Magic PG: So Let Me Get This Straight...

[F N 11]

Have to try small ball at this point.

[whocares1]

even if you kept this entire team together, you would still be better adding a top 10 pick to it. you're gonna have to fire horny sometime next year too because he sucks. we're giving him a pass simply because he doesn't run the triangle and because rambis/fisher were that much worse. nothing creative on offense and no defense. the f*ck good is he doing ?

He has one of the highest fg% in the league for coaches after a timeout. He clearly isn't running the system he'd like.

[JXL]

There's no defensive scheme. That's why they suck.

[Jay10]

If people thought it was bad with Amar'e, get ready to see worse with Carmelo for 2 more seasons.

[shtolky]

We have KP and our pick. I ain't even mad. If we make the playoffs, fine, KP gets much needed experience. If not, we have a lottery pick in a loaded draft. Before the year started, most optimists had them at or around .500. We are still on pace for that. Not saying that is something that should be praised, but we are really right at where people thought we would be at. All this Melo stuff, at worst, will be over by the end of next season when he opts out (not a chance in hell he opts in). By then, KP will be going into his 4th year, and hopefully we have added some good young draft pieces in this draft and 2018. Plus we have WHG and Kuz, more young guys to build around. As I've said, KP will be in his prime long after Melo is off this team. It's time to give him the keys, hopefully it happens sooner rather than later.

[Juco24]

I'm a Melo fan. His offense doesn't even really bother me. Yeah the iso after ISO when he's cold can get annoying but he's still a valuable weapon to have out there imo, and I believe the stats do say we are a better offensive team with him playing (should be obvious).

HOWEVER I cannot excuse his piss poor defensive effort this year. It's not just being out of position, it's him not even trying half the time. That is starting to wear on me. Maybe it's his knee bothering him but if that's the case then sit him and let him recover. The whole team has been bad defensively but imo no one has put forth as poor an effort as Melo. And as the star and leader of the team he should be doing the opposite.

I could NOT agree more. I, too, am a HUGE Melo fan and I thought comments about his inability to play D was a misnomer but this season - far too many times have I seen him loafing. And THAT'S INEXCUSABLE. I recall a time in which I said Melo was notsofar from Bron but what separates those two besides athleticism is the fact that Bron will do whatever it takes to WIN while Melo seems intent on shooting/scoring but has no willingness to sacrifice that for giving it his all on the defensive end. It's almost like he's saving himself. I can't believe I'm saying this but Melo's time has come. He should. We should. Trade him for the best return. It's a win win for everyone

[F N 11]

People on the general board was hinting at the negative net rating. Finally caught up to the record.

[god shammgod]

even if you kept this entire team together, you would still be better adding a top 10 pick to it. you're gonna have to fire horny sometime next year too because he sucks. we're giving him a pass simply because he doesn't run the triangle and because rambis/fisher were that much worse. nothing creative on offense and no defense. the f*ck good is he doing ?

He has one of the highest fg% in the league for coaches after a timeout. He clearly isn't running the system he'd like.

we just need 500 timeouts then. maybe we can petition the league.

[NYKHardKnock]

It's a shame because we'll end up winning over the next few games and he right back in it, which wouldn't do anything positive

[whocares1]

even if you kept this entire team together, you would still be better adding a top 10 pick to it. you're gonna have to fire horny sometime next year too because he sucks. we're giving him a pass simply because he doesn't run the triangle and because rambis/fisher were that much worse. nothing creative on offense and no defense. the f*ck good is he doing ?

He has one of the highest fg% in the league for coaches after a timeout. He clearly isn't running the system he'd like.

we just need 500 timeouts then. maybe we can petition the league.

I think that's just context for "when they run his plays they work". You didn't hear Jeff scream swing it in the second quarter three times? He's trying but the team is thinking and not reacting. There aren't any difference makers on the team when KP isn't there or Melo isn't on.

[ag3]

It's a shame because we'll end up winning over the next few games and he right back in it, which wouldn't do anything positive

No we wont. This team is unraveling.

[god shammgod]

He has one of the highest fg% in the league for coaches after a timeout. He clearly isn't running the system he'd like.

we just need 500 timeouts then. maybe we can petition the league.

I think that's just context for "when they run his plays they work". You didn't hear Jeff scream swing it in the second quarter three times? He's trying but the team is thinking and not reacting. There aren't any difference makers on the team when KP isn't there or Melo isn't on.

if he cant get his message heard, who needs him. he certainly aint motivating them on d either.

[dakomish23]

the only reason Melo backed Woodson was because he did exactly what Melo wanted. Let him iso all day and get the scoring title while switching on defense so he didn't have to work on the other end. He may have been worth it despite the passive aggressiveness, but he isn't anymore. The Melo era needs to die; perhaps along with the Phil era.

Thx for the corroboration that Melo DID NOT chase Woodson out of town

sure, no problem. I guess we're in agreement that we need to move on from Melo unless we're bringing Woodson back and Melo can go back in time.

