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Great article by Simmons about Melo, balanced view
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raven
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7/15/2014  11:28 AM
The article is really worth the read, even if you don't like Melo or Simmons for that matter:

http://grantland.com/features/carmelo-anthony-new-york-knicks-legacy/

I admit I don't like his game that much, but I deeply respect his talent, and he impressed me many many times since he came to NYC.
For me, Melo is like Kobe minus the luck to have Jackson and co. around him. Kobe is revered but winning does that, not scoring at will. Had Melo won more, the story would be different. Had Starks scored the game 6 three, Ewing would be the winner and Olajuwon would be ''the could've been great''.

Is Melo unlucky?
Maybe but I still think he sometimes creates his own bad luck with poor career choices.
For once, if he hadn't depleted our talent by forcing a trade to get more money, he would have had more good players around him and we would have won more.

After 4 years, I still think the debate around Melo is a hard / complex and sometimes wrong one.
I hated the trade because I thought down the road we wouldn't have the goods to perform.
I hated to see Melo wage a war against D'antoni whom I respect deeply as an offensive genius. Man that coach could have made him an MVP and an unstoppable force with his schemes. But heck no, Melo refused to change once more.

And now here he is again, all the talent in the world, works hard every night, but he's alone and surrounded by scrubs.
He could have proven everyone wrong, chosen to change his narrative and go to Chicago, I really hoped he would, in a weird way...
But no, more money, poor choice again as (I think) we have no chance to build a winner around him by the time he'll decline.

As Simmons said it greatly, Melo is a ''what if?'' story.

What if Melo, what if...

AUTOADVERT
chewy
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7/15/2014  11:43 AM
Yes, it was a very good read.
John Starks is the greatest
NYKBocker
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7/15/2014  11:46 AM
Awesome article. Loved it. No mention of Jeremy Lin debacle though.
mreinman
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7/15/2014  12:06 PM
I have been comparing Melo to Kobe (offensively) for years. Nice.
so here is what phil is thinking ....
nixluva
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7/15/2014  12:23 PM
It was a great article. I do believe Melo still has a chance at that 2011 Mavs type finals. He's still young enough and really it's about Phil and Fish. The team around him has to be perfected. I'm convinced that Phil has a clear vision of what the team needs. It's not about adding 3 superstars, which can't happen anyway. It's about the right mix of players. We need to make sure the team can execute at a high level. Melo has the talent to get his job done, but we need the rest of the team to be up to the challenge. Phil knows this. The saving grace for Melo is that Phil has been to the mountain top and he knows what it takes to win. He's gonna tweak this roster until he feels he has a group that can get it done. There's still a chance for Melo.
dk7th
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7/15/2014  1:18 PM
he left out a couple of big facts:

1) the year dirk won the mavs went way over the salary cap.
2) the year dirk won he earned 17 million, not 22 million.

everything else he wrote is interesting and thorough but essentially white noise.

knicks win 38-43 games in 16-17. rose MUST shoot no more than 14 shots per game, defer to kp6 + melo, and have a usage rate of less than 25%
nixluva
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7/15/2014  1:30 PM
dk7th wrote:he left out a couple of big facts:

1) the year dirk won the mavs went way over the salary cap.
2) the year dirk won he earned 17 million, not 22 million.

everything else he wrote is interesting and thorough but essentially white noise.


Why are the 2 points you made of more value than the rest of the points in the article? I think more than anything the key to success will be how the rest of the team plays and the culture we surround Melo with. He'll adjust to that culture if it's winning. We want to see Olympic Melo and I think we will.

azamatbagatov
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7/15/2014  1:39 PM
Great read. Very fair.
"I want to leave a legacy." ~ Isiah Thomas
knicks1248
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7/15/2014  2:03 PM
azamatbagatov wrote:Great read. Very fair.

and pretty damn accurate

ES
mreinman
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7/15/2014  2:07 PM
We won't see Olympic Melo since we don't have the olympic teammates but I hope that someone on the team can create off the ball looks for him. That is where he shines and will give him the best chance to remain healthy
so here is what phil is thinking ....
BigDaddyG
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7/15/2014  2:11 PM    LAST EDITED: 7/15/2014  2:12 PM
dk7th wrote:he left out a couple of big facts:

1) the year dirk won the mavs went way over the salary cap.
2) the year dirk won he earned 17 million, not 22 million.

everything else he wrote is interesting and thorough but essentially white noise.


