Melo feeling Yellow...

[HakAttack]

If Melo leaves the Knicks at the end of this year, I'll hate him for the rest of his career. That is really hard for me to say, because he's untouchable for what he's done for SU, but if he does that, it's the ultimate "selfish" move.

He already made the Knicks GUT their roster just to get him mid-season a few years ago when he could have just come to the Knicks in the off-season. He refuses to play team ball, and lead by example, especially on the defensive end. He may not be contributing to the mess this year, but he isn't making it any better. Want to be paid like a MAX guy? Guess what? MAX guys don't stand around pouting after a 5-14 start like Melo is doing.

(Stephen A. Smith thinks he's already made up his mind...) http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on...anthony-denies-rumor-he-wants-out-of-new-york

This is coming from a guy whose greatest regret in life is that his mother didn't have him a year earlier so he could have started his career on the hill in 02-03' instead of 03-04'. I LOVE MELO. I've also been a Knicks fan since the mid 90's, (grew up playing with Starks, Ewing and Oakley on NBA Jam as an English kid before moving to the US in 97)...

Thoughts? Is he gone? Has he made up his mind already? How will SU folks feel if he turns on the Knicks after the season's over? (I'm guessing A LOT of SU fans here are also Knicks fans.)

 

[joct]

He certainly hasn't helped himself on the PR Front. There have been various statements like "I can recruit other stars to NY in the future"...which of course isn't inspiring to the current players. Then however the LA thing leaked out, the "Of course I'd want to be a free agent and have everyone want me", and recent statements about how there is no ball-movement, when he has the ball more than anyone else. Whatever he does on the court, this certainly doesn't make him sound like all of his heart is in NY.

 

[Fly Rodder]

I don't fault professional players for doing anything. They're getting paid and their first responsibility is to themselves because they could lose their gravy train at any moment. I don't follow the NBA like I follow baseball, so I'm less in tune with all the behind the door rumor mongering, but Carmelo didn't force the Knicks to do anything. The team is run by adults (Dolan is, by all accounts, a pain in the ass, but he's an adult and can make his own choices) and this isn't the first time that the Knicks have been a disaster under their watch.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

There's something you need to face as a Knicks fan...

The Knicks are a poorly run organization. They're lucky to have gotten a first tier player like Melo as it is. He sells tickets and you can surround him with scrubs and he'll get you in to the playoffs. I think they'll rally this year.

When Carmelo is a free agent, by league rules he's free to evaluate his options and select the best one. I'll be honest - I don't think that's the Knicks.

 

[newmexicuse]

Right now the Knuts are a train wreck. That could change very quickly when Chandler returns. They could still win the East & be 4 seed.

Carmelo will probably stay with the Knicks due to the $$$; however, if it seems like the situation there is hopeless - I would not blame him for leaving. The Knuts mgmt will need to accurately gauge his interest in returning & if they decide it is not a sure enough bet they should be able to trade him for a nice package.

Yesterday against the Nets, I thought had a bona fide superstar game. He made his teammates better, he shot efficienctly, and he was a demon on the glass. If only he would play like that every game !!!

 

[HakAttack]

I don't fault professional players for doing anything. They're getting paid and their first responsibility is to themselves because they could lose their gravy train at any moment. I don't follow the NBA like I follow baseball, so I'm less in tune with all the behind the door rumor mongering, but Carmelo didn't force the Knicks to do anything. The team is run by adults (Dolan is, by all accounts, a pain in the ass, but he's an adult and can make his own choices) and this isn't the first time that the Knicks have been a disaster under their watch.

That's absolutely false. It's because of Melo that Lin isn't still here...http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8180308/nba-jeremy-lin-six-degrees-separation-family

and Melo basically handpicked Woodson...http://www.sheridanhoops.com/2013/09/30/woodsons-14-15-option-picked-up-by-worldwide-wes/

Of course Melo's forced the Knicks to do things...they're desperate to keep him. And his agent is World Wide Wes? Game over. The Knicks are COMPLETELY at Melo's mercy...

 

[HakAttack]

There's something you need to face as a Knicks fan...

The Knicks are a poorly run organization. They're lucky to have gotten a first tier player like Melo as it is. He sells tickets and you can surround him with scrubs and he'll get you in to the playoffs. I think they'll rally this year.

When Carmelo is a free agent, by league rules he's free to evaluate his options and select the best one. I'll be honest - I don't think that's the Knicks.