I'm in agreement on the way Woodson used Melo at the 4. Im not going to say Play a guy out of position with guys who don't fit and then blame that player. Years from now when we **** up with KP I'll be making the same argument

[dakomish23]

If people thought it was bad with Amar'e, get ready to see worse with Carmelo for 2 more seasons.

Congrats. Most ridiculous statement

[dakomish23]

Have to try small ball at this point.

AND START HOLIDAY!!!!

[god shammgod]

derek fisher somewhere picking up his check and laughing

[dakomish23]

Can we at least admit that Melo did us a favor, if he actually did hate Lin?

I think it's ridiculous that a guy teams were using first round picks to dump is still being brought up as some messiah. I'm a Lin fan but I'm no prt of the Church of Lin

Lin was cool, but paying guys for 2 weeks is how we have another Jerome James on our hands. Can't believe that people got all worked up over him leaving, and blamed Melo to cope with it.

Everyone loves an underdog?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[dakomish23]

derek fisher somewhere picking up his check and laughing

"Why are you here?"

......

"To cash this" he says to the bank teller

[HerSports85]

The problem I have with Melo is when we were 4 games above .500 and looking like top 3 teams in the East, he was playing what I call "engaged" and "on a mission" and he would do whatever it took to win, whether shooting 20 times or passing 20 times.

But 10 games later, he seems to check out, like he already gave up on the team when 10 games ago he was "on a mission".

The team may be in a funk but so many playoffs teams struggle during the course of a season and they work it out and make noise in the playoffs. Usually the problems can be righted with a few tweaks and adjustments.

Instead of working on righting the course, he seems to check out.

I was a Nugget fan during all of Melo's years there, and I can say 100% that the only season Melo was on a mission consistently for a full season was when they traded for Billups in 2008-09 and ended up making it to WCF.

(btw, I became a Knicks fan because of Lin, not because I followed Melo here)

The problem I have with Melo as a player during his career is he NEVER seems to have a mission for winning a championship, like it is not on his agenda and he seems to have something better to do.


You see championship players like Wade, LeBron, Dirk, Duncan, KG, they seemed to have a sense of mission, they displayed it with their high level of engagement, honest body language/ signals which are almost impossible to fake. They seem to play every possession on both ends with a purpose.

Melo doesn't have it. Too often he seems like he has something else on his mind, like his off court activities (I learned that he has started off the court business endeavors which he takes seriously and he really takes a pride in being a businessman instead of handing it over to his financial team/ manager). The shots that he takes thesedays are like just turnaround heaves that "have a 35-40% chance of going in" but he can't care less whether it was a good shot for the team, as long as he has done playing and "earning" those cheques and playing the regular season games.

Having been a close observer of Melo since his rookie season, I learn that he NEEDS someone who has strong leadership qualities next to him who would take that leadership "pressure" off him and allow him to be "himself". That's why when Billups first came to Nuggets he was able to immediately lock in for the course of a full season. It's why he thrived on Olympics teams, having Coach K, Pop, LeBron and all the strong leaders around him to allow him to be who he is.


---

I think he would only accept a trade to a team to Cavs where he could play with LeBron (strong leader) and have a chance for a championship, or to a team like Clips to play for Doc and with guys like CP3 and Paul Pierce (strong leaders) where they could view him as a difference maker who could push them over the edge.

Wade is his buddy, but I don't think he'd accept trade to Bulls as they are not quite a championship team and Butler and Wade are not exactly strong leaders.

I'd trade Melo to Cavs or Clips for salary flexibilities and draft picks as it's only our chance to unload him. We need someone who approaches the game with right sense of urgency and that sense of mission. KP is that guy. Build around him.

Great post and observation. But people think it's hating when you say Melo is not a leader or two-way player. However he's one of the purest scores in the NBA, especially when he's playing the right way. Can he be inconsistent .. yes, but he's clutch and can put a team on his back when he needs to.

The front office screwed up. They assumed Melo was something he hasn't been his entire career. With his lack of leadership he does need a floor general, so you're right his best years came with Billups in Denver and Kidd, Sheed and the rest of the vets here when we won 50+ games. He also need players around that's above average defenders to hide his weaknesses.. I.e how Golden State is built around Curry.

I've been a fan of his since he was drafted and damn near watched every single Nugget game. To be honest, I followed him here, and want him to win as well but I just don't see a contender trading for him and for some reason players didnt/ don't want to come play with him here so he's stuck until his contract is done.



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[Knicks_Fan2]

The signing of Noah was an abject failure from the moment he signed that contract. The entire league is going toward only playing one big, which has significantly decreased the demand on centers and now you can likely trade for one without breaking the bank. Look at Denver, they tried a Jokic Nurkic combo which was a failure and they will likely trade Nurkic as a result. Look at Sacramento, they can't play Koufos or WCS regularly because Cousins is a center. Instead, we went the other way and gave a brokedown Noah a 4 year deal that was immediately untradeable (without attaching assets) for at least two season, and likely three until he is an expiring. Moreover, it forced us to start him, which then makes our defense look even worse because Melo plays exclusively on the perimeter on defense where he is a liability and the same goes for KP.