No, Carmelo Anthony isn’t the problem when it comes to the New York Knicks. The problem is, at the same time, he’s not the answer.
No. 7 was sizzling on a Sunday afternoon in Atlanta. From enticing pump-fakes to clutch jumpers, in a variety of fashions, Carmelo Anthony single-handedly kept the New York Knicks alive through nearly seven periods of NBA basketball.He wasn’t just dazzling, Melo was raging against the Atlanta fans in the crowd, demanding the ball at every turn and screaming aloud about how he “wanted it.”
The man was a stone-cold assassin all day long. Forty-five points were the end result on an efficient 18-of-36 day from the floor. He even came out with a different mindset of looking to draw the foul early while dishing to the open man when feasible (four dimes).
Still, Melo was only brilliant on the offensive end of the floor — a place that only accounts for 50 percent of the game of basketball.
In the end, it was the Knicks who had witnessed Melo, Kristaps Porzingis, Joakim Noah and Kyle O’Quinn fouling out, who fell to the Hawks by the final tally of 142-139 in a quadruple-overtime thriller.
Throughout the course of the game, Knicks Twitter (infamous for its crying and praying), followed the mantra, “Melo isn’t the problem.” It’s a spiritual quote spewed at the mouth by all Melo fanatics, young, old or indifferent. They believe it because they believe there isn’t enough talent around him.
While they may be right, that Melo isn’t the problem, I’m going to let you in a little secret today that comes in the following paragraph.
He’s also not the answer.
In the game against the Hawks on Sunday, Carmelo Anthony was brilliant on the offensive end of the floor. Unfortunately, he was his usually dreadful self defensively.
With 20-plus seconds to go in the first overtime with the game tied, New York needed a stop. Hawks point guard Dennis Schröder took Brandon Jennings off the dribble to the crowded side of four.
Amazingly, the Knicks strong-side defenders were nowhere to be found:
Melo is guarding his man as if it were a casual YMCA bout. There is no ball-you-man or head-on-a-swivel. It was his responsibility to help his point guard out here and make life tough for the penetrator. Instead, Anthony didn’t even know his help-side responsibility flew past him until it was too late.
On Melo’s last play of the game, he fouled out on a suspect call as he couldn’t guard the quicker player:
Admittedly, this is a tough get for Anthony. Schroder is just too quick for the 32-year-old in this scenario. At least, however, he could have made sure not to foul or foul hard enough in which a three-point play wasn’t a possibility.
When it comes fundamentals and intangibles when closing a game out, again, Anthony’s suspect nature in this area rears its ugly head even when boxing out.
Yes, Tim Hardaway Jr. absolutely flopped. There’s no question about it. But in this situation with the good guys up one, Melo has to be smarter than this. There’s no reason for the bigger Melo to put his hands on the smaller Hardaway. Why face up against him? Simply box him out the right way while providing the official no reason to call a foul.
Time and again, game in and game out, we witness the same story with these Knicks. They can score the basketball with anybody, but when it comes to the nitty gritty of coming up with a big stop when it’s needed most or a loose ball when the garbage play screams aloud, this team, captained by Carmelo Anthony, never gets it done.
The crime of it all comes to fruition when thinking about the bigger picture.
Attempting to battle through a mediocre 21-28 season is worse than tanking. We all know the NBA and its flaws. When building a team in the Association, mediocrity means purgatory. Never can a great talent be had in this spot and rarely is there any wiggle-room in free agency.
The Knicks sticking with this personnel grouping and expecting success would equate to any of us banging our head against the wall and expecting Skittles to come flying out of our ears.
The reason tanking is such a popular philosophy in this league is because it works. It’s because it’s the only way to secure superstar players — that is, unless, you acquire a team full of expiring contracts and go fishing in July.
Carmelo Anthony’s career record with the Knicks during the regular season, when dressed and active, is 188-198. Other than a 54-win 2012-13 campaign that saw the team make it to the second round of the tournament, Melo’s New York stint has been underwhelming. Actually, it’s been tragic, when considering the “I’m coming home” campaign.
It didn’t work with Amar’e Stoudemire or Chauncey Billups. It didn’t work with Donnie Walsh, Mike D’Antoni or Mike Woodson. It didn’t work with Tyson Chandler, J.R. Smith or Iman Shumpert. And, much to the dismay of the basketball-loving citizens of New York City, it’s not working with Derrick Rose, Kristaps Porzingis, Jeff Hornacek and, the top culprit of them all, Phil Jackson.
How many years, players and coaches does this organization have to cycle through before we all realize Carmelo Anthony is overrated?
Sure, if you put the absolute perfect pieces around the man who once represented the most dangerous iso scorer in the league, Melo’s Knicks would showcase success. If Jax was equipped with enough evaluating skills that would force him to understand that four outstanding defenders are needed when surrounding Melo, this team could flourish.
But that’s just too tough to expect. It’s a hard thing to execute. Melo isn’t a LeBron James who can elevate others around him to a certain championship-like degree.
Melo isn’t an immortal.
