Carmelo Anthony Thread (Denver Finalizes Deal With Knicks)

[Brenice]

You know what I find funny , pawns. Like in what they want, doesn't matter. It is all about what Melo wants. Melo wants to play with this or play in this area. Who says Galinari or Favors, etc., wants to leave New York or Jersey. Do they have a say in the matter? The Nuggets are pawns too. Like Cleveland last year. You either trade me for unknowns or young players, or else "I'm taking my game to Miami". A team can bend over backwards for LeBron(Cavs) or Melo(Nuggets), build around that player. Spend money and acquire Shaq/Jamison(Cavs) or Iverson/Billups(Nuggets), trying to keep the primadonna(LeBron/Melo) happy, but the primadonna wants to player poker only after being dealt a royal flush(LeBron chose Miami only after Bosh showed his cards as "All In" Miami. So know, Melo is jocking New York/or Jersey. New York, Amare showed his cards in New York. Jersey has a bunch of queens and kings to deal(lottery picks or young lottery draftees) to deal for Melo. You think Melo wouldn't go to Jersey unless another Ace(CP3 is watching) is ready to follow suit.

Unfortunately, stars (or primadonnas as you say) rule the league and win championships. Very rarely do you find a team that doesn't have at least one star and wins the championship.

I understand that, but the owner probably got tired of the non-sense. Not all stars win championships. Who won't win this year? Kobe, LeBron/Wade, KG, Durant, CP3, Amare, etc. They all can't win. Someone won't ever win like Barkley, Mailman, Stockton, Dominique, etc. They are holding up the league for a "chance" to win, but they already got good teams. They want a royal flush like. They don't want competition. I thought the NBA wanted the league to be competitive. So now, the nets owner said "fu-k Melo".

I don't blame him.

[Da_Kidd]

I won't be surprised if this isn't posturing by the Nets.

The press conference does two things: tell everyone that we're not desperate and basically telling Denver to find a better deal than what was already on the table (even if I already think the offer is too much).

This puts the Nets franchise in a good position since not only did we save face from avoiding an inexperienced Denver FO to take advantage of our need for a superstar heading into Brooklyn, but it also makes us keep all the assets we already have if a deal falls through.

Lost in all of this is the fact that we still have tons of draft picks, huge expiring contracts and last year's #3 draft pick who's only 19 years old. The Nets are in a win-win situation, contrary to what others may lead us fans to believe.

There's just no way we were taking Harrington and Balkman's contract, which Denver was seemingly pushing for the deal to get done. It just doesn't make sense from both a basketball standpoint and a business aspect of it. Had we taken that deal, it just implies weakness all around.

Mikhail Prokhorov is not weak.

What's Denver going to get from the Knicks?

Eddy Curry's contract, Gallo (Denver remembers Tskitskvilli) and a late first rounder (which is supposedly from Randolph)

How about the Bulls?

Noah is out. So basicallythat's asking Denver to take on Deng's contract, Taj Gibson and a late first rounder as well.

Houston?

Kevin Martin, Brad Miller, Jordan Hill and a first rounder. Hmmmm sounds enticing.

[defmut]

The first thing the Nets did wrong was hire Avery Johnson. Nobody wants to play for him. His style of coaching drains many players. He doesn't have the patience to teach and bring up young players. Latest case with Lopez and Terrence Williams before that. His personality is too intense that I foresee his roster tuning him out with the losing.

[Jase]

Hey. Kudos to your team on pulling out of the Carmelo Anthony circus. This concept wore out it's welcome a long time ago. It became clear that Denver's primadonna didn't want to be a Net, and your fan base deserves better than someone as spoiled as him. Here's hoping your team finds a more humble star to build around.

[NyCeEvO]

The first thing the Nets did wrong was hire Avery Johnson. Nobody wants to play for him. His style of coaching drains many players. He doesn't have the patience to teach and bring up young players. Latest case with Lopez and Terrence Williams before that. His personality is too intense that I foresee his roster tuning him out with the losing.

Maybe I'm just being too gracious but I think we need to give Avery more time. This Melo issue has been going on since he took over the job. He started with all of this speculation already there. Let's see how much of the team's frustration was really with him or with the rumors. At the beginning of the season, most of us rated him as a good coach but as the season progressed and we played worse, the supporting votes became dissents. How much of the Nets bad play was due to player frustration and/or coach frustration with the Melo situation? We will see. Last night was only one game but I loved the way we played (except for Harris). There weren't too many complaints about Avery last night.

