OT: Nets & Nuggets Reach Agreement On Trade;Now Its Up To CA

[johnnyvann840]

Knicks with Melo don't scare me.

They are gutting their lineup/depth, but they get an elite scorer in return.

However, their defense will be brutal, especially with Pringles leading the charge

I really don't understand how anyone can downplay a team with Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and Chauncey Billups on it. For a 6th seed, that would be hell to play.

Not scary at all. Amare and Melo are both turnstyles on D. Billups is urning 35 and already just not what he was a few years ago. They have nothing else. I say they will suck for the rest of this year and struggle to make the 8th seed... then they will be handcuffed with two guys who cannot play defense and make over $20 mil per each and an ancient PG... I find the whole thing amusing. And I live part time in Denver and know Melo's game very well. If they get D Will or Paul, maybe they make some noise. But, look at Miami.. They have three of the best scorers in the game and struggle to generate offense.. What makes that Heat team good is their defense. NY won't be that kind of team.
Remember when they announced the Three Myegos, everyone was saying they would be scoring 120 every night? .. LOL it's their D that makes them win, not their O.

Honestly, the Knicks are still a .500 team . Maybe 45 win team, at best.. if everything goes perfectly for them.

Playoffs? forget it. They will not fare well.... if they make it.

[BullsCroatia]

Felton is a better player than Billups right now.

But I do wonder if this trade makes GarPax to seriously consider going all in NOW, not in the offseason.

[Red Larrivee]

I get it, they can't defend. But you're really underestimating how good they are offensively. They're two of the top 15 players in the league right now and are capable of scoring 30+ and taking over a game. Oh, and they'd have one of the top three point shooters in the league this season at their side.

Right now Amar'e ranks 3rd in the league in points in the clutch, shooting 56%. Anthony ranks 6th, shooting 46%. For giggles, Billups ranks 21st, shooting a mediocre 30%. That's not an easy dismiss for any good defensive team. There are some nights where good offense beats good defense and it has happened in the playoffs.

They would give any team hell. I'd hope they somehow moved up to the 5th seed.

[red222]

I get it, they can't defend. But you're really underestimating how good they are offensively. They're two of the top 15 players in the league right now and are capable of scoring 30+ and taking over a game. Oh, and they'd have one of the top three point shooters in the league this season at their side.

Right now Amar'e ranks 3rd in the league in points in the clutch, shooting 56%. Anthony ranks 6th, shooting 46%. For giggles, Billups ranks 21st, shooting a mediocre 30%. That's not an easy dismiss for any good defensive team. There are some nights where good offense beats good defense and it has happened in the playoffs.

They would give any team hell. I'd hope they somehow moved up to the 5th seed.

i believe they will

[yifsuibfe]

and what about in 2012 when they apparently add chris paul.... the nba is gonna be fun to watch with only 6 teams

[johnnyvann840]

I get it, they can't defend. But you're really underestimating how good they are offensively. They're two of the top 15 players in the league right now and are capable of scoring 30+ and taking over a game. Oh, and they'd have one of the top three point shooters in the league this season at their side.

Right now Amar'e ranks 3rd in the league in points in the clutch, shooting 56%. Anthony ranks 6th, shooting 46%. For giggles, Billups ranks 21st, shooting a mediocre 30%. That's not an easy dismiss for any good defensive team. There are some nights where good offense beats good defense and it has happened in the playoffs.

They would give any team hell. I'd hope they somehow moved up to the 5th seed.

More likely they move down to 7th or 8th... I see Philly and/or Indy passing them. They are going to have to go through an adjustment period. They have a tough schedule remaining. I predict if they make this deal they finish 40-42 and if they don't, they finish 42-40.

[gf2020hotmail]

I get it, they can't defend. But you're really underestimating how good they are offensively. They're two of the top 15 players in the league right now and are capable of scoring 30+ and taking over a game. Oh, and they'd have one of the top three point shooters in the league this season at their side.

Right now Amar'e ranks 3rd in the league in points in the clutch, shooting 56%. Anthony ranks 6th, shooting 46%. For giggles, Billups ranks 21st, shooting a mediocre 30%. That's not an easy dismiss for any good defensive team. There are some nights where good offense beats good defense and it has happened in the playoffs.

They would give any team hell. I'd hope they somehow moved up to the 5th seed.

i believe they will

They are going to make up 5.5 games in 28? If the Knicks went 20-8, putting them at an unlikely Heat-Bulls-Celtics level with no depth and no time to adjust, the Hawks would have to finish 14-13 after playing 13 over 500 the first half and that only puts them into a tie and the Hawks currently hold the tie breaker anyway. The Knicks getting the five seed isn't going to happen.

