2. My .02. Melo is what he is. He's pretty good. There's nothing wrong with what he is but he has so much talent he could be a much better, smarter basketball player. I hope his game evolves but I'm leaning towards that not happening. I think Exec # 1 had the most nuanced take. For the sake of the game, it would have been better if Melo was drafted by the Spurs. Perhaps they could have taught him the finer points of defense, passing, etc. He has all the talent in the world.

The New York Knicks enter tonight's game against the Houston Rockets with a disappointing 3-4 record. While it's way too early to panic, it's not too early to say this: Even when the Knicks right themselves (and I firmly believe they will), they have only a decent chance of getting out of the first round and no chance of getting past the second.

Hence, the Knicks' superstar, Carmelo Anthony, is doomed for yet another postseason of failure. In his 10 previous NBA seasons, Anthony, to his credit, has made the playoffs every year. But just twice has his team advanced past the first round. This kind of perennial failure begs so many questions.

So how much of the blame for that should fall on Melo? What does that say about him as a player? What's he missing, if anything? Can he lead a team to a championship, or even to the NBA Finals? What type of team would fit best around him? Should he leave New York next summer in search of a better chance to win it all? Is he really just a star masquerading as a "superstar'?'

To answer these questions, I turned to four long-time league executives who were granted anonymity so they could share their true opinions.

Eastern Conference executive No. 1

In short: This particular executive says Anthony picked up some bad habits while he was in Denver. Is he a winner? Sure, but is he Batman or Robin?
"I like Melo. I like that he competes. He obviously can score at a high level. People forget that when he got drafted by Denver, the Nuggets had won 17 games the year before. And he immediately turned them into a playoff team and took them to the playoffs every year he was there. He took a 17-win team and led them to 43 wins. So he can win and make a team better. I think his problem is that he went to Denver, which was a dysfunctional franchise at that time, so he picked up some bad habits and didn't learn what it takes to really win in this league. If he had gone to a better organization with a truly professional environment coming out of the gate, he would have learned and been more professional. He won big in college (leading Syracuse to the National Championship in 2003). He won big in high school at Oak Hill. He's been a winner all his life.

Carmelo Anthony
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Anthony scores because he has no qualms about taking his shot.
"But early on in Denver, he probably saw some bad habits and was allowed to get away with his bad habits -- like if he was five or 10 minutes late for a shootaround, or if he missed a team event somewhere. As a leader, you can't do that because you have to be able to get on guys when they do those things. He probably never learned that. And after leading a team from 17 wins to 43 wins, he probably thought winning in the NBA was a little easier than it really is, and he never was made to understand what it takes to get to the next level. He didn't learn the little things, the finer points of playing defensively - understanding that you have to make consecutive plays on defense if you really want to get it done. Things like that. So now, 10 years into the league, he's probably Robin on a championship team instead of Batman. He has Batman talent, but the intangibles are missing. And I think part of that is because of what he was introduced to when he came into the league with Denver…
"As far as next summer, if I were him, I'd stay in New York and hope I can attract some more help. I think he has to put his feet in the concrete now and look at himself in the mirror. He knows where he's coming up short. I believe he's smart enough to recognize that. If Kobe Bryant was younger, it'd be great for Melo to go play with him in L.A. because Kobe could get him to do the things he doesn't want to do right now. He'd have to listen to Kobe. But Kobe's older now and doesn't have enough left to help Melo win it. Overall, all these people talking crazy about Carmelo, saying he's not a winner -- ask them if they would take him on their team. You wouldn't get many people saying 'No.'"

Eastern Conference executive No. 2

In short: There's no denying Carmelo Anthony is a selfish player. The possessions and statistical inefficiency bear that out. And this executive agrees.
"He's a great player, but he's also a selfish player. That's just how he is. I don't think he'll look at himself in the mirror and say, 'What am I not doing? What am I doing that's keeping us from winning?' Again, I'm not saying he's not a great player. He's a phenomenal player. He's just selfish. He likes the glamour and the big time. Why else would he have left Denver for New York? That Denver team he was on was better than New York. But he wanted the show and the glamour. It wasn't about winning… "
All the talk about where he'll go next year -- if he goes somewhere else, that puts more pressure on him to win. It's going to follow him. I don't know if he'll have the guts to leave. If he leaves, he better win wherever he goes.
"
-- Eastern Conference team executive
"For him to win, he has to have the right team around him. But finding the right team for him is very hard. You really have to get five Tyson Chandlers -- guys that play like Chandler but play at the other four positions. You need guys who will cater to Melo, guys who don't need the ball, guys who don't care about shooting a lot, guys that can make spot-up jump shots. Those are the type of guys Melo needs because he's not looking to be a team player. He's going to be a gunner and just shoot. If you have those type of guys around him, maybe he can win it. But the way I see it, he might end up being 33 years old after he matures a little bit and on a team with a guy or two who's better than him, and then he'll win it…

