OT - Lebron proves why he is the best right now and Melo is still behind.

[Deano]

For anyone that caught the Knicks/Heat game today it was very enjoyable to watch. Lebron took over in the 4th quarter on both ends. The block he had on Chandler was pretty amazing and then he had a nice put back-up on the other.

Then he made another great play at the end with a bad pass from JR Smith (another guy I wouldn't want on my team).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0_C3ntPFbA

Until Melo learns to take better shots at times and play defensive like Lebron he'll continue to behind him. That MVP talk at the beginning of the season sure has ceased in the last few months hasn't it.

 

[SoBeCuse]

That was a really great game. Anybody who says regular season NBA sucks these days is nuts. LeBron was ALL over the court. Guy was flying around everywhere. Melo had a really good game. Knicks had some bad turnovers late in the game which was the difference, imo.

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

The "block" that LeBron had on Chandler was a clear foul that would've most certainly been called had a defender done so to LeBron. Chandler argued with the ref instead of getting back on D which allowed LeBron to have any easy putback to put Miami up 4. That sequence decided the game. The Knicks shot poorly & missed many open looks that Smith & Novak usually bury yet they still had the lead to 16 at one point & led by double digits until the 4th. Miami is a machine but I like how NY matches up with them.

 

[Deano]

The "block" that LeBron had on Chandler was a clear foul that would've most certainly been called had a defender done so to LeBron. Chandler argued with the ref instead of getting back on D which allowed LeBron to have any easy putback to put Miami up 4. That sequence decided the game. The Knicks shot poorly & missed many open looks that Smith & Novak usually bury yet they still had the lead to 16 at one point & led by double digits until the 4th. Miami is a machine but I like how NY matches up with them.

Yeah I would love to see a 4 out of 7 game series with those two teams again in the playoffs. Still think Mia wins it though, but it would be entertaining.

 

[44cuse]

The "block" that LeBron had on Chandler was a clear foul that would've most certainly been called had a defender done so to LeBron. Chandler argued with the ref instead of getting back on D which allowed LeBron to have any easy putback to put Miami up 4. That sequence decided the game. The Knicks shot poorly & missed many open looks that Smith & Novak usually bury yet they still had the lead to 16 at one point & led by double digits until the 4th. Miami is a machine but I like how NY matches up with them.

Excellent post.

44cuse

 

[44cuse]

That was a really great game. Anybody who says regular season NBA sucks these days is nuts. LeBron was ALL over the court. Guy was flying around everywhere. Melo had a really good game. Knicks had some bad turnovers late in the game which was the difference, imo.

The NBA does suck. No one plays any defense. And they're all selfish jerks who don't care about basketball and hate apple pie.

44cuse

 

[orangepassion]

I'm not gonna say Carmelo is as good as Lebron, but to be fair, Lebron has Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. Who does Carmelo have? Forget about star support-Their only consistent outside shooter is totally one-dimensional (Novak).

 

[Knicks411]

Chandler is one of the 15-20 best players in the league. He's obviously no Wade, but i think he's better than Bosh.

 

[AlaskaSU]

Put Wade on the Knicks and Melo would have a better rep.

 

[orangepassion]

Chandler is one of the 15-20 best players in the league. He's obviously no Wade, but i think he's better than Bosh.

I love Chandler, but who on the Knicks do you trust to make baskets on a consistent basis besides Carmelo? Amare's not bad, but he's playing about 20 minutes a game.

 

[dundundun]

Lebron doesn't have to "prove" anything in terms of how he stacks up to Melo, or really anyone else in the league. Regarding the op, Melo can improve his shot selection all he wants, but he frankly isn't capable of ever playing d like Lebron can and it is out of the question that he could ever play at the overall level that Lebron has been at for the past few seasons.

 

[strumpfasaurus]

I find it funny that people give flack for Melo not being as good as someone who will probably go down as the top 1-2 basketball players of all time.

 

[Eric15]

I find it funny that people give flack for Melo not being as good as someone who will probably go down as the top 1-2 basketball players of all time.

Good point. When it's all said and done, I think Melo will be viewed in the same light as a Chris Mullin / Tim Hardaway / Mitch Richmond / Kevin Johnson type player. A great, but not ultra-elite player who ends up in the Hall of Fame, but not as a first ballot guy.

 

[Tobias Funke]

If the Knicks were to win a championship with this current team IMO it would be a much bigger accomplishement then what the Heat have done. I know some will argue a championship is a championship, but from the perspective of carrying a team, I believe Melo is carrying a heavier weight than Lebron.

 

[Melancer46]

If the Knicks were to win a championship with this current team IMO it would be a much bigger accomplishement then what the Heat have done. I know some will argue a championship is a championship, but from the perspective of carrying a team, I believe Melo is carrying a heavier weight than Lebron.

Nah. Lebron has wade and bosh, but he does more for his team than any other recent player besides Steve Nash with the Suns. The fact that they have three top 20 players and still are so heavily reliant on Lebron for everything says a lot.

 

[CusefanATL]

lebron didnt prove anything last night.

no offense, but that statement is almost like saying that the sky proved its blue.

It is already a known fact.