Understatement of my life. Dolan treats the Knicks like his own little toy. He couldn't care less about success on the court, as long as the team makes $$...

 

[Brooky03]

Melo is not at the forefront of the Knicks problems right now. He is frustrated because the organization hasn't done anything to help him out. Despite the fact that his defense and sharing have significantly increased this year and last year, the team still isn't getting the job done. That is more the organization's fault than Melo's. And a lot of their woes are caused by injuries. I'd be upset if I were Melo too.

The team is composed of 3 below average point guards, mediocre at best shooting guards, no true small forward other than Melo who is playing PF, Stat (possibly the worst thing to happen to the franchise), a scoring " center" who is very soft on D, and an injured center who disappears in big games. The man does not exactly have a lot to work with and the organization cannot say they've helped him out. If you want to complain about somebody being selfish and overpaid, complain about Amare.

 

[CaptainJ]

Hak, while I can't say I will go as far as you with my feelings toward Melo, I applaud your courage to say so. It takes some major cahones to say that about someone who is deified here. That said, I hope he stays with the Knicks and they can find a way to right the ship. Im sure SU fans would love to one day say one of their own contributed more to the team than a Georgetown grad, but for now that day looks far off.

 

[longislandcuse]

When the Knicks start to win again...and they will, this will all fade away.

The Knicks will make the playoffs, probably as the winner of the Atlantic. May or may not make a run depending on the team coming together and moves made. (I'm still not sold on the Pacers).

The Knicks can offer him more $$$ than anyone and he will resign.

**If he goes to L.A. he will get flamed and rightfully so. He would become public enemy no. 1 in the NBA to everyone that's not a Laker fan.

 

[newmexicuse]

Melo is not at the forefront of the Knicks problems right now. He is frustrated because the organization hasn't done anything to help him out. Despite the fact that his defense and sharing have significantly increased this year and last year, the team still isn't getting the job done. That is more the organization's fault than Melo's. And a lot of their woes are caused by injuries. I'd be upset if I were Melo too.

The team is composed of 3 below average point guards, mediocre at best shooting guards, no true small forward other than Melo who is playing PF, Stat (possibly the worst thing to happen to the franchise), a scoring " center" who is very soft on D, and an injured center who disappears in big games. The man does not exactly have a lot to work with and the organization cannot say they've helped him out. If you want to complain about somebody being selfish and overpaid, complain about Amare.

Melo is at the forefront of the Knicks problems. It goes back to the fact of his wanting a max deal & forcing the Knicks to mortgage their future to trade for him. If he wanted to come to NY that badly, and he really put winning ahead of $$$ he could have come as a free agent & taken less. The Knicks would then have then had all of their young assets to obtain a second superstar. Instead, Knick management has had almost nothing to work with to try and put a great team around Melo. They have dug themselves into a hole by desperately trying to get veterans who could win now to put around Melo. In the modern NBA, with few exceptions, you need that second superstar to win. Melo made it impossible for the Knicks to get that guy. We will see the same thing again in two years if Melo stays, as I do not seeing him taking less than a max deal.

 

[MikeSU02]

No one forced Dolan to do anything. The guy is the owner. You can't fault Melo for trying to make as much money as possible.

Besides the terribly run org, Amare's contract is what is keeping this team down. They have no draft picks, no true vision of where to bring the team and the only way they are getting Melo to stay is to guarantee that Kevin Love is coming.

The best thing the Knicks could do besides sell the team to a better owner would be to tell Amare to not take his player option and then have a giant bag of cash mysteriously show up at his doorstep.

 

[RandygoCuse]

When the Knicks start to win again...and they will, this will all fade away.

The Knicks will make the playoffs, probably as the winner of the Atlantic. May or may not make a run depending on the team coming together and moves made. (I'm still not sold on the Pacers).

The Knicks can offer him more $$$ than anyone and he will resign.

**If he goes to L.A. he will get flamed and rightfully so. He would become public enemy no. 1 in the NBA to everyone that's not a Laker fan.

Is LA even an option anymore? IMO, Buss made a huge mistake signing Kobe to that contract. He all but admitted he did it for sentimental purposes.

 

[jimsonjunction]

Part of me thinks that if Melo leaves the Knicks, it's the best thing for both parties. With the Amare contract, the overall age of the roster, Woodson on the hot seat, having no first rounder this year...it's probably time to start thinking about rebuilding over the next 2-3 years.

