Gymkata wrote:As far as I'm concerned, the Knicks have to worry about one thing the next few years: the Miami Heat. Any path to a title will have to go through LeBron. And I can't think of anyone who has played LeBron tougher in the league than Carmelo Anthony. If we want to hold Carmelo's playoff series history against him, then you have to at least give him his performances against James over the years. There are a lot of reasons not to "trade the bum" (good Lord) but this to me is one of the biggest.
Look closely at Lebron's #s against Carmelo. They're very impressive. His shitty Cavs' teams usually lost to Melo's Nuggets but Lebron played very well against Melo.
Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:As far as I'm concerned, the Knicks have to worry about one thing the next few years: the Miami Heat. Any path to a title will have to go through LeBron. And I can't think of anyone who has played LeBron tougher in the league than Carmelo Anthony. If we want to hold Carmelo's playoff series history against him, then you have to at least give him his performances against James over the years. There are a lot of reasons not to "trade the bum" (good Lord) but this to me is one of the biggest.
Look closely at Lebron's #s against Carmelo. They're very impressive. His shitty Cavs' teams usually lost to Melo's Nuggets but Lebron played very well against Melo.
So are we back to stats now? Because I thought wins and losses were what we using as the standard.
Compare the talent on the teams and stop giving Melo the credit. He was playing with Martin, Camby, Miller, Nene, etc. Lebron's best player was Mo Williams.
It's pretty apparent that Melo was not the reason the Nuggest were winning. He may have been the face of the team, but they haven't missed a step without him.
Look what Melo did this season and last. Lebron had a Cleveland team with the best record in the league with Mo Williams, Parker, Varejo, West, etc. The talent level and the ability to lead isn't even close.
Melo passing more has nothing to do with being unselfish. It's about putting your teammates in position to score/shoot the basketball. Holding the ball and then passing after the offense stops destroys the offense. We would have likely lost to the Nets, Lakers and Minnesota with Carmelo in the lineup and that's a fact.
MS wrote:We would have likely lost to the Nets, Lakers and Minnesota with Carmelo in the lineup and that's a fact.
Glad to see you got your flux capacitor working again.
And it's only 9AM
Gymkata wrote:Glad to see you got your flux capacitor working again.
Post of the day. Hilarious.
Perhaps he can set that bad boy on February 29, 2012 and tell us if Baron is suiting up for te Cavs game.
Gymkata wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:As far as I'm concerned, the Knicks have to worry about one thing the next few years: the Miami Heat. Any path to a title will have to go through LeBron. And I can't think of anyone who has played LeBron tougher in the league than Carmelo Anthony. If we want to hold Carmelo's playoff series history against him, then you have to at least give him his performances against James over the years. There are a lot of reasons not to "trade the bum" (good Lord) but this to me is one of the biggest.
Look closely at Lebron's #s against Carmelo. They're very impressive. His shitty Cavs' teams usually lost to Melo's Nuggets but Lebron played very well against Melo.
So are we back to stats now? Because I thought wins and losses were what we using as the standard.
Uh - wins and losses are statistical but like all other stats have to be interpreted in the context in which they're occurring. If you can point out something specific that's flawed in my interpretation, I'd be happy to discuss it.
MS wrote:Compare the talent on the teams and stop giving Melo the credit. He was playing with Martin, Camby, Miller, Nene, etc. Lebron's best player was Mo Williams.It's pretty apparent that Melo was not the reason the Nuggest were winning. He may have been the face of the team, but they haven't missed a step without him.
Look what Melo did this season and last...
You're right; and it's really not that hard to notice this. I think we're seeing a lot of motivated denial.
Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:As far as I'm concerned, the Knicks have to worry about one thing the next few years: the Miami Heat. Any path to a title will have to go through LeBron. And I can't think of anyone who has played LeBron tougher in the league than Carmelo Anthony. If we want to hold Carmelo's playoff series history against him, then you have to at least give him his performances against James over the years. There are a lot of reasons not to "trade the bum" (good Lord) but this to me is one of the biggest.
Look closely at Lebron's #s against Carmelo. They're very impressive. His shitty Cavs' teams usually lost to Melo's Nuggets but Lebron played very well against Melo.
So are we back to stats now? Because I thought wins and losses were what we using as the standard.