Melo is a great alum, a great player. But Lebron is already EASILY in the top 10 NBA players of ALL TIME and he is only in his 10th year. He is by far the best player on the planet and its not a debate.

 

[44cuse]

lebron didnt prove anything last night.

no offense, but that statement is almost like saying that the sky proved its blue.

It is already a known fact.

Melo is a great alum, a great player. But Lebron is already EASILY in the top 10 NBA players of ALL TIME and he is only in his 10th year. He is by far the best player on the planet and its not a debate.

I was told Dirk Nowitzki was better last year on this board. Was that incorrect?

44cuse

 

[RF2044]

I was told Dirk Nowitzki was better last year on this board. Was that incorrect?

44cuse

You weren't convinced by the 100 post response that said poster utilized to try to make that "case?"

 

[44cuse]

You weren't convinced by the 100 post response that said poster utilized to try to make that "case?"

I tried to believe. It fell apart at: "stats don't mean anything."

44cuse

 

[thebigeast44]

I hate these kind of posts. Yes Lebron is better than Carmelo. So what?! All I can see in posts like this is an attempt to diminish him in someway. Melo is who he is - one of the best scorers in the world who continually leads his team to playoff appearances, is a perennial all-star, has won 2 gold medals and led SU to a national championship. While LeBron will no doubt go down as a top 10 player of all time and continues to work his way up the chart, Melo is still one of the best players of his generation and a certain hall of famer.

 

[Orangezoo]

On a less derogatory note and back to what seems closer to the mindset of the OP - that game was a lot of fun to watch. Lebron was really impressive- but so was Melo. Melo seems to have learned to trust his teammates more - and they really let him down in this one. A lot of missed open shots. With that said Lebron was just everywhere - he has made the game incredibly easy for Wade and Bosh. I've grown to enjoy watching Lebron more of late- no idea why just a fun guy to watch. With that said the one guy I can't stand on that team is Bosh. Bosh has Rak Xmas syndrome at times where he just acts disinterested. He could be so dominant if he wanted on both ends but just seems to only care occassionally.

I would say that Melo is a lot closer to Lebron's level than he has ever been in his career. He is not the same player or athlete so its silly to expect him to be graded higher than Lebron. With that said both are playing great basketball this year. I can only hope for a Knicks-Heat ECF this year that goes 7.. watching those two at the top of their game is just a pleasure.

 

[DoctorBombay]

I didn't realize the OP was still a serious issue.
Is there someone walking around STILL trying to compare LeBron and Melo? Are the numerous, endless, and tedious debates about that subject still ongoing? Really?

 

[44cuse]

I would say that Melo is a lot closer to Lebron's level than he has ever been in his career. He is not the same player or athlete so its silly to expect him to be graded higher than Lebron. With that said both are playing great basketball this year. I can only hope for a Knicks-Heat ECF this year that goes 7.. watching those two at the top of their game is just a pleasure.

Exactly right. Melo is having a _great_ season and arguably the best of his career. Melo isn't killing that team...JR Smith is.

44cuse

 

[Orangezoo]

Exactly right. Melo is having a _great_ season and arguably the best of his career. Melo isn't killing that team...JR Smith is.

44cuse

JR has been pretty big at times this year. Melo can't win though - yesterday even though he had 32 or so he deferred a lot to give teammates open looks that they just bricked. He is shooting well enough this year to be able to be a bit more selfish ( oddly enough that has always been the complaint about him). The thing that I really disliked was that they forced the issue with Amare and it hurt them. He finished a couple that were served on a platter but the constant effort to feed him on the PNR upset the flow of the offense a few times. Amare is an asset to a team who the highest usage rate belongs to the PG. He gives the PG an option nearly every trip down the court. When that is not the case - he becomes a guy you have to make an effort to setup that is outside the flow of the offense. The thing I think hurting this team is Sheed's injury. With Sheed they became a dynamic team with the ultimate flex big man off the bench. His ability to post really gave them a threat. Without Sheed the only guy has been Amare and the results mixed. That said - JR does need to make the easy ones.. as does Novak. Lebron was awesome yesterday but if the knicks hit 50% of those open looks in the 2nd half - they win by 10.

 

[Deano]

On a less derogatory note and back to what seems closer to the mindset of the OP - that game was a lot of fun to watch. Lebron was really impressive- but so was Melo. Melo seems to have learned to trust his teammates more - and they really let him down in this one. A lot of missed open shots. With that said Lebron was just everywhere - he has made the game incredibly easy for Wade and Bosh. I've grown to enjoy watching Lebron more of late- no idea why just a fun guy to watch. With that said the one guy I can't stand on that team is Bosh. Bosh has Rak Xmas syndrome at times where he just acts disinterested. He could be so dominant if he wanted on both ends but just seems to only care occassionally.

I would say that Melo is a lot closer to Lebron's level than he has ever been in his career. He is not the same player or athlete so its silly to expect him to be graded higher than Lebron. With that said both are playing great basketball this year. I can only hope for a Knicks-Heat ECF this year that goes 7.. watching those two at the top of their game is just a pleasure.

If Melo would put in the effort on D that Lebron would, he would close the gap. Melo takes plays off a lot on D at times. That's what set MJ above everyone - he played both ends of the court.