[vincecarter4pres]

None of that changes the fact that Avery is a very mediocre coach who is living off his fame from Dallas, of which some is supremely negative involving the epic 1st round upset he incurred.

I never wanted the guy and then he brought along a terrible staff minus Loyer.

[NyCeEvO]

None of that changes the fact that Avery is a very mediocre coach who is living off his fame from Dallas, of which some is supremely negative involving the epic 1st round upset he incurred.

I never wanted the guy and then he brought along a terrible staff minus Loyer.

I tend to think that coaches can get better in the same way that players can get better. I'd like to see if he has changed by evaluating the rest of the season instead of linking everything to the past. That's just my opinion though.

[NyCeEvO]

Even With Nets Out of Picture, Carmelo Still Expects to Be Traded
By Chris Tomasson


DENVER -- The New Jersey deal is dead. So it was easy for Carmelo Anthony to simply say Wednesday night it was Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov who killed it.

Never mind that sources have said the Denver forward wants to go to New York and never has had any desire to go to New Jersey. Never mind that Anthony spent last weekend talking about how he had no interest in meeting with Prokhorov and how he couldn't understand why the Nets had been coming up in trade rumors.

Prokhorov announced earlier Wednesday that the Nets no longer would pursue trading for Anthony. That sounded like a good company line, and it's the one Anthony used in speaking to the media after he scored 35 points in Denver's 112-107 win over Oklahoma City at the Pepsi Center.

"I'm pretty sure (Prokhorov) was tired of it, going through the back and forth or whatever,'' said Anthony, who claimed he never told New Jersey he wouldn't sign an extension if traded there. "He didn't want to deal with it. ... The things you guys write about him, he probably got tired about it, he probably got fed up about it, and he wanted to move on.''

Anthony at first offered confusing apparent denials of knowing a meeting had been set for Thursday between Anthony and Prokhorov after the Nets had asked for and received permission last Monday from the Nuggets. Then he came clean and admitted there was a meeting that he apparently was ready to attend.

"In the last past couple of days, yes, that meeting has been set up,'' said Anthony, who still believes he will be dealt by the Feb. 24 trade deadline. "They went though the proper channels to set up a meeting. Prokhorov got tired of everything that's going on and he's got to focus on his team...There was a meeting set.''

Anthony said he was willing to talk to Prokhorov.

"Yeah, I mean he's a very interesting man,'' Anthony said. "For me to just be in the room with him and to just have a conversation, I would have loved that.''

Never mind that Prokhorov hardly painted a picture of a player willing to talk with him and other Nets officials. Prokhorov said he never got a "straightforward answer'' from the Nuggets.

"I never met with Carmelo and I never spoke to him," said Prokhorov, whose Nets had been talking with the Nuggets about trading for Anthony since last September. "Maybe he sent me an e-mail, but really I don't use computers."

At least Anthony was able to crack a joke about that. It was the only lighthearted moment of Anthony's post-game press conference, when he got testy at times.

"I never e-mailed him,'' Anthony said. "I don't have his e-mail.''

And never mind that Anthony was saying all of this after last weekend he talked about how he had no interest in meeting with Prokhorov and indicated no interest in the Nets.

"What am I going to meet with (Prokhorov) for?... I don't know where all this Nets stuff came from, man,'' Anthony said last Saturday. "Once the Nets went out there and acquired those five picks (in the first round over the next two years), everybody just put everything together.''

Anthony claimed, though, he never told the Nets he wouldn't sign an extension with them and that he "didn't have any control over Prokhorov canceling the meeting.'' The Nets didn't have any interest in Anthony, who can opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer, if he didn't agree to sign with them a three-year, $64.47 million extension that has been sitting on the table from Denver since last June.

"I never said anything,'' Anthony said about not wanting to sign the extension with the Nets. "I never told anyone anything.''

Anthony was asked if he ever had a desire to go to New Jersey or if in the future he still might have any desire. He sidestepped the question.

"Well, obviously that's a wrap,'' said Anthony, who did say he was "not disappointed'' that a possible Nets deal fell through. "Obviously, (Prokorov) canceled the meeting. I don't think he wants anything to do with this situation right now. I understand, man. ... He's got to focus on his team and his future with that team. So I respect that.''

