Any other team, you'd be called elite or all star at the minimum.

TheloniusMonk wrote:Add Zach Randolph to that list with D Will as well.

When Zach was briefly with the Knicks, he was considered a fat, black hole. Soon as he got to Memphis, he was considered a clutch leader for basically doing the same things.

BasketballJones wrote:Because Carmelo is a Knick. We like to call our players obese.

ChuckBuck wrote:If you're on the Knicks, you're considered fat, old, injury prone, or cancerous. Sometimes all the above!
Any other team, you'd be called elite or all star at the minimum.

Yup, that's pretty much it. Although we've had a few players who actually were most of those things, Melo is not one of them.

I think his trainer addressed the critics pretty well:

Ravin said that Anthony was well-prepared for last season -- "1,000 percent he was in great shape" -- but wrist, groin and hamstring injuries forced him to play through pain and miss 11 regular-season games.

"What do you think happens when you get those injuries?" Ravin said. "You can't run, you can't play, you have to sit, it's hard. He gets affected."

"You forget that under his jersey, he wears a lot of that compression-type stuff, and he wears a lot of that protection-type sleeves around his stomach, so it makes him look a little bit wider and thicker," he said. "But he's not fat a--, man. He's a world-class athlete, so he's always very detailed with his diet, with his conditioning. Remember, too, the season's long and it wears on you. Sometimes that's where the fatigue sets in."

"I always found him to be really well-prepared, so when camp starts, I'm 100 percent certain he's always one of those guys that will be in good condition and his game will be solid and he's improved from the year before," he said. "I've never been worried about that."

Melo also said this of Woodson:
"He said I was way ahead of schedule," said Anthony, who was pushed by Woody to get into top shape during the offseason. "I think it was big for him to actually be here and just see the work that myself and Tyson [Chandler] has put into the commitment of USA basketball and the commitment of making ourselves better physically, see where we're at mentally. Just to have him here, it was big for him, it was big for us to see that support."

Moreover, I don't think Melo could do what he does in the post if he had a build like say...Durant.
The physicality of his play during the past five USA games was fun to watch.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/challenging_melo_ypzDpCxkkrQQy6zR2skkkN

With Carmelo Anthony facing his eighth first-round playoff exit in nine seasons Sunday, Knicks interim coach Mike Woodson issued a challenge to the star forward to come back in better shape next season.

According to a person familiar with the situation, Woodson would like Anthony to shed some weight before training camp. Anthony, who has been outclassed by the Heat’s LeBron James in this first-round disaster, has the worst NBA playoff winning percentage, .308 (a record of 16-36), for any player who has been in at least 50 games.

“Expectations aren’t going to change in New York, you know that,’’ Woodson said. “They shouldn’t. Rightfully so. Anthony’s going to have to raise his game. He’s got to do things this summer to better his game — as well as Tyson [Chandler] and Amar’e [Stoudemire]. If I’m the head coach here, I have to make sure it happens. It’s the only way to get out of the rut in terms of him being a first-round exit. He’s got to change that.”

NBAE/Getty Images
WORK IT : Carmelo Anthony must start next season in better shape, Knicks coach Mike Woodson says.
With the Knicks trailing the Heat 3-0, Anthony is shooting 34.4 percent in the series (22 of 64). He is 1 of 9 from 3-point range. In seven playoff games as a Knick, all defeats, he is shooting 36.2 percent.

In Game 1, Anthony scored just 11 points. He faded in Game 2 in the second half. In Game 3 on Thursday at the Garden, Anthony was flat for four quarters, shot 7 of 23 with five turnovers.

Anthony has complained about double- and triple-coverage, but he hasn’t made Miami pay. Perhaps that’s why Woodson made the point of Anthony elevating teammates.

“I like to see [that] and he’s made major strides this year,’’ Woodson said. “We started this journey, he made guys around him better and he was better for it. That has to be a continuation. I got to push him to be in better shape when you start the season. A lot of things that got to be changed. Not a lot of things, but … There’s got to be some changes to get to the next level.’’

Former coach Mike D’Antoni never criticized Anthony, it would have been too politically incorrect. Anthony, who will turn 28 later this month, could play a factor in Woodson’s future and already has given him two endorsements and praised him for keeping him accountable.

D’Antoni quit on March 14 because he felt he could no longer coach Anthony and wanted to trade him for Deron Williams. Once D’Antoni resigned on March 14, Anthony lived up to his max contract and won Player of the Month for April, averaging 30.6 points.

But Anthony and his teammates have underachieved in this series. James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade have proven their superiority.

“A lot of things have to happen this summer,’’ Woodson said. “My situation, I don’t know what’s going to happen. If I am back, this summer is going to be very pivotal in terms of developing these guys, especially Amar’e, Tyson and Anthony. They’ve got to be better.As an organization, it’s my job to better this team and develop the players to a point this won’t happen next season. ’’

Woodson’s situation won’t be addressed until after the season. Phil Jackson is the only person who could stand in the way of Woodson returning. Woodson is the perfect James Dolan employee who doesn’t create too many waves in the media.

***

James was reminded by the torn ACL suffered by Mariano Rivera, the closer for his favorite baseball team, the Yankees, how no one is immune to injury.

“It’s unfortunate, honestly,” James said. “We all know what a great baseball player he is, the best closer MLB has ever seen and for him to have a freak accident like that, you can’t explain it. No one can explain that’s something he’s been doing for 20 plus years. It’s unfortunate but we’ll see what happens with the situation. I wish him the best and a speedy recovery."

James stressed that “you can’t replace Mariano” but put his vote behind Rafael Soriano as the closer.

“Soriano has the experience. He has 80 career saves over his years in MLB,” James said. “There’s Robertson as well. Hopefully he can pick it up as well. You can’t replace Mariano.”

***

Jeremy Lin finished sixth in the voting for the NBA’s Most Improved Player, which was won by Magic forward Ryan Anderson. … Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Chris Bosh flew back to Miami after Thursday night’s win to be with his new baby and wife and will return in time for Sunday’s 3:30 p.m. tip-off.