Uh - wins and losses are statistical but like all other stats have to be interpreted in the context in which they're occurring. If you can point out something specific that's flawed in my interpretation, I'd be happy to discuss it.
I'm not saying Carmelo is better than LeBron. The guys is still the best all-around player in the league. But he tends to play him well. These are the stats from their career matchups (non-eyeball-hurting [url="http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/h2h_finder.cgi?request=1&p1=jamesle01&p2=anthoca01"]link[/url] here):
Player G W L GS MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% FT FTA FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS
Carmelo Anthony 13 9 4 13 36.8 8.0 18.1 .443 0.7 2.2 .321 5.2 7.0 .736 1.6 4.1 5.7 2.3 0.9 0.8 3.3 3.2 21.8
LeBron James 13 4 9 13 39.5 9.5 20.4 .464 0.9 3.9 .235 5.4 7.8 .693 1.2 5.9 7.2 7.6 1.6 0.7 3.9 2.8 25.2
You are correct. LeBron has done well. But Anthony isn't far off. And his win-loss record is better. For the purposes of this argument, I'm just saying that the Heat are the biggest obstacle for the next few years and Anthony is a great weapon to have. It's simply a point in his favor. And since he's constantly being hit with the "he can't win a playoff series" cudgel, the win and loss record I think is helpful. Did he have a strong Nuggets team? Sure, but if we're going to punk him for losing (with those teams), can't we at least offer a molecule of credit for winning?
Gymkata wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:As far as I'm concerned, the Knicks have to worry about one thing the next few years: the Miami Heat. Any path to a title will have to go through LeBron. And I can't think of anyone who has played LeBron tougher in the league than Carmelo Anthony. If we want to hold Carmelo's playoff series history against him, then you have to at least give him his performances against James over the years. There are a lot of reasons not to "trade the bum" (good Lord) but this to me is one of the biggest.
Look closely at Lebron's #s against Carmelo. They're very impressive. His shitty Cavs' teams usually lost to Melo's Nuggets but Lebron played very well against Melo.
So are we back to stats now? Because I thought wins and losses were what we using as the standard.
Uh - wins and losses are statistical but like all other stats have to be interpreted in the context in which they're occurring. If you can point out something specific that's flawed in my interpretation, I'd be happy to discuss it.
I'm not saying Carmelo is better than LeBron. The guys is still the best all-around player in the league. But he tends to play him well. These are the stats from their career matchups (non-eyeball-hurting [url="http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/h2h_finder.cgi?request=1&p1=jamesle01&p2=anthoca01"]link[/url] here):
Player G W L GS MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% FT FTA FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS
Carmelo Anthony 13 9 4 13 36.8 8.0 18.1 .443 0.7 2.2 .321 5.2 7.0 .736 1.6 4.1 5.7 2.3 0.9 0.8 3.3 3.2 21.8
LeBron James 13 4 9 13 39.5 9.5 20.4 .464 0.9 3.9 .235 5.4 7.8 .693 1.2 5.9 7.2 7.6 1.6 0.7 3.9 2.8 25.2
You are correct. LeBron has done well. But Anthony isn't far off. And his win-loss record is better. For the purposes of this argument, I'm just saying that the Heat are the biggest obstacle for the next few years and Anthony is a great weapon to have. It's simply a point in his favor. And since he's constantly being hit with the "he can't win a playoff series" cudgel, the win and loss record I think is helpful. Did he have a strong Nuggets team? Sure, but if we're going to punk him for losing (with those teams), can't we at least offer a molecule of credit for winning?
We agree that the Heat are a big obstacle. I'd even agree that, given his talents, Melo *could* be a great asset if he'd entirely change his decision-making on the court. I don't see any evidence that he currently *is* a great asset though.
Overall, I'd say those stats are pretty far off. It looks like one guy is doing a lot of scoring and a great job of getting his teammates involved while the other isn't.
Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:As far as I'm concerned, the Knicks have to worry about one thing the next few years: the Miami Heat. Any path to a title will have to go through LeBron. And I can't think of anyone who has played LeBron tougher in the league than Carmelo Anthony. If we want to hold Carmelo's playoff series history against him, then you have to at least give him his performances against James over the years. There are a lot of reasons not to "trade the bum" (good Lord) but this to me is one of the biggest.