The Nuggets are looking to trade Anthony because they fear losing him for nothing if he becomes a free agent this summer. Anthony had told Sports Illustrated he expects to be dealt by the trade deadline, and he reiterated that Wednesday.

"At this point, I don't expect any cheers. The boos are the boos. They're going to keep coming.''
- Carmelo Anthony on hearing
boos from Denver fans
"I think so,'' he said. "I think so. Unless something changes, I don't know.''

The chances of Anthony re-signing with Denver appear even slimmer than they have been. Previously, he has regularly said that remains an option. But he declined to answer when asked twice Wednesday if re-signing with the Nuggets remains a possibility.

The boos Anthony has heard doesn't help the situation. After the game, Anthony was interviewed on the court following his big scoring night and a huge Denver victory. Boos rained down as he talked.

"I'm a man,'' he said. "I can take (boos). ... At this point, I don't expect any cheers. The boos are the boos. They're going to keep coming.''

Nuggets fans will have one player to give hearty cheers to for at least a bit longer. That would be point guard Chauncey Billups, a Denver native and hometown hero, who was in talks about being dealt to New Jersey along with Anthony in a three-team trade that would have included Detroit.

But Billups didn't express any joy in Wednesday's trade blowing up. He knows there's still time before the trade deadline and that the Nuggets, who will likely buy his $14.2 million contract out after the season for $3.7 million if he's still with the team, had sought to deal him.

"Not really,'' Billups said of being glad a possible Nets trade is dead. "We've still got a month away before the trade deadline is over. I'm sure it'll be something else. We're not out of the woods yet. ... My thing was, of course, everyone was talking about it, saying the deal was off the table, and that's all fine and good. But, like I said, the trade deadline is not today. It's still going to be a lot of speculation, lot of talk, I'm sure there's going to be something else come up. That's how it's going to be for the next month.''

Chauncey BillupsBillups said he's had "good candid conversations'' with Nuggets executives Josh Kroenke and Masai Ujiri "a couple of times'' recently. But he wouldn't divulge details.

Lost in much of the trade talk Wednesday was the Nuggets getting a big win over a Northwest Division rival and Anthony having his best scoring outing since Dec. 14 against Orlando. It came after two straight 12-point games by Anthony and Nuggets coach George Karl telling FanHouse on Tuesday that Anthony was "very distracted'' Tuesday in practice and his minutes might get cut if that continued.

"I thought Melo was good,'' Karl said. "I didn't expect anything else. Melo always has had a professionalism to him when game time starts. ... (Wednesday) he was special.''

Karl, though, wasn't ready to say any kind of distraction has been taken away on the Nuggets with any possible Nets deal now dead.

"I'm not going to speculate,'' Karl said about the trade talk involving Anthony that has gone on since late last summer. "In my career, I have never gone through such interaction of whatever. I'm sure some of the guys are relieved but, in the same sense, I think we've done a great job of handling it.''

There figures to be plenty of more distractions to come for the Nuggets, who reached the midpoint of the season at 24-17. Sports Illustrated had reported Anthony told Kroenke last August he wanted to be traded to either New York or Chicago. Anthony was asked about those two teams Wednesday, but declined comment.

Anthony did say he doesn't want to be a rental player. That would be a situation in which he's traded to a team for which he doesn't readily agree to sign an extension.

"I don't think so,'' Anthony said of that possible situation in which Houston is believed to be the team most likely to trade for Anthony without a commitment for next season. "I hope not. But you got to ask upstairs.''

Upstairs would be where Kroenke and Ujiri have offices. But Ujiri wouldn't answer much in a chat with reporters Wednesday other than to say he's talked "with plenty of teams'' and he has no ill will toward the Nets for the announcement by Prokhorov.

Judging by his performance against the Thunder, it looked as if Anthony might have come into the game with some relief. But he denied that to be the case.

"I still got to deal with the same stuff over and over,'' Anthony said.

Hahaha...this blew up in Denver's face. Melo is pissed now and won't answer any more trade questions. Despite his apparent dislike of Jew Jersey, it looks like he actually really wanted to meet with Proky after all!! The Russian Ironfist wins!!!