[Leslie Forman]

If they do get Melo/Billups but lose Felton/Chandler/Fields/Mozgov, the Knicks still match up quite well against the Bulls. Noah/Thomas/Asik are all either weak or undersized and not threats to score much so not having a true center shouldn't hurt too bad. Because Bogans is so useless, they can stick Melo on him and start Gallinari at the 3. Hell, even Brewer might as well be guarded by Melo or Gallinari, since you can just leave him open like he's Rondo. That will probably be their plan whenever he's in the game. Walker is an excellent bench shooter and as we've seen before, Douglas can pull a Microwave out of nowhere.

The key is rebounding. The Bulls should be able to dominate the boards, as Amare, Turiaf and even Mozgov are all subpar rebounders. They just have to make sure the gains in rebounding are enough to overcome the gains the Knicks put up in efficiency.

In the playoffs, rebounding is much more of a constant than efficiency so the Bulls should take it, but it will not be easy. I could see it going seven.

[Magilla_Gorilla]

and what about in 2012 when they apparently add chris paul.... the nba is gonna be fun to watch with only 6 teams

Its already been said over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again... but let me say it again - If NY signs Carmelo to a max extension - there is no way they have cap space to sign CP3 unless he takes a significant paycut.

[johnnyvann840]

One other thing to note. This is interesting for me cause I live in Phoenix and Denver. I know Amare and Melo's games very, very well. Amare will FREAK if he is not the focal point of the offense and so will Melo. They can't both be. Remember when Phoenix brought in the "Big Cactus"? It was a disaster. Amare hated it when Shaq was in Phoenix and they both wanted the ball. The Suns were terrible. That was a Phoenix team with Nash, JRich, Grant Hill, Amare and Shaq and Matt Barnes and Barbosa on the bench. Melo is the same way. These guys both need to be the man. With Chauncey who is used to running offense through Melo is going to have a tough job and I see chemistry being a big problem.

This will be very interesting to watch unfold, if it happens. I predict a monumental disappointment.

[red222]

https://twitter.com/#!/tommydeetkb/stat ... 3288840192

[El Ridda]

If they do get Melo/Billups but lose Felton/Chandler/Fields/Mozgov, the Knicks still match up quite well against the Bulls. Noah/Thomas/Asik are all either weak or undersized and not threats to score much so not having a true center shouldn't hurt too bad. .

- I think the bigger problem associated with their lack of bigs will be stopping Rose when he gets to the rim.

[dice]

if the deal goes down, the knicks will still have fields or gallo. let's not ignore that. if they continue to knock down threes like they have against us this year, they'll be tough. but they'd have to win a shootout

i'd look forward to the matchup

[johnnyvann840]

if the deal goes down, the knicks will still have fields or gallo. let's not ignore that. if they continue to knock down threes like they have against us this year, they'll be tough. but they'd have to win a shootout

i'd look forward to the matchup

What team do like better?

Nash
J-Rich
Grant Hill
Amare
Shaq

Barnes
Barbosa
Dragic
Amundson
Lopez

or

Billups
Walker
Melo
Gallo
Amare


Douglas
Williams
Turiaf
Rautins
Moz?

or

Billups
Fields
Williams
Melo
Amare

Douglas
Walker
Turiaf
Mozgov??
Rautins

That Suns team, IMO, was so much better and they won 46 games and missed the playoffs.. of course they were in the WC. They lost Amare for the last 26 games but their winning % stayed about the same.

[kyrv]

and what about in 2012 when they apparently add chris paul.... the nba is gonna be fun to watch with only 6 teams

Its already been said over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again... but let me say it again - If NY signs Carmelo to a max extension - there is no way they have cap space to sign CP3 unless he takes a significant paycut.

I hear what you are saying.

By the way, I read Chris Paul might be Knick bound.

[JayD]

If they get Chris Paul, then there's reason to be scared. But until then - and it's very doubtful the CBA will allow the Knicks to sign CP3 for the max - no reason to be scared of a team that won't play any defense.

[barnett114]

I hear what you are saying.

By the way, I read Chris Paul might be Knick bound.

Where?

[kyrv]

Carmelo saying he's not getting any younger shows us that he's all about winning a championship.

Looks like we are wrong Panther.

[kyrv]

I hear what you are saying.

By the way, I read Chris Paul might be Knick bound.

Where?

From Knick fans.

[johnnyvann840]

I hear what you are saying.

By the way, I read Chris Paul might be Knick bound.

Where?

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/21 ... rom_Knicks