TripleThreat wrote:jrodmc wrote:It's impossible to get through to you that Lin's career here was a stellar two weeks, after which he was exposed as just another injury prone-come-playoff-time, turnover machine. That he was subsequently outplayed by HOF Patrick Beverly and Knick cast off Toney D. It's impossible to get through to you that Novak was and is a one trick pony who's useless on both ends of the court come playoff time. See his career now on the bench.
It's impossible for you to realize that comparing Novak to Bargs, a guy who could actually guard the likes of Hibbert and DHow, to a guy like Novak, who couldn't guard anyone. Novak, who couldn't create his own shot in an empty gym, to Bargs, who's pre-Knick forte was being 7 feet and being able to put the ball on the floor.
It's not amusing that you don't realize Melo's balls led the league in scoring, little things that people like Durant and LeBron and Kobe and Harden do.....That he regularly outplays every other member of the team season after season.
Just sad is about right.
In the 2011-2012 season, Steve Novak's play, providing bench depth and elite three point shooting were key factors in the Knicks making the playoffs. He was a 47 percent three point shooter, which is beyond phenomenal. Esp when you factor in he was being paid a whopping 1.4 million as a veteran street free agent.
He played extremely well with Lin, then after D'Antoni got whacked, and without Lin, when the offense reverted back to Mike Woodson's lap dog style kneel down to Iso-Joe induced Melo hero ball, you want to wonder why Novak became less effective? How does that prove anything other than Lin made the players around him better but Melo does not.
I've never argued Melo is a great INDIVIDUAL PLAYER and OFFENSIVELY COMPLETE and LETHAL OFFENSIVELY. I've never argued those points, I've often spoken of them. ( Though you'd be hard pressed to find the Lin critics offer anything positive about Lin's play) Sorry for doing that crazy thing like talking about BOTH MELO's STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES. I realize many of you Melo ball lickers can only talk about Melo's positive attributes as a player, ignore the negative and trash anyone and anything that speaks honestly Melo being poorly conditioned, lazy and indifferent on defense, and a ball hogging shot jacker with poor shot selection who doesn't make his team mates better.
Steve Novak cost the Knicks 1.4 million for 2011-2012. He cost them NO OTHER ASSETS TO ACQUIRE. Not any players in trade, not any draft picks. For a guy shooting 47 percent behind the arc and hitting threes in volume, that is a massive VALUE from a resource management perspective. No he can't play defense and no he can't create his own shot.
But he was resigned for four years at 15 million.
He was traded, along with Marcus Camby ( whom the Knicks paid the Rockets 2 second round picks to get in the first place from Houston), PLUS A FIRST ROUND PICK AND TWO SECOND ROUND PICKS for Andrea Bargnani. The Knicks took on Bargnani's last two years of his deal at 23 million.
Would most Knick fans rather
A) Keep Novak (a better shooter than Bargnani and cheaper and Camby ( at least Camby could grab a rebound, even at his ancient level of play towards the end of his career) PLUS KEEP THAT FIRST ROUNDER AND FOUR 2nd ROUNDERS
or
B) Have Bargnani, a lazy and indifferent defender who can't/won't rebound, is a lousy help defender, is constantly out of position,has poor timing, can't defend the rim, has zero defensive awareness, has no trade value ( except with Masai Ujiri is essentially raping the Knicks in a trade) One of you best attributes to him is that he's 7 feet tall. Wow, I mean wow. That's about the equivalent of telling a girl you like that at least she's a warm wet hole save anything else.
That you actually espouse Bargnani as some kind of defensive asset is mind boggling.
Steve Novak is not a defensive specialist. He's a gunner Stretch 4 who spaces the floor who shoots threes at an elite rate. Of course he was neutralized without Jeremy Lin, Novak is a player that can be helped to help the team by playing TEAM BASKETBALL. Which was non existent when Mike Woodson gave Melo the reigns to shotjack at will once again.
Because Melo can't/won't play team basketball, solid fundamental play that the Championship year Mavericks and Spurs have shown works, he neutralized Novak from an asset to a non factor. ( I won't say liability because that supposes Novak can help no one and no team, which I don't feel is true. He just needs a team basketball environment to thrive)
Raymond Felton didn't come free either. He cost the Knicks, in trade, Jarred Jeffries ( a veteran glue guy who offered grit and defensive toughness at a minimum salary), Kostas Papanikolaou, a 2nd round pick that is now developing with the Rockets ( who knows how he will turn out, but wouldn't anything be better than what Felton gave the Knicks?) plus another 2nd round pick.
I will say it again, just because Lin was no longer a strong fit for the current Houston roster and team ( no one could predict the Harden trade and the Howard signing) doesn't mean he doesn't have value to other teams and other franchises in the league. And thanks again for being yet another Melo ball licker to treat Lin as if he would be trapped in time as essentially a rookie player who would never get better and refuse to credit any of his positive attributes.
