Howard intimated that teammates didn’t stick to their roles Thursday night’s loss to Boston.

“We didn’t play the right way and we have to change,” he said.

“Everybody just can’t come down (the floor) and feel like they have to take the game over. You just have to play team-ball and play the way we want to play. We didn’t do that.”

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_magic/2012/01/dwight-howard-calls-out-teammates-to-change.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sports%2Fmagic%2Fbasketblog+%28Magic+BasketBlog%29

misterearl wrote:The Boston Celtics

Read my lips - Building a TEAM is more than swapping people like baseball cards

What is the franchise personality of THE Boston Celtics?

What is the one thing that gives this franchise continuity, no matter who wears the uniform?

answer: P-R-I-D-E

A guy like Melo doesn't know what the word means.

KNICKSBIGCATS wrote:I generally agree with you, Misterearl, but this time I respectfully disagree.

For what Melo cost this franchise, he is supposed to be a LEADER.
Instead, he's a slow-growing cancer who has made rooting for this team difficult
and who has made watching them boring and predictable.
He is a passive, selfish ISO player who lacks the will to win.

You've even brought this up in discussion....."high fives with Amare"
When was the last time that you saw any emotion from him?

His displays of camaraderie are rare. Why? Because it's all about him.
How he handled free agency tells you all the you need to know about him.
Currently, he has negative body language, does not embrace the TEAM concept at all,
plays poor defense, and is beginning to be booed at the garden.

Look closely.....I can see that he's already starting to alienate his own team mates.

Dial up the NETS....see if we can get DWill, MBrooks and first round picks for him
(while he still has major value). George Karl was right.

And, while we're at it, let's fire MDA and get a coach who knows what he's doing
instead of trying to make his "system" fit a bunch of mismatched players who
need to play a totally different style of basketball.

End of rant.

KNICKSBIGCATS wrote:YEAH....because (psssssssst) it's NOT WORKING....
well run Fortune 500 businesses make adjustments when necessary-
the history of this franchise over the past 10 years
shows repeated failures to make changes when they are warranted.
James Dolan calling the shots....are you freakin' kidding me?!?
You have faith in THAT? ROTFFLMAO

There are those here who "want to give this team time".....
if history tells us anything, it is only going to get worse.
Much worse.

You're not using logic. They came into this year knowing they needed a permanent solution at PG. Things aren't working MOSTLY due to that and poor shooting. Melo has been forcing things, but when the team moves the ball and has player movement things look a lot better. They have to get back to that and get consistent with it. You don't scrap a plan you've been working on for years after 18 games!!! No business scraps their Business plan after a month either.

KNICKSBIGCATS wrote:I generally agree with you, Misterearl, but this time I respectfully disagree.

For what Melo cost this franchise, he is supposed to be a LEADER.
Instead, he's a slow-growing cancer who has made rooting for this team difficult
and who has made watching them boring and predictable.
He is a passive, selfish ISO player who lacks the will to win.

You've even brought this up in discussion....."high fives with Amare"
When was the last time that you saw any emotion from him?

His displays of camaraderie are rare. Why? Because it's all about him.
How he handled free agency tells you all the you need to know about him.
Currently, he has negative body language, does not embrace the TEAM concept at all,
plays poor defense, and is beginning to be booed at the garden.

Look closely.....I can see that he's already starting to alienate his own team mates.

Dial up the NETS....see if we can get DWill, MBrooks and first round picks for him
(while he still has major value). George Karl was right.

And, while we're at it, let's fire MDA and get a coach who knows what he's doing
instead of trying to make his "system" fit a bunch of mismatched players who
need to play a totally different style of basketball.

End of rant.

KBC - your rant makes some valid points that place us closer in opinion than polar opposites.

Here is my roll to your pick:

Carmelo plays the way he has been allowed to play. I would not label him a cancer (slow growing or otherwise), or question his desire to win - what is questionable is his ability to either take direction or adjust his game to make others better.

The on-court communication thing also bears close attention. By drawing attention away from the paint, he could make Tyson Chandler a superstar if he wanted. The problem is that the strongest part of Carmelo's offense is his ability to get to the rack anytime he wants. The pick and roll with Tyson Chandler would be motivating and devastating.

There are signs of sharing. Cool. Carmelo's goal should be nothing shy of a triple double.

He just got here.

KNICKSBIGCATS wrote:

nixluva wrote:

KNICKSBIGCATS wrote:YEAH....because (psssssssst) it's NOT WORKING....
well run Fortune 500 businesses make adjustments when necessary-
the history of this franchise over the past 10 years
shows repeated failures to make changes when they are warranted.
James Dolan calling the shots....are you freakin' kidding me?!?
You have faith in THAT? ROTFFLMAO

There are those here who "want to give this team time".....
if history tells us anything, it is only going to get worse.
Much worse.

You're not using logic. They came into this year knowing they needed a permanent solution at PG. Things aren't working MOSTLY due to that and poor shooting. Melo has been forcing things, but when the team moves the ball and has player movement things look a lot better. They have to get back to that and get consistent with it. You don't scrap a plan you've been working on for years after 18 games!!! No business scraps their Business plan after a month either.

What YOU're not seeing is what a cancer Melo is....and will continue to be....to this team.
And, by the way, I didn't say "scrap"....I said "adjust".
Don't try that spin with me.

You need to calm down and think. Melo has flaws, but you can control that with a good floor leader at the point. That's why Denver went to the WCF's with Billups. We came into the season without a Floor Leader and so you see what we end up with. We got Melo to be a closer, which he is one of the best. Like I said you have to use logic.

Our coach just tells us to keep shooting.

Lame.