrote:

dk7th wrote:

nixluva wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:

F500ONE wrote:

nixluva wrote:Melo is here and Phil is going to try and put a better team together with him here. A good reference point is the 2008-09 WCF's team in Denver. Solid team that won 54 games and a WCF's. Not a great team but a solid roster. We have to believe we can put together a better core than this!!!

Player	Age  G   MP    FGA   FG%   3PA  3P%   2PA   2P%   FTA  FT%   TRB  AST  STL  BLK  TOV  PTS
Billups	32   77  35.3  12.5  .420  5.1  .410  7.4   .427  5.8  .913  3.0  6.4  1.2  0.2  2.2  17.9
Carmelo	24   66  34.5  18.3  .443  2.6  .371  15.7  .455  7.1  .793  6.8  3.4  1.1  0.4  3.0  22.8
Nene 	26   77  32.6   9.2  .604  0.1  .200  9.1   .607  4.8  .723  7.8  1.4  1.2  1.3  1.9  14.6
Kenyon 	31   66  32.0   9.8  .491  0.6  .368  9.2   .498  3.0  .604  6.0  2.0  1.5  1.1  1.6  11.7
J.R. 	23   81  27.7  11.7  .446  5.6  .397  6.1   .491  3.4  .754  3.7  2.8  1.0  0.2  1.9  15.2

If this team could get to the WCF's then it is possible to build a roster that includes Melo and can be highly competitive. A legit quality PG. A legit Solid Big man tandem. Decent 6th man. We're not talking about superstars and fantasy league approaches. Just a smart approach to bringing in a good mix of players that are efficient and productive and can play a team oriented game.

You the league doesn't stand still you realize this

Just because Melody was able to win with that roster

Does not mean a comparable roster is able to compete with the landscape

Of today's teams which many of them are probably better than their 2008-2009 date of expiration

What I want you to do is start making goals for yourself

Starting with analyzing other teams in the same manner you do ours

Building a team that wins ten times as many games as this year's is pretty straightforward - almost inevitable

F5 and a few other guys are trying to make me sound like i'm naive. In their efforts to keep trying to do this they run up against common sense. It's just STUPID to suggest that building a winning roster would be futile. No matter what happens with Melo we still need to build a better roster. PERIOD. As long as Melo is here then we have to include him as part of the team and in the past he's been part of teams that won games. The reason I chose the WCF's team is obvious. It's the best example of what is possible SINCE IT DID HAPPEN.

If Melo was never on a winning team much less a team that got to the WCF's, then I would say there's no sense in trying, but he actually was on winning teams and was on a team that went to the WCF's. Seems pretty clear to me that we need to build a better team around him. The Nuggets weren't even a great team IMO. Just looking at who was on the team it's a good core roster that should be achievable if not better with smart moves and a little luck in the draft.

That Denver team had a really smart and productive PG in Billups. Nene and Kenyon was a very strong big man tandem and for that season JR was productive. We need to build a core that is as productive if not more so, than that core. IMO it's very doable. We're talking about 4-5 quality additions to the roster.

straightforward questions that will address the question of whether you're naive:

did the knickerbockers overpay for carmelo anthony's services? what is carmelo ACTUALLY WORTH to the knicks if the goal is to win a title?

what would YOU have paid carmelo if you could have?

let's cut to the chase once and for all, nixluva

What a mental case that you obsess over this.

Let me answer for Nix:
I wish Melo was off the team.
It was a bad trade.
If I had to pay him it would be the MLE, but only to trade him later (hopefully for Will Chandler).

DK.. print that out. 10,000 times. Poster your walls with it. Cuddle with it. Make love to it. Do you feel better? Do you feel your existence in this world is now justified?

DK.. YOU WIN. Every Knick fan is wrong, but YOU SIR are right.

Is that enough? Can you live life now? Move on now? Elephant in the room?

i didn't ask you the question, buttinski, and you don't need to intercede on his behalf. i know your take on the nature of this sport and business-- it's ridiculous in its cynicism and pandering.

here's a question you could try answering: are you sure you understand the nature of this sport?

fishmike wrote:

dk7th wrote:

fishmike wrote:

dk7th wrote:

nixluva wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:

F500ONE wrote:

nixluva wrote:Melo is here and Phil is going to try and put a better team together with him here. A good reference point is the 2008-09 WCF's team in Denver. Solid team that won 54 games and a WCF's. Not a great team but a solid roster. We have to believe we can put together a better core than this!!!