[JoseRizal]

Even With Nets Out of Picture, Carmelo Still Expects to Be Traded
By Chris Tomasson


DENVER -- The New Jersey deal is dead. So it was easy for Carmelo Anthony to simply say Wednesday night it was Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov who killed it.

Never mind that sources have said the Denver forward wants to go to New York and never has had any desire to go to New Jersey. Never mind that Anthony spent last weekend talking about how he had no interest in meeting with Prokhorov and how he couldn't understand why the Nets had been coming up in trade rumors.

Prokhorov announced earlier Wednesday that the Nets no longer would pursue trading for Anthony. That sounded like a good company line, and it's the one Anthony used in speaking to the media after he scored 35 points in Denver's 112-107 win over Oklahoma City at the Pepsi Center.

"I'm pretty sure (Prokhorov) was tired of it, going through the back and forth or whatever,'' said Anthony, who claimed he never told New Jersey he wouldn't sign an extension if traded there. "He didn't want to deal with it. ... The things you guys write about him, he probably got tired about it, he probably got fed up about it, and he wanted to move on.''

Anthony at first offered confusing apparent denials of knowing a meeting had been set for Thursday between Anthony and Prokhorov after the Nets had asked for and received permission last Monday from the Nuggets. Then he came clean and admitted there was a meeting that he apparently was ready to attend.

"In the last past couple of days, yes, that meeting has been set up,'' said Anthony, who still believes he will be dealt by the Feb. 24 trade deadline. "They went though the proper channels to set up a meeting. Prokhorov got tired of everything that's going on and he's got to focus on his team...There was a meeting set.''

Anthony said he was willing to talk to Prokhorov.

"Yeah, I mean he's a very interesting man,'' Anthony said. "For me to just be in the room with him and to just have a conversation, I would have loved that.''

Never mind that Prokhorov hardly painted a picture of a player willing to talk with him and other Nets officials. Prokhorov said he never got a "straightforward answer'' from the Nuggets.

"I never met with Carmelo and I never spoke to him," said Prokhorov, whose Nets had been talking with the Nuggets about trading for Anthony since last September. "Maybe he sent me an e-mail, but really I don't use computers."

At least Anthony was able to crack a joke about that. It was the only lighthearted moment of Anthony's post-game press conference, when he got testy at times.

"I never e-mailed him,'' Anthony said. "I don't have his e-mail.''

And never mind that Anthony was saying all of this after last weekend he talked about how he had no interest in meeting with Prokhorov and indicated no interest in the Nets.

"What am I going to meet with (Prokhorov) for?... I don't know where all this Nets stuff came from, man,'' Anthony said last Saturday. "Once the Nets went out there and acquired those five picks (in the first round over the next two years), everybody just put everything together.''

Anthony claimed, though, he never told the Nets he wouldn't sign an extension with them and that he "didn't have any control over Prokhorov canceling the meeting.'' The Nets didn't have any interest in Anthony, who can opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer, if he didn't agree to sign with them a three-year, $64.47 million extension that has been sitting on the table from Denver since last June.

"I never said anything,'' Anthony said about not wanting to sign the extension with the Nets. "I never told anyone anything.''

Anthony was asked if he ever had a desire to go to New Jersey or if in the future he still might have any desire. He sidestepped the question.

"Well, obviously that's a wrap,'' said Anthony, who did say he was "not disappointed'' that a possible Nets deal fell through. "Obviously, (Prokorov) canceled the meeting. I don't think he wants anything to do with this situation right now. I understand, man. ... He's got to focus on his team and his future with that team. So I respect that.''

The Nuggets are looking to trade Anthony because they fear losing him for nothing if he becomes a free agent this summer. Anthony had told Sports Illustrated he expects to be dealt by the trade deadline, and he reiterated that Wednesday.

"At this point, I don't expect any cheers. The boos are the boos. They're going to keep coming.''
- Carmelo Anthony on hearing
boos from Denver fans
"I think so,'' he said. "I think so. Unless something changes, I don't know.''

The chances of Anthony re-signing with Denver appear even slimmer than they have been. Previously, he has regularly said that remains an option. But he declined to answer when asked twice Wednesday if re-signing with the Nuggets remains a possibility.

The boos Anthony has heard doesn't help the situation. After the game, Anthony was interviewed on the court following his big scoring night and a huge Denver victory. Boos rained down as he talked.

