loweyecue wrote:smackeddog wrote:loweyecue wrote:smackeddog wrote:He has no cartilage in either knee! What could have changed in 8 months? It doesn't magically grow back. We saw all this with Allan Houston- he'd rest a few months, feel okay, try to comeback then the pain would get to much. It's a shame, but he needs to think of his health long term- it's not worth jepordizing for an ineffective comeback.Besides which, he wouldn't mesh with Melo.
Starting to sound like a trend?
It is, and while I'm not ecstatic about it, but the fact is Melo isn't going anywhere for the next 3 years so we need to focus on getting players who can play with him i.e. don't need the ball a lot, and can hit shots on the rare occasion they get them...
And also to be fair, it's not just Melo- Amar'e and Lin need the ball and lots of shots too.
Amare was the centerpiece of a a highly efficient ball movement offense that MDA ran in Phoenix and has accepted his role as something other than the primary scrpring option on the team. Lin showed he is more than willing to share the ball. There is one person on this team who thinks his getting shots is more important than what is eventually good for the team. I think we both know who that person is.
Oh and you can stack the team with peoplewho don't need the ball all t etime, but to think they can stand and watch Melo be the entire offense for 82 games and then suddenly start nailing threes in game 4 against the Heat Defense in the playoffs is incredibly lame. Unfortunately, I think that is Woodson's exact coaching approach.
exactly, but that team in Phoenix were all unselfish, with high bball IQ, with great versatility with Marion, younger Amare, and Boris Diaw.
Marion and Boris Diaw were both very crucial players, with Nash being the most important ingredient.
Somewhere along the line, Grant Hill has picked up from this system and been a crucial part of the rotation with the current Phoenix team.
Teaching the younger players in Channing Frye, Gortat, and Jared Dudley much of the system.
With great spacing, movement off the ball, willingness to share the basketball, acknowledgement of where everyone is and how they can be a threat(BB IQ and court vision) and finding ways to exploit the opponents defense/ matchups should be in any system/ philosophy.
I don't know if Woodson will be tweaking what he learned from Dantoni and majority of that philosophy, especially with the 2nd unit(or when Melo is off the court)
That is something I would do because many of our players are already familiar with that system and Lin made it work.
The playoffs was unfair to judge Woodson but I really hope watching how Melo played, IS NOT how we would play during next season.
I am sure Melo would have no problem playing that style, because he feels he has contributed, even if he loses.
He has always been about him and himself and I don't see that changing.
With the media, analyst, and post game interviews, he would be smiling and saying the right things.
I have watched many post game interviews and his smiles while he was on the bench, and paying much attention to his smile and body language.
Melo was looking for a way to reclaim his status and priority on the team, knowing it will be a process.
He was not very happy before and after Linsanity, jealous of Jeremy Lin accomplished so many things in such a short amount of time.
Lin in a sense stole his spotlight with:
1) Dantoni's focus with the offense running through Lin and how it players have to play off him rather than Melo
2) the global attention he gained with endorsements (his biggest reason for wanting to play in New York)
3) how all the players like and enjoyed playing with Lin and how they lead him to W's with the 2nd unit players. How the team whether starting or on the bench were all cheering for each other and how Lin's play united the team, built chemistry, rooting for him to do well, and praising each other, and especially when Lin made a great play.
4) the fans BOOING him when Melo would touch the ball and go ISO mode
5) he knew he would not be able to change any of these things when he was injured and came back, while Lin lied to the media about Melo promoting Dantoni to start/play Lin before Linsanity started to save Melo face with the media. However, Dantoni threw Melo under the buss with the statement "I don't ever recall such a conversation" and thus Melo knew it was be a process to reclaim his team with the start of getting Dantoni fired being the first step. He knew his chance came when Lin was injured and Melo would get his opportunity to reclaim his status and had to put up great numbers with W's and exert himself on the defensive end.
6/18/2012 8:23 AM