Player	Age  G   MP    FGA   FG%   3PA  3P%   2PA   2P%   FTA  FT%   TRB  AST  STL  BLK  TOV  PTS
Billups	32   77  35.3  12.5  .420  5.1  .410  7.4   .427  5.8  .913  3.0  6.4  1.2  0.2  2.2  17.9
Carmelo	24   66  34.5  18.3  .443  2.6  .371  15.7  .455  7.1  .793  6.8  3.4  1.1  0.4  3.0  22.8
Nene 	26   77  32.6   9.2  .604  0.1  .200  9.1   .607  4.8  .723  7.8  1.4  1.2  1.3  1.9  14.6
Kenyon 	31   66  32.0   9.8  .491  0.6  .368  9.2   .498  3.0  .604  6.0  2.0  1.5  1.1  1.6  11.7
J.R. 	23   81  27.7  11.7  .446  5.6  .397  6.1   .491  3.4  .754  3.7  2.8  1.0  0.2  1.9  15.2

If this team could get to the WCF's then it is possible to build a roster that includes Melo and can be highly competitive. A legit quality PG. A legit Solid Big man tandem. Decent 6th man. We're not talking about superstars and fantasy league approaches. Just a smart approach to bringing in a good mix of players that are efficient and productive and can play a team oriented game.

You the league doesn't stand still you realize this

Just because Melody was able to win with that roster

Does not mean a comparable roster is able to compete with the landscape

Of today's teams which many of them are probably better than their 2008-2009 date of expiration

What I want you to do is start making goals for yourself

Starting with analyzing other teams in the same manner you do ours

Building a team that wins ten times as many games as this year's is pretty straightforward - almost inevitable

F5 and a few other guys are trying to make me sound like i'm naive. In their efforts to keep trying to do this they run up against common sense. It's just STUPID to suggest that building a winning roster would be futile. No matter what happens with Melo we still need to build a better roster. PERIOD. As long as Melo is here then we have to include him as part of the team and in the past he's been part of teams that won games. The reason I chose the WCF's team is obvious. It's the best example of what is possible SINCE IT DID HAPPEN.

If Melo was never on a winning team much less a team that got to the WCF's, then I would say there's no sense in trying, but he actually was on winning teams and was on a team that went to the WCF's. Seems pretty clear to me that we need to build a better team around him. The Nuggets weren't even a great team IMO. Just looking at who was on the team it's a good core roster that should be achievable if not better with smart moves and a little luck in the draft.

That Denver team had a really smart and productive PG in Billups. Nene and Kenyon was a very strong big man tandem and for that season JR was productive. We need to build a core that is as productive if not more so, than that core. IMO it's very doable. We're talking about 4-5 quality additions to the roster.

straightforward questions that will address the question of whether you're naive:

did the knickerbockers overpay for carmelo anthony's services? what is carmelo ACTUALLY WORTH to the knicks if the goal is to win a title?

what would YOU have paid carmelo if you could have?

let's cut to the chase once and for all, nixluva

What a mental case that you obsess over this.

Let me answer for Nix:
I wish Melo was off the team.
It was a bad trade.
If I had to pay him it would be the MLE, but only to trade him later (hopefully for Will Chandler).

DK.. print that out. 10,000 times. Poster your walls with it. Cuddle with it. Make love to it. Do you feel better? Do you feel your existence in this world is now justified?

DK.. YOU WIN. Every Knick fan is wrong, but YOU SIR are right.

Is that enough? Can you live life now? Move on now? Elephant in the room?

i didn't ask you the question, buttinski, and you don't need to intercede on his behalf. i know your take on the nature of this sport and business-- it's ridiculous in its cynicism and pandering.

here's a question you could try answering: are you sure you understand the nature of this sport?

I dont get it at all. I thought talent was really important. But you said you dont need talent to play defense. But I swore defense won championships which you agree with, so.... wait, I got it! Im going to the NBA. I just have to try really really really hard, make my way in the league as a Toney Allen, Bruce Bowen type and win a title. Then Ill come back and show you!

Any other tips before I set out on my journey?

Maybe Ill start a blog.. "fishmike's journey to the NBA"

The REAL question is would I be better than Melo?

most people who have been properly coached understand the importance and perhaps primacy of defense... if you want to win a championship on any level. i like blackexec's take-- it was exactly what i was taught and our teams were successful as a result.

unfortunately the treadmill culture american basketball forgoes the development of skills and basketball iq because up to a certain level you can get away with being a dominant player with raw size and athleticism.

that works for the carmelo anthonys of the world... until they get to the nba. then it becomes a smoke and mirrors game.

but please... continue the clowning-- it's a smoke and mirrors white flag wave from where i am sitting.