Look closely at Lebron's #s against Carmelo. They're very impressive. His shitty Cavs' teams usually lost to Melo's Nuggets but Lebron played very well against Melo.
So are we back to stats now? Because I thought wins and losses were what we using as the standard.
Uh - wins and losses are statistical but like all other stats have to be interpreted in the context in which they're occurring. If you can point out something specific that's flawed in my interpretation, I'd be happy to discuss it.
I'm not saying Carmelo is better than LeBron. The guys is still the best all-around player in the league. But he tends to play him well. These are the stats from their career matchups (non-eyeball-hurting [url="http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/h2h_finder.cgi?request=1&p1=jamesle01&p2=anthoca01"]link[/url] here):
Player G W L GS MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% FT FTA FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS
Carmelo Anthony 13 9 4 13 36.8 8.0 18.1 .443 0.7 2.2 .321 5.2 7.0 .736 1.6 4.1 5.7 2.3 0.9 0.8 3.3 3.2 21.8
LeBron James 13 4 9 13 39.5 9.5 20.4 .464 0.9 3.9 .235 5.4 7.8 .693 1.2 5.9 7.2 7.6 1.6 0.7 3.9 2.8 25.2
You are correct. LeBron has done well. But Anthony isn't far off. And his win-loss record is better. For the purposes of this argument, I'm just saying that the Heat are the biggest obstacle for the next few years and Anthony is a great weapon to have. It's simply a point in his favor. And since he's constantly being hit with the "he can't win a playoff series" cudgel, the win and loss record I think is helpful. Did he have a strong Nuggets team? Sure, but if we're going to punk him for losing (with those teams), can't we at least offer a molecule of credit for winning?
We agree that the Heat are a big obstacle. I'd even agree that, given his talents, Melo *could* be a great asset if he'd entirely change his decision-making on the court. I don't see any evidence that he currently *is* a great asset though.
Overall, I'd say those stats are pretty far off. It looks like one guy is doing a lot of scoring and a great job of getting his teammates involved while the other isn't.
Come on, you have to give a little. I'll be the first to admit that Carmelo will need to adjust his ISO style and that he's not the perfect player, but we've already seen him as that weapon in that Heat win last year. There is no dispute that James is a better player. He's the best player in the world. But Carmelo has traditionally played well against him and the scoreboard bears it out. You used the term "motivated denial," whatever that means (I for one am not on Melo's payroll), but if you can't even grant this one nugget--so to speak--who's being intractable?
Seven Things Carmelo
MUST Do
1. Grab twelve rebounds.
2. Carmelo should refund half his paycheck. The other half goes to the Jeremy Lin Relief Fund.
3. He should not look at the rim for his first game back, just to demonstrate that his is not the ball-hogging, ball stopper who is out to sabotage the Knicks.
4. Tell the MSG public address announcer to tone it down, WAY down, when he is introduced, or when he scores "'cause it's not about me."
5. Carmelo would be wise to not attempt a shot. His first miss will be greeted with groans reserved for Jared Jeffries.
6. Carmelo should never do that silly bow with Lin that started during the Nets game. He does not want to give the impression that he and Lin are buddies or something like that.
7. Carmelo should stop smiling on the court. It makes him appear too casual. Too playful. Not serious. He must respect the game at all times. Oh wait, Jeremy Lin just smiled again...
Gymkata wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:As far as I'm concerned, the Knicks have to worry about one thing the next few years: the Miami Heat. Any path to a title will have to go through LeBron. And I can't think of anyone who has played LeBron tougher in the league than Carmelo Anthony. If we want to hold Carmelo's playoff series history against him, then you have to at least give him his performances against James over the years. There are a lot of reasons not to "trade the bum" (good Lord) but this to me is one of the biggest.
Look closely at Lebron's #s against Carmelo. They're very impressive. His shitty Cavs' teams usually lost to Melo's Nuggets but Lebron played very well against Melo.
So are we back to stats now? Because I thought wins and losses were what we using as the standard.
Uh - wins and losses are statistical but like all other stats have to be interpreted in the context in which they're occurring. If you can point out something specific that's flawed in my interpretation, I'd be happy to discuss it.