"I'm a man,'' he said. "I can take (boos). ... At this point, I don't expect any cheers. The boos are the boos. They're going to keep coming.''

Nuggets fans will have one player to give hearty cheers to for at least a bit longer. That would be point guard Chauncey Billups, a Denver native and hometown hero, who was in talks about being dealt to New Jersey along with Anthony in a three-team trade that would have included Detroit.

But Billups didn't express any joy in Wednesday's trade blowing up. He knows there's still time before the trade deadline and that the Nuggets, who will likely buy his $14.2 million contract out after the season for $3.7 million if he's still with the team, had sought to deal him.

"Not really,'' Billups said of being glad a possible Nets trade is dead. "We've still got a month away before the trade deadline is over. I'm sure it'll be something else. We're not out of the woods yet. ... My thing was, of course, everyone was talking about it, saying the deal was off the table, and that's all fine and good. But, like I said, the trade deadline is not today. It's still going to be a lot of speculation, lot of talk, I'm sure there's going to be something else come up. That's how it's going to be for the next month.''

Chauncey BillupsBillups said he's had "good candid conversations'' with Nuggets executives Josh Kroenke and Masai Ujiri "a couple of times'' recently. But he wouldn't divulge details.

Lost in much of the trade talk Wednesday was the Nuggets getting a big win over a Northwest Division rival and Anthony having his best scoring outing since Dec. 14 against Orlando. It came after two straight 12-point games by Anthony and Nuggets coach George Karl telling FanHouse on Tuesday that Anthony was "very distracted'' Tuesday in practice and his minutes might get cut if that continued.

"I thought Melo was good,'' Karl said. "I didn't expect anything else. Melo always has had a professionalism to him when game time starts. ... (Wednesday) he was special.''

Karl, though, wasn't ready to say any kind of distraction has been taken away on the Nuggets with any possible Nets deal now dead.

"I'm not going to speculate,'' Karl said about the trade talk involving Anthony that has gone on since late last summer. "In my career, I have never gone through such interaction of whatever. I'm sure some of the guys are relieved but, in the same sense, I think we've done a great job of handling it.''

There figures to be plenty of more distractions to come for the Nuggets, who reached the midpoint of the season at 24-17. Sports Illustrated had reported Anthony told Kroenke last August he wanted to be traded to either New York or Chicago. Anthony was asked about those two teams Wednesday, but declined comment.

Anthony did say he doesn't want to be a rental player. That would be a situation in which he's traded to a team for which he doesn't readily agree to sign an extension.

"I don't think so,'' Anthony said of that possible situation in which Houston is believed to be the team most likely to trade for Anthony without a commitment for next season. "I hope not. But you got to ask upstairs.''

Upstairs would be where Kroenke and Ujiri have offices. But Ujiri wouldn't answer much in a chat with reporters Wednesday other than to say he's talked "with plenty of teams'' and he has no ill will toward the Nets for the announcement by Prokhorov.

Judging by his performance against the Thunder, it looked as if Anthony might have come into the game with some relief. But he denied that to be the case.

"I still got to deal with the same stuff over and over,'' Anthony said.

Hahaha...this blew up in Denver's face. Melo is pissed now and won't answer any more trade questions. Despite his apparent dislike of Jew Jersey, it looks like he actually really wanted to meet with Proky after all!! The Russian Ironfist wins!!!

Nah! I'm not convinced. I felt that he's just protecting his image and doesn't wan't to get the LeBron treatment...

[NyCeEvO]

I don't think so. He could have just played it off as if it wasn't that big of a deal. He didn't do that and now he will no longer answer questions about free agency. Remember he wants this to be his free agency period. The fact he didn't have the opportunity to at least listen to us is something that he didn't want. We were just supposed to be one of his options that he could say yes or no to. But if someone takes that option away from you because your agents and management couldn't work out something, I think he was genuinely pissed.

He has already said that he thought about the possibility of opening up the new building in Brooklyn. His folks just shut the door on that idea. Even if we weren't his #1 option, everyone hates it if their back up plan fails while their primary plan hasn't even worked out yet.

And despite how long this process has been, Melo will never get the LBJ treatment. Every arena that LBJ steps in, he's getting booed and booed loudly. Melo might get booed by the Denver crowd but not the crowd of every opponent. LBJ went on national TV to make his decision and sealed his fate as a jerk for a lot of people.