"All the talk about where he'll go next year -- if he goes somewhere else, that puts more pressure on him to win. It's going to follow him. I don't know if he'll have the guts to leave. If he leaves, he better win wherever he goes. If he stays, he can get the most money from New York and then at some point, demand a trade if he has to.''

Western Conference executive No. 1

In short: Anthony can score, but can he win? This executive says Melo needs help.
"I actually think that, for whatever reason, Melo's always gotten a pass. At the end of the day, he's been in the league long enough where, if he was really a winner and about winning, he'd have figured it out by now. He's had enough time to do that now. He should be able to say, 'Ok, this is not working. I've got to figure it out. I've got to take it upon myself as a superstar to try something else. Try to be a facilitator, make plays for other guys, or like Kobe and LeBron, get some stops. Every team I'm on is bad defensively, let me make more of a commitment defensively.' If he was really about winning, there's more he could do…

"Is he overrated? As a scorer, he's not overrated. He's a professional scorer. And as a winner -- that's what it's all about, right? -- he's not rated highly. I mean, this is his 11th season. It's time to win something. He went to the conference finals one time when Chauncey Billups was still good and they had some pieces around them. As a guy without some pieces around him, Melo doesn't get it done because he doesn't make anybody else better. He's going to play the way he plays, but the team's not going to have much success. I don't know if he can be the best player on a championship team. Yeah, he might lead the league in scoring but he's also up there in points allowed. If you're getting points on one end, you can't be giving up just as many on the other end. To win, Melo needs a team full of defenders -- dirty, grimy, tough guys. He needs a veteran point guard like Billups who can tell him what he needs to do and has the authority to back it up. He needs some shooters, too, because he's not going to change his game.''

Western Conference executive No. 2

In short: This executive offers a past player comparable to Anthony. But Stephon Marbury probably isn't the guy you want to be compared to.
"I love him as a player. I just don't think he's your alpha male. He can't be your No. 1 guy. He's kind of like Clyde Drexler. As the alpha male in Portland, Clyde never got over the top. But when he went to Houston and was the No. 2 guy to Hakeem Olajuwon, he won. Melo's too much about himself to be the No. 1 guy. He's not malicious in his approach or anything. He's just not about winning. He's about getting his, and doing it his way. I would love to have him as a second guy. But as your alpha male? He's not going to win anything like that. He's kind of like the 2013 version of Stephon Marbury. He's not as bad as Stephon, but he's got Steph tendencies.''

While they acknowledge his elite skills, these are some harsh words for Anthony. With him, there's no question that he can score and is a great player on his own. But as a team player, it looks like there remains plenty of questions.

GodSaveTheKnicks wrote:1. Depends on who these execs are. Some have no clue.

2. My .02. Melo is what he is. He's pretty good. There's nothing wrong with what he is but he has so much talent he could be a much better, smarter basketball player. I hope his game evolves but I'm leaning towards that not happening. I think Exec # 1 had the most nuanced take. For the sake of the game, it would have been better if Melo was drafted by the Spurs. Perhaps they could have taught him the finer points of defense, passing, etc. He has all the talent in the world.

The New York Knicks enter tonight's game against the Houston Rockets with a disappointing 3-4 record. While it's way too early to panic, it's not too early to say this: Even when the Knicks right themselves (and I firmly believe they will), they have only a decent chance of getting out of the first round and no chance of getting past the second.

Hence, the Knicks' superstar, Carmelo Anthony, is doomed for yet another postseason of failure. In his 10 previous NBA seasons, Anthony, to his credit, has made the playoffs every year. But just twice has his team advanced past the first round. This kind of perennial failure begs so many questions.