I'm not saying Carmelo is better than LeBron. The guys is still the best all-around player in the league. But he tends to play him well. These are the stats from their career matchups (non-eyeball-hurting [url="http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/h2h_finder.cgi?request=1&p1=jamesle01&p2=anthoca01"]link[/url] here):
Player G W L GS MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% FT FTA FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS
Carmelo Anthony 13 9 4 13 36.8 8.0 18.1 .443 0.7 2.2 .321 5.2 7.0 .736 1.6 4.1 5.7 2.3 0.9 0.8 3.3 3.2 21.8
LeBron James 13 4 9 13 39.5 9.5 20.4 .464 0.9 3.9 .235 5.4 7.8 .693 1.2 5.9 7.2 7.6 1.6 0.7 3.9 2.8 25.2
You are correct. LeBron has done well. But Anthony isn't far off. And his win-loss record is better. For the purposes of this argument, I'm just saying that the Heat are the biggest obstacle for the next few years and Anthony is a great weapon to have. It's simply a point in his favor. And since he's constantly being hit with the "he can't win a playoff series" cudgel, the win and loss record I think is helpful. Did he have a strong Nuggets team? Sure, but if we're going to punk him for losing (with those teams), can't we at least offer a molecule of credit for winning?
We agree that the Heat are a big obstacle. I'd even agree that, given his talents, Melo *could* be a great asset if he'd entirely change his decision-making on the court. I don't see any evidence that he currently *is* a great asset though.
Overall, I'd say those stats are pretty far off. It looks like one guy is doing a lot of scoring and a great job of getting his teammates involved while the other isn't.
Come on, you have to give a little. I'll be the first to admit that Carmelo will need to adjust his ISO style and that he's not the perfect player, but we've already seen him as that weapon in that Heat win last year. There is no dispute that James is a better player. He's the best player in the world. But Carmelo has traditionally played well against him and the scoreboard bears it out. You used the term "motivated denial," whatever that means (I for one am not on Melo's payroll), but if you can't even grant this one nugget--so to speak--who's being intractable?
I thought I was giving a little by saying that he could be a great asset. I don't think one can validly give more than that.
misterearl wrote:Seven Things Carmelo MUST Do1. Grab twelve rebounds.
2. Carmelo should refund half his paycheck. The other half goes to the Jeremy Lin Relief Fund.
3. He should not look at the rim for his first game back, just to demonstrate that his is not the ball-hogging, ball stopper who is out to sabotage the Knicks.
4. Tell the MSG public address announcer to tone it down, WAY down, when he is introduced, or when he scores "'cause it's not about me."
5. Carmelo would be wise to not attempt a shot. His first miss will be greeted with groans reserved for Jared Jeffries.
6. Carmelo should never do that silly bow with Lin that started during the Nets game. He does not want to give the impression that he and Lin are buddies or something like that.
7. Carmelo should stop smiling on the court. It makes him appear too casual. Too playful. Not serious. He must respect the game at all times. Oh wait, Jeremy Lin just smiled again...
Funny list. I'm not sure what your point is though.
Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:As far as I'm concerned, the Knicks have to worry about one thing the next few years: the Miami Heat. Any path to a title will have to go through LeBron. And I can't think of anyone who has played LeBron tougher in the league than Carmelo Anthony. If we want to hold Carmelo's playoff series history against him, then you have to at least give him his performances against James over the years. There are a lot of reasons not to "trade the bum" (good Lord) but this to me is one of the biggest.
Look closely at Lebron's #s against Carmelo. They're very impressive. His shitty Cavs' teams usually lost to Melo's Nuggets but Lebron played very well against Melo.
So are we back to stats now? Because I thought wins and losses were what we using as the standard.
Uh - wins and losses are statistical but like all other stats have to be interpreted in the context in which they're occurring. If you can point out something specific that's flawed in my interpretation, I'd be happy to discuss it.