That and his belief that Phil forced Melo to take slightly less than the max. Melo had already stated that he was willing to do this last season. Honestly, I don't think the pay cut he took was substantial enough to mention, one way or the other. Also, Simmons should have mentioned that Melo would've been taking a risk going to Chicago. Derrick Rose hasn't been an impact player for two seasons and no one knew Miami's big three was going to implode.
Still a good article. Better than the other crap he's thrown together the past two months.
Always... always remember: Less is less. More is more. More is better and twice as much is good too. Not enough is bad, and too much is never enough except when it's just about right. - The Tick
mreinman
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7/15/2014  2:17 PM
BigDaddyG wrote:
dk7th wrote:he left out a couple of big facts:

1) the year dirk won the mavs went way over the salary cap.
2) the year dirk won he earned 17 million, not 22 million.

everything else he wrote is interesting and thorough but essentially white noise.


That and his belief that Phil forced Melo to take slightly less than the max. Melo had already stated that he was willing to do this last season. Honestly, I don't think the pay cut he took was substantial enough to mention, one way or the other. Also, Simmons should have mentioned that Melo would've been taking a risk going to Chicago. Derrick Rose hasn't been an impact player for two seasons and no one knew Miami's big three was going to implode.
Still a good article. Better than the other crap he's thrown together the past two months.

The Bulls could have contended even without Rose.

so here is what phil is thinking ....
OasisBU
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7/15/2014  2:19 PM
Well it sounds like Melo is saying all the right things:
1) He wants to be in NY
2) He believes in system basketball
3) He believes in Phil

So maybe he is ready to turn over a new leaf and embrace the triangle.

I can see why certain players might night like MDA's system, but Phil's triangle is a proven commodity that has netted him championships with Jordan, Kobe, and Shaq. All three players are legends, Phil is a legend, etc.

You can argue semantics like Phil has had the best player in the game every time he won but that is not the point. His system works when executed effectively and he has come to NY to install it along with a winning culture. He is bringing in his people (all of whom have a history of winning) and he has made it clear he thinks Melo can be the cornerstone of a winning franchise.

At the end of the day nobody can predict how this will all work out, but Melo is a great basketball player that needs something/someone to push him to the next level - I believe Phil Jackson (and his team) is the right person to make it happen.

"If at first you don't succeed, then maybe you just SUCK." Kenny Powers
tkf
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7/15/2014  2:21 PM
I read this earlier.. he was playing devils advocate a bit but in the end he is right. carmelo blew it twice.. when he forced his way to NY and not going to the bulls roster..

Although he correctly pointed out carmelo needs a 2011 mavs type of team, dirk was just a better player than carmelo and even that team came together under all the right circumstances...

If his only hope is getting that type of team, then he is chasing a unicorn... going with the bulls made so much sense.. but carmelo is looking for money.. not rings it seems..

Anyone who sits around and waits for the lottery to better themselves, either in real life or in sports, Is a Loser............... TKF
tkf
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7/15/2014  2:24 PM
dk7th wrote:he left out a couple of big facts:

1) the year dirk won the mavs went way over the salary cap.
2) the year dirk won he earned 17 million, not 22 million.

everything else he wrote is interesting and thorough but essentially white noise.

He also sold Bernard a bit short even though he said he was a King fan.. AS I am a HUGE king fan myself.

Bernard was ridiculously efficient and bernard also played in an era where you coul handcheck and basically beat guys up.. and he still dominated..

He tried using how todays athletes are better and the defenses more complex? I also find that odd as well because all of simmons choices of GREAT players are from that era basically... and todays rules makes scoring easier..

Anyone who sits around and waits for the lottery to better themselves, either in real life or in sports, Is a Loser............... TKF
mreinman
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7/15/2014  2:27 PM
tkf wrote:I read this earlier.. he was playing devils advocate a bit but in the end he is right. carmelo blew it twice.. when he forced his way to NY and not going to the bulls roster..

