OT: Will 'Melo be remembered like 'Nique: NBA Underachiever?

[Jamaaliver]

From an interesting take over at Hoops Rumors, based on an interview Carmelo had with ESPN's Marc Stein:

In an interview with ESPN’s Marc Stein, Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony indicated that if his professional basketball career were to end without him winning an NBA championship, he’d still consider it a success if he walked away with three Olympic gold medals and an NCAA title.

Anthony has long been a polarizing player among fans, thanks to his gaudy statistics and lack of playoff success over the course of his career. The tale of the tape on the forward’s NBA career thus far is: In 902 career regular season games Anthony has averaged 24.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists to accompany a shooting line of .453/.344/.812. He’s a nine-time NBA All-Star, but…he’s only made it out of the first round of the playoffs twice in his 13-year career.

The player whose career I’ve often compared Anthony’s to is former Hawks great, Dominique Wilkins. While Melo’s game is certainly different from the “Human Highlight Film’s,” Wilkins is a prime example of a star whose statistics never translated into an NBA title. To further illustrate my point, take a gander at Wilkins’ career numbers, which are eerily similar to Anthony’s. In 1074 career regular season contests, Wilkins notched averages of 24.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists to go along with his shooting line of .461/.319/.811. Wilkins enjoyed a bit more playoff success, advancing past the first round on four occasions during his time in Atlanta, but never past the second round.

I reference Wilkins because despite never having won an NBA title, he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006 and is generally regarded as one of the greats of the game, though not in the same conversation as Jordan, Bird, Magic, etc.

Here

Is Carmelo destined to be remembered as a second tier great like 'Nique?

Is the only way to change that perception to win a title?

Will he still be regarded well if he has to run off and join a super team to accomplish it?

[ofm05]

I don't think Melo has even reached Nique's level.

He never did anything in the playoffs.

[PandaKidd]

Melo will be a guy that we rememer like...............Tracy Mcgrady.

[ATL Boy]

Melo has his gold medals, but I don't put much stock into winning those really (team USA is constantly the most stacked squad at the Olympics).

Melo is the player now a days that I'd most compare with Nique. Neither are good defenders, both were incredible scorers, and both underachieved. Melo got to the conference finals once and made it out of the first round twice in his career. Nique never made it past the second round (although the East was a blood bath in the 80s).

[HMFFL]

Melo will be a guy that we rememer like...............Tracy Mcgrady.

I disagree.
I believe McGrady is a poor example due to the injuries he suffered.
Melo has achieved very little at the NBA level as a superstar (more so star now), but his international achievements are exceptional, and he still has time for success at the NBA level before he retires.
Many believe Lebron James has had very little help but Melo is a good example of a player that has had mediocre talent around him.

[atlantabbq99]

I don't think Melo has even reached Nique's level.

He never did anything in the playoffs.

This. Nique was the #1 on six really good Atlanta teams, that were contenders in the east. It is just unfortunate that he fell short against the Pistons and Celtics.

Melo did play with Iverson for a couple of seasons (Nique had Mosses in his declining years), but besides that, both Nique and Melo do have one thing in common in that they never played with another Hall of Famer.

Even Jordan couldn't get pass prime bad boys and prime Celtics. It was just lucky for Jordan that he was young enough to wait until Bird and Isiah got into their decline and had Scotty to get the Bulls to the next level.

Just unfortunate in a sense that Nique prime was the same time as Bird and Isiah, and never played with a prime Dumars, McHale, or Scotty.

[wallsfamily]

Here is the deal the 84-85 Hawks won 50 games and competed in a rugged Eastern conference. He did this with a lineup that had just come together with him 82, Wittman 83 Doc 83 Willis 84 and TRee 77. The bench had Antoine Carr 83 and Levingston 83 Spud Webb and John Battle.

[atlantabbq99]

I don't really respect Willis and Doc. I think they are fake all stars. I actually think the only reason they made their all star appearance was solely due to playing along side Wilkins. I say this because when ever Willis and Doc didn't play with Nique, they were poor starters and really just bench players in other systems.

That 85 draft really hurt the Hawks alot. That could have made the Hawks into a contender. Rumor was that the Hawks were going to get Karl Malone. Although Nique and Karl don't sound like a good pairing, talent is still talent. Hawks took Koncak over Mullin, Oakley, Schrempf, Malone, Dumars, Porter. If the Hawks could have just seen the crystal ball and taken one of those six, Hawks could have had something really special .

[afectar]

Nique was a true Superstar. He went head 2 head against Larry Bird and outplayed him at times. Carmelo hasn't done anything agains't top teams. Nique was the team and one of the few Superstars that' didn't have much help. Doc and Willis were like Mo Willims fake stars that were carried. Had Steve Smith and Mutombo come along sooner he might have had himself some rings.


Everything about Melo screams laziness to me. He was a great talent that just didn't reach the elite tier in my books. Now that he's older and slower he will need to join his super friend buddy's to win a ring.

[yellowknifer]

I think the comparison is pretty apt at this point. Underachiever is an unfair label though. Maybe for Melo given he was never in top shape. But I don't think that was an issue with Dominique. Neither guy has ever had the best team surrounding him though so I can't really say it's their fault they didn't win anything either (or in Melo's case, not yet).