I'm not saying Carmelo is better than LeBron. The guys is still the best all-around player in the league. But he tends to play him well. These are the stats from their career matchups (non-eyeball-hurting [url="http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/h2h_finder.cgi?request=1&p1=jamesle01&p2=anthoca01"]link[/url] here):
Player G W L GS MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% FT FTA FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS
Carmelo Anthony 13 9 4 13 36.8 8.0 18.1 .443 0.7 2.2 .321 5.2 7.0 .736 1.6 4.1 5.7 2.3 0.9 0.8 3.3 3.2 21.8
LeBron James 13 4 9 13 39.5 9.5 20.4 .464 0.9 3.9 .235 5.4 7.8 .693 1.2 5.9 7.2 7.6 1.6 0.7 3.9 2.8 25.2
You are correct. LeBron has done well. But Anthony isn't far off. And his win-loss record is better. For the purposes of this argument, I'm just saying that the Heat are the biggest obstacle for the next few years and Anthony is a great weapon to have. It's simply a point in his favor. And since he's constantly being hit with the "he can't win a playoff series" cudgel, the win and loss record I think is helpful. Did he have a strong Nuggets team? Sure, but if we're going to punk him for losing (with those teams), can't we at least offer a molecule of credit for winning?
We agree that the Heat are a big obstacle. I'd even agree that, given his talents, Melo *could* be a great asset if he'd entirely change his decision-making on the court. I don't see any evidence that he currently *is* a great asset though.
Overall, I'd say those stats are pretty far off. It looks like one guy is doing a lot of scoring and a great job of getting his teammates involved while the other isn't.
Come on, you have to give a little. I'll be the first to admit that Carmelo will need to adjust his ISO style and that he's not the perfect player, but we've already seen him as that weapon in that Heat win last year. There is no dispute that James is a better player. He's the best player in the world. But Carmelo has traditionally played well against him and the scoreboard bears it out. You used the term "motivated denial," whatever that means (I for one am not on Melo's payroll), but if you can't even grant this one nugget--so to speak--who's being intractable?
I thought I was giving a little by saying that he could be a great asset!
That's some serious praise! 
Your membership to the Melo Fan Club has been approved. Your decoder ring is in the mail!
It Ain't That Deep
Bonn1997 wrote:Funny list. I'm not sure what your point is though.
There are three points to consider:
1. Carmelo is ours. His main flaw is that he tried too hard to do what he does best.
2. It ain't my money. Why did Berman go out of his way to mention what Carmelo and Anthony are paid? To build resentment.
3. It's only basketball.
If Jeremy Lin, and Carmelo, teach us anything as fans... it is that the game should be FUN.
Enjoy.
Gymkata wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:Gymkata wrote:As far as I'm concerned, the Knicks have to worry about one thing the next few years: the Miami Heat. Any path to a title will have to go through LeBron. And I can't think of anyone who has played LeBron tougher in the league than Carmelo Anthony. If we want to hold Carmelo's playoff series history against him, then you have to at least give him his performances against James over the years. There are a lot of reasons not to "trade the bum" (good Lord) but this to me is one of the biggest.
Look closely at Lebron's #s against Carmelo. They're very impressive. His shitty Cavs' teams usually lost to Melo's Nuggets but Lebron played very well against Melo.
So are we back to stats now? Because I thought wins and losses were what we using as the standard.
Uh - wins and losses are statistical but like all other stats have to be interpreted in the context in which they're occurring. If you can point out something specific that's flawed in my interpretation, I'd be happy to discuss it.
I'm not saying Carmelo is better than LeBron. The guys is still the best all-around player in the league. But he tends to play him well. These are the stats from their career matchups (non-eyeball-hurting [url="http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/h2h_finder.cgi?request=1&p1=jamesle01&p2=anthoca01"]link[/url] here):
Player G W L GS MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% FT FTA FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS
Carmelo Anthony 13 9 4 13 36.8 8.0 18.1 .443 0.7 2.2 .321 5.2 7.0 .736 1.6 4.1 5.7 2.3 0.9 0.8 3.3 3.2 21.8
LeBron James 13 4 9 13 39.5 9.5 20.4 .464 0.9 3.9 .235 5.4 7.8 .693 1.2 5.9 7.2 7.6 1.6 0.7 3.9 2.8 25.2
You are correct. LeBron has done well. But Anthony isn't far off. And his win-loss record is better. For the purposes of this argument, I'm just saying that the Heat are the biggest obstacle for the next few years and Anthony is a great weapon to have. It's simply a point in his favor. And since he's constantly being hit with the "he can't win a playoff series" cudgel, the win and loss record I think is helpful. Did he have a strong Nuggets team? Sure, but if we're going to punk him for losing (with those teams), can't we at least offer a molecule of credit for winning?
