The Curious Case of Carmelo Anthony & The New York Knicks

[KnicksGod]

one important paragraph in the article:

All in all, that was a catastrophic trade considering Denver didn’t have any leverage whatsoever. And it happened because Carmelo wanted more money — the same choice he made last weekend, again, and the same choice you and I would probably make too. Carmelo inadvertently created the narrative that threatens to defines him. There’s a good chance he will play his entire career, then retire, without ever finding the right team. Unless the Knicks miraculously strike oil next summer, his own version of the 2011 Mavericks can’t happen. His prime will come and go, and that will be that.

Now let me ask you this:

If I take everyone on the RealGM board from Rasho to the corpse of TKF & dk7th, Shammgod, Thugger, GoNYK, KT, Thorn, Yardie, Greenie, MoneySnitch, Stats, and everyone else, put yourselves back into Carmelo Anthony's shoes in 2011.

Yes, your agents might have been dumb in extending your contract one more year, but still, it's 2011. There's an impending lockout. The country is in the midst of an soso economy. You can potentially secure yourself in a nice contract for 3 more years. Or you wait until free agency, wait until the lockout ends, or doesn't, and then you wait for the new CBA which could have any random effects on your salary.

Would anyone say no to the money? I would like someone to admit that they would actually hold out till free agency. I dare someone to stand up to that.

Much harder to do when it's your wallet on the line, but I honestly did not think they were going to reduce Maxes much at all, and said so here a million times, and they didn't.

But if I had risk, I'd be extra cautious. The problem is that the NBA stars all completely believed that they were going to let the best players under contract stay at a high number over $20M and make the guys signing new contracts dip considerably. I called B.S. on it. Didn't happen. NBA would never have had such an asymmetrical system, so maybe if reason ruled the day a little more than panic did, Melo might've come cheaper.

By the way, the salary cap experts like Coon said it was going to happen too.

[playboy jeanie]

1) Good article but it isnt something new. We've been reading this about Carmelo, about his strengths and flaws, MeloDrama I, his situation on this site and this very board (from the objective members anyway) for years.

2) The Bulls are absolutely better than the Knicks. The Bulls finished 11 games ahead of the Knicks. Bulls did not have Rose last year. The Knicks had Carmelo at his best. Its easy to see, even without Rose, a similar Carmelo might push the Bulls over the top.

[Starbury316]

He doesn't give credit to the fact that the last 2 dynasties(Bulls Lakers) have been constructed by the same man whose running the show now in NY. It's all good tho. For the next 2-3 yrs the East is WIDE OPEN.

THE TIME IS NOW

Phil didn't construct either of those dynasties. He coached them, got them to play as a team, turned the rosters into champions, but he had little to nothing to do with constructing the rosters/putting the teams together.

He's a master at getting guys to fill roles on the court and play together/within a system, but his ability to get guys onto the team and get guys that fit together well is TBD. More to the point, the same things working against the Bulls/Lakers/Rockets wrt Melo will be working against Phil - players will be able to get more money elsewhere and potentially in better competitive situations.

Phil had a hand in finding and picking talent in both places. That was said by both Shaq and MJ. No he wasn't the GM but he had a hand in the process.

[[GR]]

http://grantland.com/features/carmelo-a ... ks-legacy/

[delvec19]

old

[Jstarks3]

GREAT FIND OMGGGGGZZZZZZZZ

[F N 11]

I dont read Simmons pieces on Melo. He's worse than Barkley. Str8 hater.

[nykfan42]

[mpharris36]

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

[Marty McFly]

I dont read Simmons pieces on Melo. He's worse than Barkley. Str8 hater.

it was a good piece though. i wouldn't take Simmons hate too seriously.

[Capn'O]

I dont read Simmons pieces on Melo. He's worse than Barkley. Str8 hater.

Actually, the article is extremely complimentary to Melo. Harsh on NYK.


I hadn't read it.

[F N 11]

I dont read Simmons pieces on Melo. He's worse than Barkley. Str8 hater.

Actually, the article is extremely complimentary to Melo. Harsh on NYK.


I hadn't read it.

[Sark]

Bill Simmons is a douche. Every time I try to read his stuff, I get through the first paragraph and say to myself, "This guy is a douche. Why am I reading this?". The proceed to close the page.

[liknicks7]

The article is good but I'm sick of the Melo isn't quite a superstar argument. If he's not, who is? Using the criteria they seem to use to draw that conclusion, no one aside from Lebron is a superstar.

[Capn'O]

GREAT read on Melo but Bill Simmons needs to learn to respect PMFJ. The "B" is coming for you Bill. It's coming.

PMFJ is going to build a very good team here.

[TraSoul82]

One can only imagine the amount of points Carmelo would have, not to mention how offensively efficient he would be, if he flopped and/or got superstar calls.

Phil Jackson can really tap into Melo's psyche and make him the big cog in a proven system, then the entire league is in for a huge surprise. I don't expect to see MJ or Bean, but I do expect to see a significant elevation in Melo's play. Things could get very interesting. The potential is clearly there, and I don't think PMFJB could sleep well knowing he couldn't do any better Karl, D'Antoni, or Woodson at tapping that potential. At the same time, I hope Melo doesn't blow the opportunity to take it to that next level. It's on him to buy in.

[hatnlvr]

The article was a great read but makes a lot of assumptions. Basically saying Melo is doomed to mediocrity playing for the Knicks isn't giving Phil much credit at all. After seeing the moves he's made in such a short amount of time (getting rid of supposedly the worse starting PG in the league, and a complete malcontent who Simmons admits mailed in more games than anyone else on the team) showed me enough in a short amount of time to at least give Phil the benefit of the doubt to build a contender.

Tons of cap space next year, a new coach and system this year, and improved PG play at a minimum says let's wait and see how this team develops. Phil may be able to put the right pieces in place around Melo and build a legit contender.