Would you rather have Lin, Novak, Jeffries, plus all those DRAFT PICKS back PLUS play actual team ball
Or would you rather have Felton, Bargnani and lose those picks and then pay tens of millions to Zen Master and Fish to tell you to do what you should have done years ago anyway and was only achieved when you were not on the floor.
What, all because Melo couldn't stand anyone else taking the NY spotlight? ( Clue in Melo, if you want the spotlight, commit to things, oh like conditioning and playing defense and making your team mates better and playing team ball and maybe people will cheer MVP for you too when you are leading the Knicks to wins)
How hard is it for Melo to "outplay" his team mates when the roster is full of CAA cronies and anyone who dares challenge his "spotlight" needs to get driven off the roster, even if they help the Knicks win. Melo GOT WHAT HE WANTED. He got the spotlight. He got rid of Pringles. He got Woodson, a coach that would let him do whatever he wanted. He got all his fellow CAA cronies on the roster. And where did it get the Knicks?
***
On Jeremy Lin -
“My God. He's a tremendous player.”
—Hall of Famer Jerry West
"He doesn't overwhelm you with athleticism. But he's plenty athletic. He's just so clever.”
—Hall of Famer Jerry West
“He's playing totally unselfish. He's taking what the defense gives him. He's studying, which is what you want from your point guard—a guy who wants to be that facilitator and get guys involved and get guys open shots.”
—All-Star teammate Amare Stoudemire
"The excitement he caused in the Garden, man, I hadn't seen that in a long time.”
—Hall of Famer Magic Johnson
“I knew him before he was Linmania. He’s still the same humble guy. The guy has not changed a bit, which is real special for a young man.”
—Jeremy’s first NBA coach Keith Smart
"His story transcends sports itself.”
—President Barack Obama
“He's got great, great composure on the court. He knows how to play.”
—UConn head coach Jim Calhoun
“We have always thought he was very talented and could play in this league.”
—Warriors Owner Joe Lacob
“The Garden is rocking. Every time he touches the ball, you feel the energy because he's going to do something exciting with the basketball.”
—New York sportscaster Bruce Beck
“It's a testament to perseverance and hard work. It's a good example to kids everywhere. I'm sure he has put in a great deal of work to always have that belief in himself. Now, he has the opportunity to show it.”
—NBA superstar Kob Bryant
“Jeremy plays with a lot of heart. He plays very hard and very fast. I have the upmost respect for him, and I am happy to see he's having great success with the Knicks.”
- John Wall
“(Lin’s) not a fluke. Just the confidence he plays with, the pace, the understanding of the game. You can tell when a guy isn’t really that skilled but is just having a good stretch. This guy is skilled.” –Tyson Chandler
“(Lin’s) got these moves—he’s so fast and he’s not playing high, he’s playing so low that he’s attacking your knees with this dribble. It’s in a place where as soon as you make a move he just blows past you. To be that low, to have it that far out with your arms, it’s pretty rare. I’ve never seen it.”–Iman Shumpert
“(Jeremy Lin) does what needs to be done. If they need scoring, he provides that. He’s very unselfish, once he gets inside he’s looking to pass the ball. but when there’s an opportunity to let him score he’s doing that as well. He’s just unflappable. It’s amazing that a guy has no experience, coing into the NBA been cut by 3 or 4 teams that he can fnd his niche seemingly overnight. and how he’s rejuvenated this franchise.” –Walt Frazier
“Lin is the real deal. He’s the true point guard the Knicks haven’t had in years. He’s the guy the Knicks have needed all along.” –Bernard King
“He just seems to be stronger as the game goes on and he’s making the plays down the stretch. I’ve been really impressed with his stamina and it’s a testmament to his conditioning that he stayed in shape and he stayed ready mentally for when this opportunity arrived. Jeremy Lin is a very talented player that is being discovered right now. This isn’t a fluke. This kid can play. And he is going to get more confident.” –Tim Legler
“He’s scored a lot of points, has a lot of assists, but more so than anything else, he’s given the team a real leader. That’s the real thing that they had been lacking so far in this season.” –Earl Monroe
“(Lin’s) taking a beating, but he’s like a clock, he just keeps on ticking. He never gets frustrated, he just gets up and makes plays. It’s not about where he went to school, it’s about what’s inside his heart, and he’s shown that. He’s bringing passion for basketball back to the city of New York.” –Charles Oakley
“Jeremy Lin reminds me so much of Walt Frazier. It’s how Jeremy controls the game, gets the ball to the right people for easy baskets, the lobs he’s throwing to Tyson Chandler — it all reminds me of Clyde. People said Dave DeBusschere was our missing piece, and he was, but to me the biggest thing we did was make Clyde a starter and give him the ball.” — Willis Reed
Impossible for Lin to "get through to you" but fortunately he got through to Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Charles Oakley, Bernard King, Magic Johnson and Jerry West.
Linsanity was great. Were any of your many quotes from 6 months after that time or a year after? How about last spring or this past summer? A historic 2 week run it was but it wasn't sustainable. Kudos for going back to that February and finding all of those quotes.