[The Consiglieri]

We have pulled out of the Melo deal!!!!!

I don't know why I've felt this way, hell, I'm a west coaster and a Boulez fan (long story), so i actually have a greater fondness for the Nuggets (love Colorado), but from the start I've always loathed this deal. It felt like watching someone run across the street and not seeing the car coming that was about to turn them into road kill.

What you guys were reported to be giving up to get this deal done was beyond asinine. So insane, so idiotic, as to be virtually inexplicable. Favors was bad enough, then adding all the other pieces, multiple #1's, Harris etc. That would gut your team completely, room the high upside talent, the solid core, and pieces to build upon, or augment what you have, hand them over to Denver, and what you get in return is an overrated second tier star who will never be a true superstar, build your team around, type in this league. It was and is beyond insane, especially when Favors is athletically talented enough to actually become that player in the future, given time, just him alone. That you're adding all the other pieces to that deal?

It was or at least to me it read like the NBA version of the Herschel Walker deal. Insane and beyond foolish. I am so glad your owner stepped in before a mind numblingly stupid trade was made for marketing reasons alone. Good God was that a bad deal. Freaking horrible. I'm sitting her as a Boulez fan, wishing we had as many pieces to build with as you, and you guys are turning around and nearly flushing it all down the toilet for a guy whose almost certainly never going to win a title let alone play for one, unless he pulls a LeBron.

It's fantastic that it was nixed. Now you guys can load up some more on draft day, have free agent money available for a great crop in '12, and continue to build around that young core you have, which is plenty good to begin with and only going to get better in my view. Great move by the new owner.

[The Consiglieri]

You know what I find funny , pawns. Like in what they want, doesn't matter. It is all about what Melo wants. Melo wants to play with this or play in this area. Who says Galinari or Favors, etc., wants to leave New York or Jersey. Do they have a say in the matter? The Nuggets are pawns too. Like Cleveland last year. You either trade me for unknowns or young players, or else "I'm taking my game to Miami". A team can bend over backwards for LeBron(Cavs) or Melo(Nuggets), build around that player. Spend money and acquire Shaq/Jamison(Cavs) or Iverson/Billups(Nuggets), trying to keep the primadonna(LeBron/Melo) happy, but the primadonna wants to player poker only after being dealt a royal flush(LeBron chose Miami only after Bosh showed his cards as "All In" Miami. So know, Melo is jocking New York/or Jersey. New York, Amare showed his cards in New York. Jersey has a bunch of queens and kings to deal(lottery picks or young lottery draftees) to deal for Melo. You think Melo wouldn't go to Jersey unless another Ace(CP3 is watching) is ready to follow suit.

Bull crap. Teams are no better. They have no loyalty to players. They don't bend over backwards or the player...they do what they have to do. Players will use their leverage when they can...but make no mistake...they will trade anyone when it suits their needs. We forget this is a business for both parties. For us its our entertainment. For them its their livelihood. We try to deny them that by seeing that they make so much more money than the average person. So we think...if I had all that money I would do this and that. But its bull.

The more you have, the more you want. Bigger wallets, come bigger houses come bigger responsibilities. They feel the pressure just like you do when you get a job offer from a rival company offering you a better situation. Its just human nature...albeit on a larger scale.

I agree with your premise, but it also gets more complicated the more players say, "I only want to play on this coast/that coast/major market etc," in their negotiations. The league system works so long as all the cities have a fair shot. Baseball is already and always has been blatantly rigged, the NHL has run into some issues with this, the NFL still appears immune, but it's also becoming more and more clear that NBA players want to play in the northeast in major markets, in tax friendly and sunny Florida or Texas, or the West Coast. The great wide swath outside of texas between both coastlines could end up getting royally screwed here.

Then what do you do in terms of the league? If Every team in between say, Philly and LA, save Chicago, Dallas, and San Antonio, holds no interest for players once they are free agents, what the hell is going to happen to the league? Currently, as the hyper annoying, but sometimes money Cowherd said this morning, every major market is virtually covered in the NBA now, Southern Coast (Miami), Northeast (Boston, New York), Major Metropolitan Midwest (Chicago), West Coast (LA Lakers, LA Clippers). There are virtually no superstar elite players to market around playing anywhere else. He acts like its a good thing, and it is, but it's also a bad thing, because eventually people stop going to games in places like Minnesota, Detroit, Denver, Milwaukee and Indiana, when they no they have no shot, and never will. Its happened to virtually every team in baseball not in a major market, and now it could start happening in the NBA. It's a major issue. Maybe that's why the NBA promotes stars much more than teams, so people aren't as attached to their local franchises, but if you're area is virtually empty for all games not involving superstars, eventually this is going to be a major problem.