So how much of the blame for that should fall on Melo? What does that say about him as a player? What's he missing, if anything? Can he lead a team to a championship, or even to the NBA Finals? What type of team would fit best around him? Should he leave New York next summer in search of a better chance to win it all? Is he really just a star masquerading as a "superstar'?'

To answer these questions, I turned to four long-time league executives who were granted anonymity so they could share their true opinions.

Eastern Conference executive No. 1

In short: This particular executive says Anthony picked up some bad habits while he was in Denver. Is he a winner? Sure, but is he Batman or Robin?
"I like Melo. I like that he competes. He obviously can score at a high level. People forget that when he got drafted by Denver, the Nuggets had won 17 games the year before. And he immediately turned them into a playoff team and took them to the playoffs every year he was there. He took a 17-win team and led them to 43 wins. So he can win and make a team better. I think his problem is that he went to Denver, which was a dysfunctional franchise at that time, so he picked up some bad habits and didn't learn what it takes to really win in this league. If he had gone to a better organization with a truly professional environment coming out of the gate, he would have learned and been more professional. He won big in college (leading Syracuse to the National Championship in 2003). He won big in high school at Oak Hill. He's been a winner all his life.

Carmelo Anthony
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Anthony scores because he has no qualms about taking his shot.
"But early on in Denver, he probably saw some bad habits and was allowed to get away with his bad habits -- like if he was five or 10 minutes late for a shootaround, or if he missed a team event somewhere. As a leader, you can't do that because you have to be able to get on guys when they do those things. He probably never learned that. And after leading a team from 17 wins to 43 wins, he probably thought winning in the NBA was a little easier than it really is, and he never was made to understand what it takes to get to the next level. He didn't learn the little things, the finer points of playing defensively - understanding that you have to make consecutive plays on defense if you really want to get it done. Things like that. So now, 10 years into the league, he's probably Robin on a championship team instead of Batman. He has Batman talent, but the intangibles are missing. And I think part of that is because of what he was introduced to when he came into the league with Denver…
"As far as next summer, if I were him, I'd stay in New York and hope I can attract some more help. I think he has to put his feet in the concrete now and look at himself in the mirror. He knows where he's coming up short. I believe he's smart enough to recognize that. If Kobe Bryant was younger, it'd be great for Melo to go play with him in L.A. because Kobe could get him to do the things he doesn't want to do right now. He'd have to listen to Kobe. But Kobe's older now and doesn't have enough left to help Melo win it. Overall, all these people talking crazy about Carmelo, saying he's not a winner -- ask them if they would take him on their team. You wouldn't get many people saying 'No.'"

Eastern Conference executive No. 2

In short: There's no denying Carmelo Anthony is a selfish player. The possessions and statistical inefficiency bear that out. And this executive agrees.
"He's a great player, but he's also a selfish player. That's just how he is. I don't think he'll look at himself in the mirror and say, 'What am I not doing? What am I doing that's keeping us from winning?' Again, I'm not saying he's not a great player. He's a phenomenal player. He's just selfish. He likes the glamour and the big time. Why else would he have left Denver for New York? That Denver team he was on was better than New York. But he wanted the show and the glamour. It wasn't about winning… "
All the talk about where he'll go next year -- if he goes somewhere else, that puts more pressure on him to win. It's going to follow him. I don't know if he'll have the guts to leave. If he leaves, he better win wherever he goes.
"
-- Eastern Conference team executive
"For him to win, he has to have the right team around him. But finding the right team for him is very hard. You really have to get five Tyson Chandlers -- guys that play like Chandler but play at the other four positions. You need guys who will cater to Melo, guys who don't need the ball, guys who don't care about shooting a lot, guys that can make spot-up jump shots. Those are the type of guys Melo needs because he's not looking to be a team player. He's going to be a gunner and just shoot. If you have those type of guys around him, maybe he can win it. But the way I see it, he might end up being 33 years old after he matures a little bit and on a team with a guy or two who's better than him, and then he'll win it…

"All the talk about where he'll go next year -- if he goes somewhere else, that puts more pressure on him to win. It's going to follow him. I don't know if he'll have the guts to leave. If he leaves, he better win wherever he goes. If he stays, he can get the most money from New York and then at some point, demand a trade if he has to.''

