We write our narratives with the information we have at hand. That information is always incomplete, so we have to infer motives and even actions that we never see. The only answer is to write a narrative to fill in the gaps. We have to do it.

I really like seeing Isiah Thomas as the Cap'n of a sailing vessel myself. Marbs is the first mate.

Whats he done as a Knick? Quit on a coach and team. Commented about other player's contract. Lured great teammates like JR (they share the same school of thought on shot selection).

Whats he done before the Knicks? Whats his trackrecord of leadership? Playoff wins? Do people see a great player to build around? Or a guy who sucker punches you and runs away?

Melo isnt Marbury. But LIKE Marbury his arrival is the start of something lame and twice Melo killed something exciting.

To me he's ARod. He thinks hes the best. The all star games, wax statues... he's a good player. He's got skills and talent. Enough to get you into the playoffs every year where his iso-ball utterly falls short against NBA playoff caliber teams. I dont hate him, but what has Melo given me to like? At least ARod had the one great postseason and was easily the best player on the field that year and LED Yanks to a WS win. Some of those late HRs were epic. Kind of what you expect from the highest paid player in the game. What has Melo delivered? Everyone is just waiting.... Im sure this is the year. Chuckbuck got a text from Dolan say so.

Jmpasq wrote:There has been 7 teams that have won in the NBA in the last 20 years. Not just melo that hasnt won anything. Its going to be next to impossible for any team to beat the Heat. Dont know what fans want there are like 5 elite NBA players. should the Knicks stand on the sideline doing nothing. Should they tank season after season until they are lucky enough for the ping pong balls to drop into there lap to get a Durant.

Very good point. For all the fair criticisms out there about Melo (and they'll be there till his team wins a championship) it's illogical to say "_________ hasn't won a championship. He's not a winner"

The two best takes I've read on Melo so far:

1) Jeff Van Gundy here: http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=8176763

2) Will Leitch: (I emphasized some words and phrases)

Carmelo Anthony. Fair or not, Anthony's always going to be connected to Lin's departure. His comments, walked back or not, about Lin's contract being ridiculous won't soon be forgotten, and there's so much mystery and weirdness around this move that people will always speculate just how much Carmelo was involved. (This is what happens when a franchise reverses everything it has been doing for three years the second you arrive and concentrates solely on making you happy.) There was already pressure on Carmelo Anthony coming into this season. Now there is even more. Honestly, the only way Carmelo's going to be remembered positively in this town is if he gets the Knicks into the Finals in the next three seasons. We think having Lin around would have made that easier. Reasonable people can disagree about that, but one thing everyone can agree on is that Anthony is going to be under the gun every night for the rest of his Knicks career. This team is now 100 percent modeled exactly the way he wants it to be. So it better work. Thing is, though: Do you think this team, as currently constructed (and subsequently constructed over the next three years), can beat the Heat? We don't.

fishmike wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:

fishmike wrote:Its not ALL MElo's fault, but he cost us the first decent GM we had in decades in Walsh (because Dolan forced that trade). He cost us all the young players on our roster with that trade. We cost us the max cap space that offseason so there goes the hope and pretending behind all great players who wouldnt sign here.

Whats he done as a Knick? Quit on a coach and team. Commented about other player's contract. Lured great teammates like JR (they share the same school of thought on shot selection).

Whats he done before the Knicks? Whats his trackrecord of leadership? Playoff wins? Do people see a great player to build around? Or a guy who sucker punches you and runs away?

Melo isnt Marbury. But LIKE Marbury his arrival is the start of something lame and twice Melo killed something exciting.

To me he's ARod. He thinks hes the best. The all star games, wax statues... he's a good player. He's got skills and talent. Enough to get you into the playoffs every year where his iso-ball utterly falls short against NBA playoff caliber teams. I dont hate him, but what has Melo given me to like? At least ARod had the one great postseason and was easily the best player on the field that year and LED Yanks to a WS win. Some of those late HRs were epic. Kind of what you expect from the highest paid player in the game. What has Melo delivered? Everyone is just waiting.... Im sure this is the year. Chuckbuck got a text from Dolan say so.

Boo YA

fixed

So Clever and Savvy like Mike D'Antoni.

Melo ain't a bum or a scrub, why so much hate haters??? Can't just leave it at "not my cup of tea"?

ActionJackson wrote:

BasketballJones wrote:Creating narratives is central to being human. You can see it at work in a lot of the posting over the past few days, where Jeremy Lin is portrayed as a kind of Luke Sykwalker figure, and Melo is some kind of evil Darth Vader.

We write our narratives with the information we have at hand. That information is always incomplete, so we have to infer motives and even actions that we never see. The only answer is to write a narrative to fill in the gaps. We have to do it.

I really like seeing Isiah Thomas as the Cap'n of a sailing vessel myself. Marbs is the first mate.

Clearly, a fan/student of Joesph Campbell & the Power of Myth. I really am unaccustomed to such high brow discourse in this forum

Really? Then you must have missed this thread: http://www.ultimateknicks.com/forum/topic.asp?t=42568

Seriously, I don't get it at all. People act as if Melo traded himself here. It's not his fault that Dolan stomped all over Donnie and pulled the trigger on the trade. Haters will always say that Melo could have just waited to become a FA to come here costing himself million when Lin the saint did the same thing. At the end of the day we gave up Gallo, Chandler, Mozgov and picks and got back Melo & Tyson Chandler. I know terrible.

Haters will point to Melo's playoff record stating he had solid teams in Denver. He did but not a true star to play alongside. King James couldn't did it until he teamed up with Wade and Bosh yet Melo was suppose to deliver all by himself? Melo is not Lebron so I don't want to hear about James' Cavs days either.

Melo takes the heat for 2 first round exits as a Knick but lets not mention that both times we were decimated by injuries. Now of course, it's Melo's fault that Lin is a Rocket becuase he said that Lin's contract was ridiculous? Sure forget that JR, the guy who wants to be here and is playing for $2.8 mil this season said it would be a problem in the locker room.

Melo is the new A-Rod and it will be that way unless Melo delivers a championship.

fishmike wrote:Its not ALL MElo's fault, but he cost us the first decent GM we had in decades in Walsh (because Dolan forced that trade). He cost us all the young players on our roster with that trade. We cost us the max cap space that offseason so there goes the hope and pretending behind all great players who wouldnt sign here.

Whats he done as a Knick? Quit on a coach and team. Commented about other player's contract. Lured great teammates like JR (they share the same school of thought on shot selection).

Whats he done before the Knicks? Whats his trackrecord of leadership? Playoff wins? Do people see a great player to build around? Or a guy who sucker punches you and runs away?

Melo isnt Marbury. But LIKE Marbury his arrival is the start of something lame and twice Melo killed something exciting.

To me he's ARod. He thinks hes the best. The all star games, wax statues... he's a good player. He's got skills and talent. Enough to get you into the playoffs every year where his iso-ball utterly falls short against NBA playoff caliber teams. I dont hate him, but what has Melo given me to like? At least ARod had the one great postseason and was easily the best player on the field that year and LED Yanks to a WS win. Some of those late HRs were epic. Kind of what you expect from the highest paid player in the game. What has Melo delivered? Everyone is just waiting.... Im sure this is the year. Chuckbuck got a text from Dolan say so.