As a Knicks fan and an SU fan, I was giddy when he decided to sign, but the organization has failed to build a cohesive roster. The Knicks have one of the worst backcourts in the NBA. The Bargnani signing was asinine. JR Smith is JR Smith, and he always will be. And I don't know if you actually watch a lot of the Knicks games, but I do and I have a real hard time blaming Melo at all. People call him a ball stopper, but he's constantly given the ball with 5 seconds left in the clock, and asked to bail out the rest of the team by making difficult shots.

And yes, the most depressing aspect of this is Dolan. He fired Donnie Walsh - the man who got him out of this mess in the first place. Is it any surprise that Donnie now runs the Pacers - a roster that any Knicks fan would kill for? But Dolan wants all the credit. A real owner wants credit from higher, smaller circles and is happy to let the coach, GM, and players share the limelight. Nope, not JD. It's embarrassing.

 

[Gabjon]

Dion Waiters will be the starting PG for the Knicks by Christmas and the Knicks will go on a big run in January and and February...Iman is going to the Cavs.

 

[br801]

Hak, while I can't say I will go as far as you with my feelings toward Melo, I applaud your courage to say so. It takes some major cahones to say that about someone who is deified here. That said, I hope he stays with the Knicks and they can find a way to right the ship. Im sure SU fans would love to one day say one of their own contributed more to the team than a Georgetown grad, but for now that day looks far off.

I wouldn't exactly say he is deified here. Maybe in 2002-03, maybe compared to LeBron, but Melo certainly has his share of detractors on this board.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

The best thing the Knicks could do besides sell the team to a better owner would be to tell Amare to not take his player option and then have a giant bag of cash mysteriously show up at his doorstep.

That's a great idea, actually.

I still contend that 1) someone should have put D'Antoni on a leash when it came to Amare's minutes that first year, and/or 2) the Knicks should have amnestied Amare instead of Billups back in the day.

 

[two3zone]

Dion Waiters will be the starting PG for the Knicks by Christmas and the Knicks will go on a big run in January and and February...Iman is going to the Cavs.

Melo + Waiters on the same team = disaster.

Love them both but it will kill Dion's career and hold Melo's further back.

 

[HakAttack]

Part of me thinks that if Melo leaves the Knicks, it's the best thing for both parties. With the Amare contract, the overall age of the roster, Woodson on the hot seat, having no first rounder this year...it's probably time to start thinking about rebuilding over the next 2-3 years.

As a Knicks fan and an SU fan, I was giddy when he decided to sign, but the organization has failed to build a cohesive roster. The Knicks have one of the worst backcourts in the NBA. The Bargnani signing was asinine. JR Smith is JR Smith, and he always will be. And I don't know if you actually watch a lot of the Knicks games, but I do and I have a real hard time blaming Melo at all. People call him a ball stopper, but he's constantly given the ball with 5 seconds left in the clock, and asked to bail out the rest of the team by making difficult shots.

And yes, the most depressing aspect of this is Dolan. He fired Donnie Walsh - the man who got him out of this mess in the first place. Is it any surprise that Donnie now runs the Pacers - a roster that any Knicks fan would kill for? But Dolan wants all the credit. A real owner wants credit from higher, smaller circles and is happy to let the coach, GM, and players share the limelight. Nope, not JD. It's embarrassing.

Yes, for the last 3 years, I worked at SUNY Binghamton and was able to catch 85% of Knicks games on MSG. I watched probably about 70 games last season. IMO the team last year was the epitome of a team that collectively was greater than the sum of its parts.

In fact, I was astounded that a team with Melo, J-Kidd, Smith, Shump, Chandler, Novacaine, Priggs and K-Mart even won more than 50 games. They did it with teamwork. Their passing last year was a sight to behold. They literally dismantled more selfish teams. Individually, those players are nothing special. (Other than Melo).

This year's team has none of that and instead of being a leader, Melo's pouting and pointing fingers and wallowing in his own misery. Now that I work for UMass, I don't get MSG living in western mass, so I've really only seen one or two games this year. I can't say with complete certainty that Melo's the problem on the court, but off the court, he's acting like a fool with some of the stuff he's saying. Really, the epitome of a selfish star. Just like Kobe settling for nothing less than $$, Melo forcing the Knicks to play their hand to get him and then threatening to jump ship at the first sign of trouble really doesn't stick well with me.

And again, this comes from a guy who is a HUGE Melo fan and could not believe how lucky he was that Melo brought his school a NC and now made his favorite NBA team relevant again.