Western Conference executive No. 1

In short: Anthony can score, but can he win? This executive says Melo needs help.
"I actually think that, for whatever reason, Melo's always gotten a pass. At the end of the day, he's been in the league long enough where, if he was really a winner and about winning, he'd have figured it out by now. He's had enough time to do that now. He should be able to say, 'Ok, this is not working. I've got to figure it out. I've got to take it upon myself as a superstar to try something else. Try to be a facilitator, make plays for other guys, or like Kobe and LeBron, get some stops. Every team I'm on is bad defensively, let me make more of a commitment defensively.' If he was really about winning, there's more he could do…

"Is he overrated? As a scorer, he's not overrated. He's a professional scorer. And as a winner -- that's what it's all about, right? -- he's not rated highly. I mean, this is his 11th season. It's time to win something. He went to the conference finals one time when Chauncey Billups was still good and they had some pieces around them. As a guy without some pieces around him, Melo doesn't get it done because he doesn't make anybody else better. He's going to play the way he plays, but the team's not going to have much success. I don't know if he can be the best player on a championship team. Yeah, he might lead the league in scoring but he's also up there in points allowed. If you're getting points on one end, you can't be giving up just as many on the other end. To win, Melo needs a team full of defenders -- dirty, grimy, tough guys. He needs a veteran point guard like Billups who can tell him what he needs to do and has the authority to back it up. He needs some shooters, too, because he's not going to change his game.''

Western Conference executive No. 2

In short: This executive offers a past player comparable to Anthony. But Stephon Marbury probably isn't the guy you want to be compared to.
"I love him as a player. I just don't think he's your alpha male. He can't be your No. 1 guy. He's kind of like Clyde Drexler. As the alpha male in Portland, Clyde never got over the top. But when he went to Houston and was the No. 2 guy to Hakeem Olajuwon, he won. Melo's too much about himself to be the No. 1 guy. He's not malicious in his approach or anything. He's just not about winning. He's about getting his, and doing it his way. I would love to have him as a second guy. But as your alpha male? He's not going to win anything like that. He's kind of like the 2013 version of Stephon Marbury. He's not as bad as Stephon, but he's got Steph tendencies.''

While they acknowledge his elite skills, these are some harsh words for Anthony. With him, there's no question that he can score and is a great player on his own. But as a team player, it looks like there remains plenty of questions.

So everyone thinks he's a great player and would want him on their team but he's selfish and needs help. They think he's a winner but probably won't ever win until he's got the perfect cast of role players or is robin instead of batman. Guess it makes sense.

GoNyGoNyGo wrote:I think the 2nd West exec has it pegged well as far as Melo winning. He is a Robin. He cannot lead because he is too selfish and does not have a complete game. He is a great scorer and works hard but too get to the next level he must help his teammates get better because of his presence. He does not do that...simply put.

Western conference executive 2 conveniently left out that Clyde would have won at least one title with Portland if it wasn't for the Bulls. The title he won with Houston? Guess who was retired that year. There are a lot of star players in that era that fell in the same category. Bad comparison. They do have one thing in common tho and that's body language. Clyde, like Melo, wasn't overly demonstrative on the court.

Vmart wrote:

BigDaddyG wrote:

GoNyGoNyGo wrote:I think the 2nd West exec has it pegged well as far as Melo winning. He is a Robin. He cannot lead because he is too selfish and does not have a complete game. He is a great scorer and works hard but too get to the next level he must help his teammates get better because of his presence. He does not do that...simply put.

Western conference executive 2 conveniently left out that Clyde would have won at least one title with Portland if it wasn't for the Bulls. The title he won with Houston? Guess who was retired that year. There are a lot of star players in that era that fell in the same category. Bad comparison. They do have one thing in common tho and that's body language. Clyde, like Melo, wasn't overly demonstrative on the court.

Clyde Drexler was a team player. He averaged over 5.6 assists over his career. Shot 47% from the floor and was a good defensive player. Got to the finals twice with the Blazers and once with Houston. Clyde is a team player made his teammates better. Melo is a gunner that's it low percentage one at that.

That's Melo's biggest flaw IMO is that he doesn't make players better. I don't get upset about the hero ball as much as some because Melo has shown that he will feed the hot hand, even if it isn't him. Melo plays up to the talent around him (olympics), can carry a team on his back, but he doesn't elevate his teammates.