We agree that the Heat are a big obstacle. I'd even agree that, given his talents, Melo *could* be a great asset if he'd entirely change his decision-making on the court. I don't see any evidence that he currently *is* a great asset though.
Overall, I'd say those stats are pretty far off. It looks like one guy is doing a lot of scoring and a great job of getting his teammates involved while the other isn't.
Come on, you have to give a little. I'll be the first to admit that Carmelo will need to adjust his ISO style and that he's not the perfect player, but we've already seen him as that weapon in that Heat win last year. There is no dispute that James is a better player. He's the best player in the world. But Carmelo has traditionally played well against him and the scoreboard bears it out. You used the term "motivated denial," whatever that means (I for one am not on Melo's payroll), but if you can't even grant this one nugget--so to speak--who's being intractable?
I thought I was giving a little by saying that he could be a great asset!
That's some serious praise! Your membership to the Melo Fan Club has been approved. Your decoder ring is in the mail!
Well to me it seemed like giving a little! Maybe not giving a lot but it was still stretching my true beliefs.
misterearl wrote:It Ain't That DeepBonn1997 wrote:Funny list. I'm not sure what your point is though.
There are three points to consider:
1. Carmelo is ours. His main flaw is that he tried too hard to do what he does best.
2. It ain't my money. Why did Berman go out of his way to mention what Carmelo and Anthony are paid? To build resentment.
3. It's only basketball.
If Jeremy Lin, and Carmelo, teach us anything as fans... it is that the game should be FUN.
Enjoy.
The last few games have been a lot of fun. If you could find fun in the games before that, then I envy your "fun-finding" abilities.
Bonn1997 wrote:misterearl wrote:It Ain't That DeepBonn1997 wrote:Funny list. I'm not sure what your point is though.
There are three points to consider:
1. Carmelo is ours. His main flaw is that he tried too hard to do what he does best.
2. It ain't my money. Why did Berman go out of his way to mention what Carmelo and Anthony are paid? To build resentment.
3. It's only basketball.
If Jeremy Lin, and Carmelo, teach us anything as fans... it is that the game should be FUN.
Enjoy.
The last few games have been a lot of fun. If you could find fun in the games before that, then I envy your "fun-finding" abilities.
They were awful, no doubt. In fact, this was my typical reaction to watching those games:
But I attribute that horror to a lack of a point guard more than anything else.
Bonn1997 wrote:If you could find fun in the games before that, then I envy your "fun-finding" abilities.
The Boston season opener was fun.
misterearl wrote:Bonn1997 wrote:If you could find fun in the games before that, then I envy your "fun-finding" abilities.
The Boston season opener was fun.
yeah I'll give you that one
I believe Melo will agree to play within MDA's system when he comes back. When he returns, a bit out of shape, Melo will not want to antagonize the Garden's fans by being a ball stopper. Its not just the fans, but MDA and all of the key ingredients of the Knick's win streak, are sold on unselfish passing being the right way to play. After watching the last 5 games, I would think that Melo too understands that when they are well set up, players like Novak and Shumpert can be counted to score in pressure situations in the fourth quarter.
When Carmelo is back in great shape, he may be tempted to start taking over games again. (When you watched Kobe play in the second half of the recent Knicks/Lakers game, he clearly loved the challenge of being very well guarded and sinking the difficult shot anyway, over and over.) Is Melo willing to settle for a less heroic role with the Knicks, than what he has enjoyed through the rest of his NBA career? Does he have such a strong need to be "the man" that he is not able to give up scoring 25 points a game, night after night? I think he will be tempted to return to the role he had in Denver.
But, ultimately, it seems like the trump card is Jeremy Lin. If Lin refuses to put the ball in Melo's hands when he becomes a "ball stopper, how can Melo score 25 points without the ball? Ultimately, because of the 5 game winning streak, the forces behind unselfish passing far out weigh Melo's need to be a prolific scorer again. Melo may not have any choice other than to stop focusing on his "scoring average" and start focusing on how deep his team will be able to get in the Playoffs. In the end, he will like the results he gets with his new playing philosophy.