 

[HakAttack]

Dion Waiters will be the starting PG for the Knicks by Christmas and the Knicks will go on a big run in January and and February...Iman is going to the Cavs.

Call me crazy but I think that would be a hell of a deal for the Knicks. Waaaay more upside for Dion than Shimp.

 

[orangepassion]

The killer is the Knicks also gave up this year #1 pick in the trade. Having said that, with all Carmelo has done for SU, it'd be hard to hate him.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

If I'm Melo, some teams with cap space that could be really interesting to play for and that have some decent young guys and would get a lot better really quickly with him on the roster are the 76ers, the Jazz, and the Magic. I also wouldn't be at all surprised to see Cuban sneak in here and finally land a top tier free agent.

Obviously I'm biased living in Utah, but the Jazz will have their own pick (likely top 3) and Golden State's 1st rounder this year and several other years coming up with multiple first round picks. They've already got a decent young core (Hayward assuming he resigns, Kanter, Favors, Burkes, Burke, Gobert), have incredibly clean books going forward, and a very good front office. I don't think they view Corbin as the head coach long term. Add it all up though, and yes, I know, Utah isn't a popular free agent destination, but if a player wants a combination of talent, organizational stability, money and a chance to win it could work out really well.

 

[jimsonjunction]

Yes, for the last 3 years, I worked at SUNY Binghamton and was able to catch 85% of Knicks games on MSG. I watched probably about 70 games last season. IMO the team last year was the epitome of a team that collectively was greater than the sum of its parts.

In fact, I was astounded that a team with Melo, J-Kidd, Smith, Shump, Chandler, Novacaine, Priggs and K-Mart even won more than 50 games. They did it with teamwork. Their passing last year was a sight to behold. They literally dismantled more selfish teams. Individually, those players are nothing special. (Other than Melo).

This year's team has none of that and instead of being a leader, Melo's pouting and pointing fingers and wallowing in his own misery. Now that I work for UMass, I don't get MSG living in western mass, so I've really only seen one or two games this year. I can't say with complete certainty that Melo's the problem on the court, but off the court, he's acting like a fool with some of the stuff he's saying. Really, the epitome of a selfish star. Just like Kobe settling for nothing less than $$, Melo forcing the Knicks to play their hand to get him and then threatening to jump ship at the first sign of trouble really doesn't stick well with me.

And again, this comes from a guy who is a HUGE Melo fan and could not believe how lucky he was that Melo brought his school a NC and now made his favorite NBA team relevant again.

That's your opinion, and it's fair. Last year's team certainly shared the ball better. I think a lot of that had to do with better spacing. They lost Novak, Copeland and Kidd who aren't studs by any means, but they all helped space the floor and move the ball.

With this year's team, there is none of that and it is frustrating. And I can't blame Melo for being frustrated. He fights his ass off in the post for position, and no one can get him the damn ball. Then he has to give up position, float outside and attempt a fade-away as the shot clock expires. It's truly painful. Maybe you're right and he should toe the company line more. But if he wants to leave, I won't blame him one bit.

 

[Gabjon]

Call me crazy but I think that would be a hell of a deal for the Knicks. Waaaay more upside for Dion than Shimp.

There will be more pieces in the deal. Dion was almost became a knick this summer but when the Cavs signed Bynum it killed deal because Chandler and Thompson was in that deal.

Basically Melo is a huge fan of Dion's game and he feels like Dion can be his Dwade or Westbrook and Melo believes he needs a player like that to complete at the highest level. He also points to the fact he made the western conference finals with Billups.

 

[longislandcuse]

That's your opinion, and it's fair. Last year's team certainly shared the ball better. I think a lot of that had to do with better spacing. They lost Novak, Copeland and Kidd who aren't studs by any means, but they all helped space the floor and move the ball.

With this year's team, there is none of that and it is frustrating. And I can't blame Melo for being frustrated. He fights his ass off in the post for position, and no one can get him the damn ball. Then he has to give up position, float outside and attempt a fade-away as the shot clock expires. It's truly painful. Maybe you're right and he should toe the company line more. But if he wants to leave, I won't blame him one bit.

All those guys you mentioned are regular season players. None performed in the Playoffs. Copeland A) bc hes not that good and B) bc Woodson wouldnt play him.

As crazy as it sounds, this Knick team might have a bumpier regular season but i wouldnt be shocked to see them potentially get to the ECF.