[Rich Rane]

Man, I was out on business and couldn't wait to get home to post in this thread, but it seems everything that needed to be said was said. I also commend you all that even with different views on this situation, you were able to keep the board civil. I, and probably jerseyjac as well, can't honestly begin to tell you how grateful I am of you guys for that.

[8 Mile Ilic]

Is it time for the big fat I told you so?

P.S. Some more Woj trash for you Woj lovers:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=A ... nets011911

[FGump]

My sense of this is very different from that of most, and confirmed for me by watching the pressers on video with a chance to watch the expressions and body language as it played out, knowing where they were going as they spoke.

I think Prokhorov pulled the plug in such a public manner because for whatever reason he/they had concluded (or learned) Anthony wouldn't extend with NJ. IMO most of what we saw was poorly acted theater attempting to spin a bad situation into the idea that they chose it. Lots of contradictory statements on who did what and why and when, by both Proky and King. Forgot the script, or never really figured out their story in advance.

Proky's halting nonsense that he never talked to Melo, but maybe Melo contacted him, but he doesn't keep up with things, came off as a poorly rehearsed attempt at an ad libbed "Dog hate my homework" excuse tossed into the record in case it comes out in the future that he was contacted/informed by Melo of his intentions.

With this press conference, it's now on the public record that "it was our own choice" that ended things.

Denver is pissed they say, but truth be told probably more at Melo than at the Nets. Maybe the two teams are playing the game of throwing each other under the bus, both knowing that everyone did what they could to make a deal happen except Melo.

I don't blame either team for playing the face-saving game on something that had taken on a life of its own and then fallen flat, but I think this deal is dead - and permanently so - because Melo killed it. Period.

[jerseyjac]

Man, I was out on business and couldn't wait to get home to post in this thread, but it seems everything that needed to be said was said. I also commend you all that even with different views on this situation, you were able to keep the board civil. I, and probably jerseyjac as well, can't honestly begin to tell you how grateful I am of you guys for that.

I second that...

...I do agree with Gump to a certain extent, I wont doubt that theory at all, I was actually thinking along the same lines...I do believe they Nets saved face, a meeting might of only made this situation worse...you cant force these things, though Denver will ultimately lose out...

If there is truth to this theory, the Nets got some sort of confirmation of Melo's intentions (uncertainty as of now)...on top of Denver really getting greedy, I am extremely happy with our current stance...

By no means is this deal dead, its just another wall...a phone call can always break that wall down...

We all know the majority of us rather build a team than gut it for a superstar who can only guarantee a middle of the road team...this would of been nothing better than VC part II...Maybe Billy and company is finally getting through to Mik and his people...I truly believe Billy is appeasing Mik, and you just witnessed our owner come to terms of this deal and the reality of Melo/Denver...

I feel a little more comfortable with our owner again...our future can breathe once again...

[Preludepunk27]

You know what's funny? Melo said Wednesday after his game he'd love to sit down and have a conversation with Prohky.

It's in one of the articles on Nets Daily post talking about how Prohky acted like a hero to some owners Wednesday. I don't have time to pop over there and copy/paste it though.

Gotta love the stupid drama still.

[ClarenceDerozan]

Kudos to you guys for having an awesome owner. I wish the Raps actually had someone like Prok instead of the teachers of Ontario owning us. =(

[infam0us]

You know what's funny? Melo said Wednesday after his game he'd love to sit down and have a conversation with Prohky.

It's in one of the articles on Nets Daily post talking about how Prohky acted like a hero to some owners Wednesday. I don't have time to pop over there and copy/paste it though.

Gotta love the stupid drama still.

We're going to end up in a lockout because the owners have given into the demands of the players and there agents, and now they're fed up with the contracts. Prokhy having a conference and publicly saying he's had enough and Melo isn't worth this should be encouraging to owners.

[vincecarter4pres]

I hope we at least have a half season like we did in 99, it would suck if the whole season was canceled and then on top of that the NFL is headed for the same thing.