Although he correctly pointed out carmelo needs a 2011 mavs type of team, dirk was just a better player than carmelo and even that team came together under all the right circumstances...

If his only hope is getting that type of team, then he is chasing a unicorn... going with the bulls made so much sense.. but carmelo is looking for money.. not rings it seems..

So he should have gone to the Bulls for 73 million instead of resigning where he lives at 122?

C'mon, get real. I am sure you may have done this since for you its probably not about "the money" but the rest of us are taking the 122.

Would have been nice if he gave us a bigger discount though.

so here is what phil is thinking ....
nixluva
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7/15/2014  2:29 PM
tkf wrote:I read this earlier.. he was playing devils advocate a bit but in the end he is right. carmelo blew it twice.. when he forced his way to NY and not going to the bulls roster..

Although he correctly pointed out carmelo needs a 2011 mavs type of team, dirk was just a better player than carmelo and even that team came together under all the right circumstances...

If his only hope is getting that type of team, then he is chasing a unicorn... going with the bulls made so much sense.. but carmelo is looking for money.. not rings it seems..

You're making valid points here, but I think it's still possible for Phil to be successful in putting together a team that can perform at a high level with the 2011 Mavs type of team. It's not just about the players but also the way the team plays. This team is going to be playing a very team oriented style of ball and we have some good role players that should excel in that style of play. Then it's up to Melo to do his part in that system. I think it can work.

We've never seen Melo play in such a refined system as this. It could add a very nice boost to his performance and his teammates. Just seeing the Kid Knicks quickly applying the principles gives hope.

gunsnewing
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7/15/2014  2:29 PM
I love that...Melo is a "What if" story. Summoned it up beautifully
BigDaddyG
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7/15/2014  2:33 PM
mreinman wrote:
BigDaddyG wrote:
dk7th wrote:he left out a couple of big facts:

1) the year dirk won the mavs went way over the salary cap.
2) the year dirk won he earned 17 million, not 22 million.

everything else he wrote is interesting and thorough but essentially white noise.


That and his belief that Phil forced Melo to take slightly less than the max. Melo had already stated that he was willing to do this last season. Honestly, I don't think the pay cut he took was substantial enough to mention, one way or the other. Also, Simmons should have mentioned that Melo would've been taking a risk going to Chicago. Derrick Rose hasn't been an impact player for two seasons and no one knew Miami's big three was going to implode.
Still a good article. Better than the other crap he's thrown together the past two months.

The Bulls could have contended even without Rose.


They could have but they wouldn't have been a sure thing. A returning LeBron would have put Miami over the top spot and Indiana, barring a disastrous off season, would still likely be number two. Even if the Bulls team makes it out the east, they're not beating any of the top Western teams without Rose.
Always... always remember: Less is less. More is more. More is better and twice as much is good too. Not enough is bad, and too much is never enough except when it's just about right. - The Tick
mreinman
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7/15/2014  2:42 PM
BigDaddyG wrote:
mreinman wrote:
BigDaddyG wrote:
dk7th wrote:he left out a couple of big facts:

1) the year dirk won the mavs went way over the salary cap.
2) the year dirk won he earned 17 million, not 22 million.

everything else he wrote is interesting and thorough but essentially white noise.


That and his belief that Phil forced Melo to take slightly less than the max. Melo had already stated that he was willing to do this last season. Honestly, I don't think the pay cut he took was substantial enough to mention, one way or the other. Also, Simmons should have mentioned that Melo would've been taking a risk going to Chicago. Derrick Rose hasn't been an impact player for two seasons and no one knew Miami's big three was going to implode.
Still a good article. Better than the other crap he's thrown together the past two months.

The Bulls could have contended even without Rose.


They could have but they wouldn't have been a sure thing. A returning LeBron would have put Miami over the top spot and Indiana, barring a disastrous off season, would still likely be number two. Even if the Bulls team makes it out the east, they're not beating any of the top Western teams without Rose.

Certainly a better chance with him but very competitive without him as they have shown. Now add Melo to that mix and who knows.

so here is what phil is thinking ....
Great article by Simmons about Melo, balanced view

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