Like I said over the summer, if he is willing to structure his deal to build a genuine contender or it can be done without his taking a pay cut, I'm all for it. If neither one is doable, then its thanks for stopping by.

All he needs is the right PG to play with..the exec who said melo needs players to cater to him, his a complete idiot.They have been catering to him is whole career.

Go look at the melo in the olympics and watch how few iso's he had, every shot was in the flow of the game, no one came down the court and look for melo, he took great open shots and never force a thing. The guy is top 5 as far as scorers in the history of the NBA.

But like i said 2 yrs ago, he will never win a ring until he's a role player, or has a pg like rondo or CP3

GodSaveTheKnicks wrote:

knicks1248 wrote:He picked up the bad habits when he was in high school and no one has told him since..Go to youtube and look at melo's game in high school, it's the exact same shot selections, the exact same form.

All he needs is the right PG to play with..the exec who said melo needs players to cater to him, his a complete idiot.They have been catering to him is whole career.

Go look at the melo in the olympics and watch how few iso's he had, every shot was in the flow of the game, no one came down the court and look for melo, he took great open shots and never force a thing. The guy is top 5 as far as scorers in the history of the NBA.

But like i said 2 yrs ago, he will never win a ring until he's a role player, or has a pg like rondo or CP3

This is what drives Knicks fans crazy. Question is..if we max him out and help isn't coming from a high draft pick..how do you build a team around him with an elite PG that's going to allow him to score in the flow vs. being forced to create out of isos?

Going after Kevin Love seems dumb when the priority should be a rim protector and a true floor general.

Imagine if you took Memphis when they had Rudy Gay and plugged in Melo with ZBo, Gasol, Conley. Or ****..if you took Zbo Out and put in

Conley $8M
X
X
Melo $21M
Gasol $14 M

That's $43M leaving you $25M to find some wings and fill out a bench if you have the same payroll the grizz have now.

Love makes so much sense it isn't even funny, and that really depends on the coach..

knicks1248 wrote:He picked up the bad habits when he was in high school and no one has told him since..Go to youtube and look at melo's game in high school, it's the exact same shot selections, the exact same form.

All he needs is the right PG to play with..the exec who said melo needs players to cater to him, his a complete idiot.They have been catering to him is whole career.

Go look at the melo in the olympics and watch how few iso's he had, every shot was in the flow of the game, no one came down the court and look for melo, he took great open shots and never force a thing. The guy is top 5 as far as scorers in the history of the NBA.

But like i said 2 yrs ago, he will never win a ring until he's a role player, or has a pg like rondo or CP3

Yup its all ego... he was not "The Man" on the Olympic team so he played as a TEAM player... on the Knicks he is "The Man"... and plays one on five.

exec 2: I'd compare her to frosted flakes. Overly sweet!

Exec 3: I'd stay with the classic comp of Honey Nut Cherrios! "its a honey of an oat!!"

NardDogNation wrote:I think Marc Gasol is a better fit for us than Kevin Love if we are truly intent on keeping Melo. I still think the best course of action during that offseason is to have let Melo go and pursue Rondo, Love and Marc Gasol. For all the hype of this being a new era that is oriented around perimeter talent, the best teams still have the best big men who score in the paint in a more conventional manner. Assuming none of those 3 have a drop off, I think a team with those guys could be real contenders.

I'd be down for that in a heartbeat. I'm getting excited just thinking about it even though I know there's virtually no chance of it happening.

We would need to start looking to trade our players now for draft picks in 2014 and 2015. Move Melo to the Lakers for Pau Gasol and picks. Tyson Chandler to the Clippers for DeAndre Jordan, Reggie Bullock, and picks. Flip Gasol and Felton to OKC for a package centered around Perkins and picks. Shumpert to either Houston or Golden State for spare parts and a couple of picks, whoever gives us the best deal. Shop Bargnani hard around the league and see if anyone's willing to give up anything of value for him (Milwaukee maybe?). We'll suck this year but we've done that before; tank next year for as high a lottery pick as possible; and then go to war the next season with Marc Gasol, Love, Rondo, our 2015 lottery pick and 3 point shooters at the 2 and 3.