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1. AI's biggest flaw is he tries to force the refs to make a call if he feels like they missed one. A couple years ago when he had a strong fanbase this worked but these days he just doesnt have the clout to get calls that way.

2. Stop passing like a point guard. He's a shooting guard in this offense, there's no reason for him to be controlling the offense the way he does. It leads to unnecessary turnovers because people don't expect the ball when he's going to the basket. Thats carter's job. Let somebody else shoulder the blame for guys not getting enough touches or not receiving the ball where "they like it."

3. Stop shooting jump shots, especially that fade away baseline one. The only jumpshots he should be taking are 3s and that little bunnyshot from the free throw-line. Any other jumpshot there are other players on this team that are better options for that type of shot.

4. Foul more. AI doesn't foul enough. If he can't stay in front of you he just kind of lets you go by with no contact. Start doing the stuff people do to him.

5. Needs to cover long rebounds in his vicinity.

Other than that, up until the past 5 or so games, AIs been the best player on this team and obviously better than expected. Unfortunately the problems on this team have very little to do with individual performance of any player and more to do with team issues. But as the most notable player on this team he should and will get most of the blame for under-performance the same way he would get most of the credit for their success.

Patterns wrote:Lakers fan here offering unbiased opinion:

I truly believe that your team is better without AI. AI and Melo just doesn't mesh. They'll always get their numbers but it doesn't work like a MJ & Pippen or a Kobe & Shaq.

IMO, AI is holding back Melo. Melo is the second most dominant scorer in our league after Kobe. He can do everything and he's a deadly mid-range shooter. He can't be stopped on the block because he's so strong and agile.

Someone like Jason Kidd can do wonders for Melo and the Nuggets.

Yes, AI gets a lot of assists but that's because 42.3 minutes a game and has the ball almost all the time. You don't need a point guard who does that. You you need is a point guard who can defend and dump the ball to Melo.

Plus, AI is a defensive liability out there. With him, you guys have to start Anthony Carter. The two together make up, by far, the worst backcourt defensively.

If Artest comes, AI has to go. You can't have 3 players who need the ball to be effective.

So many people, not even just Nuggs fans, want AI to be something he's not. It's the equivelant of Kidd coming in and asked to be a half Scoring 2/half PG.

ambiglight wrote:1. AI's biggest flaw is he tries to force the refs to make a call if he feels like they missed one. A couple years ago when he had a strong fanbase this worked but these days he just doesnt have the clout to get calls that way.

2. Stop passing like a point guard. He's a shooting guard in this offense, there's no reason for him to be controlling the offense the way he does. It leads to unnecessary turnovers because people don't expect the ball when he's going to the basket. Thats carter's job. Let somebody else shoulder the blame for guys not getting enough touches or not receiving the ball where "they like it."

3. Stop shooting jump shots, especially that fade away baseline one. The only jumpshots he should be taking are 3s and that little bunnyshot from the free throw-line. Any other jumpshot there are other players on this team that are better options for that type of shot.

4. Foul more. AI doesn't foul enough. If he can't stay in front of you he just kind of lets you go by with no contact. Start doing the stuff people do to him.

5. Needs to cover long rebounds in his vicinity.

Other than that, up until the past 5 or so games, AIs been the best player on this team and obviously better than expected. Unfortunately the problems on this team have very little to do with individual performance of any player and more to do with team issues. But as the most notable player on this team he should and will get most of the blame for under-performance the same way he would get most of the credit for their success.

#2 is spot on. Some nights he looks great at it, but that doesn't mean he will be great every night because 1. He's not that great at it. 2. He has a scoring mentality first.

The problem I see is Carter is really inconsistent at PG, so Karl probably wants the ball in AI hands more than he should. Carter is the only option at this point and that's not good. I'd much rather have a decent PG that Karl and AI trusts and have AI come off the ball more at the 2. Eric Snow for Philly was just like Carter is now, couldn't shoot for ****, but Snow was much better at finding spots on the floor for the scorers, mainly AI at the time, than Carter is now for even Melo or AI. I think with a decent PG on this team, things would change dramatically because I saw it in Philly when they went to the Finals.

I actually think Kidd would do wonders here with AI and Melo because Kidd would take control and be a leader. He would be like " Listen guys, enough of this iso and one on one ****. Get open and I'll get you the ball in the right spots. I think that's really lacikng here. Karl seems to let them play free and Carter sure as **** aint gonna do it, nor would AI or Melo even respect him even if he did.

big123 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



Yeah I agree with him. AI at the point makes no sense because he's not a PG. The Nuggets didn't have to get or play Carter or Atkins, but they did and doesn't help anything.

So you just dismiss AI as a scorer, one of the best of all-time and playing out of position right now? I'm not saying Melo isn't crazy good, because he is, but to just dismiss it is outragous.

All I'm getting from this post is Melo good and AI makes Melo look bad. I'm really sick of hearing that. He even says AI needs to go if the Nuggs get Artest. Did you just start watching basketball this year to make your conclusion that AI is worthless?

I am not saying that AI is worthless and I am not dismissing him. Not at all. There was a reason why AI was traded for so little. Miller was good but he got traded for a supposed "superstar".

That's because most GM didn't think AI would make them better, especially not playoff teams in the West. AI is ball-dominant and he won't work with most stars. He's a point guard and a great scorer at the same time so he thinks he need to do everything.

Melo is a better scorer than AI. It is simple as that. Right now, Melo is not the true #1 option. I've seen a lot of Nuggets ball this year and sometimes Melo doesn't even get to catch the ball in a half court set. It's ridiculous because AI dribbles and dribbles and then force a pass.

If you get Artest, say good bye to your ball movement because he'll hold the ball and go one on one just like Melo and AI. If you've seen Artest play at all then you'll know that he thinks he is the #1 option on offense in any team.

Yes, he's a great defender but he also plays offense. The numbers at all nicely but it won't translate to on court success.

You can clearly tell that the West All-Star team played much much better out there with Paul than AI. I know it's only an All-Star game but it's a good indication of how AI doesn't work with other good players. He's not a pass first point guard and he doesn't know how to set all of his teammates up like a Nash or Kidd or Paul.

Watching Kidd and AI is like a night and day difference. One player doesn't know whether to score or to the pass while the other knows exactly what to do in any given moment.

Everyone says that the Nuggets have the most talent on paper and I agree but one thing is for sure, you guys have the wrong talent in the PG position. AI is a shooting guard at heart trapped in a PG's body. That's why when you have him running the team, there's no ball movement, no extra passes, no passing it to the guy who's hot or who's wide open. And if you don't have him run the team and play him at the SG, your back court would be horrible defensively.

The only hope is to have a big point guard like a Shaun Livingston who can guard SGs and have AI play the SG spot and guard PGs.