So, remember this: while you proclaim Carmelo Anthony “isn’t the problem” for your New York Knicks, understand the reality of this extremely sad situation.
He’s also not the solution.
It’s been proven for years now with the many individuals who’ve surrounded the man.
Purgatory is a dangerous thing in the NBA. Trading Melo and D-Rose allows purgatory to evaporate. It welcomes a rebuild filled with empty roster slots and plenty of cap space.
Trading Melo brings flexibility — the one crucial aspect needed when looking to build a winner in this complex and frustrating league.
Sabo, you have no business writing an objective article because it's clear as chrystal, that you can't write without the haunt of hate eating your guts like a thousand parasites.
On record, taking it to an extreme you called Melo supporters, in true form of a sick mind, "fanatics." Based on your own criteria for such very loose malicious judgement, that would make you either a runaway babbling idiot or just a chronic hater in contrast. People aren't all just wildly bent supporters or fans without objective preferences. You need to take an advise, after you finish writing your next article, make a sign that says kick me in the ass and paste it to your back, because you are not cut out for this. It's a mockery how much stupidy one person can write all by themselves.
You obviously love ripping Melo, and trust me anyone with a brain can plainly see. You think because you grant him due credit at the start of a stupid article, it qualifies you to take him apart deviously and erroneously.
So because people proclaim Melo isn't the problem, you're going to try and outsmart their perspective by coming back with what you surely must think is a biting response_
*"I’m going to let you in a little secret today that comes in the following paragraph.
He’s also not the answer."
Bravo, bravo, yeah for you! Good one Sabo, high five! (Did you come up with that all by yourself, I bet you did didn't you? (caugh-idiot..)
So Melo is not the answer? OK, what are you even talking about with that wide open, dopey statement you clinged to with absurd repetition. I bet you got the idea for that secret from what your girlfriend told you recently?
Then there is this:
*"How many years, players and coaches does this organization have to cycle through before we all realize Carmelo Anthony is overrated?" "before we all realize"?? Dude you sound like you need an Ivey League shrink, sounds like deep clinical immaturity issues. For sure you are hell bent on a mission of pleasure by hate.
Your article is stupid!! Allow me to provide a few examples out of the profuse stupidy you wrote through damn near every paragraph if not all .
*"Great as Melo has been offensively, is as weak as he is defensively." Glaring stupidity. If that were the case, his impact on the game would be a net neutral and he would be allowing well over 20 plus points a game. Dumb ass, if he was as weak defensively as he is great offensively he would be one of the bottom ten worst defenders in the league. That quote is an example of what you call just pure hate and stupidity.
*"Yes, Tim Hardaway Jr. absolutely flopped." OK Just stop right there hater!! No matter what argument involving someone flopping against the defender you wish to use to illustrate any knock against any defender, it's just gross malpractice of intelligence, because not even Jesus Christ would be good enough against a ref's whistle. Floppers, they may simply fall down the right way and a flagrant may get called for an event that otherwise wouldn't even be a foul. It happens to everyone, even the best defender can't defend against flopping. You can drink coffee all night and study Melo videos from daylight to daylight and the net call on Melo defense will never be as bad as you would love to make it. Everyone knows the flaw in Melo defense, but it is well known that it is not worse than average and sometimes is better. Everyone knows that he can be flat-footed on defense, we have seen it, we watch the games, but we also know he can be better, like anyone else. Any honest person knows that. We all saw what happened with the Hardaway flop, thank you for teaching us nothing. No worries though, you're just a fool.
* "The reason tanking is such a popular philosophy in this league is because it works. It’s because it’s the only way to secure superstar players." Now really_ two really totally stupid sentences back to back. Please define for me; "tanking is such a popular philosophy", define "works" and then reconcile those definitions. Think about that and then tell us, how is that the only way to secure a superstar player? While you're at it, please tell us about Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Tick tock... Dudeda, you have minimum intelligence about what works. You hear adults having a conversation and get crazy ideas that you belong in there.
* "Sure, if you put the absolute perfect pieces around the man who once represented the most dangerous iso scorer in the league, Melo’s Knicks would showcase success."
A department store full of dunce caps couldn't inventory the amount you deserve... furthermore, you appear quite ill, you need to realize! "absolute perfect pieces around" Melo would "showcase success"? (paused, laughed hysterically, pounded knee with fist).... Dude, for every paragraph you write you should be shot for being not even as useful as a donkey's tail, that way you can get on in with your next life and have the chance to do something you can't possibly screw up, swatting flies off an "absolutely perfect" donkeys ass.
Sir, Mr. Absolutely Perfect, the Knicks stunk before Melo and they will continue to stink untill Dolan decides to do the one thing any good franchise has the good sense to do; hire a professional who knows what the hell he is doing and is certainly not cluelessly learning on the job. Someone to give the team a clear winning direction, and can deal with the crazy part of the press and a multitude of numb nut fans. That way fools like you won't be running around writing your own wild, personal, rampant nonsense and feel emboldened.
I cringe to think, we trade Melo and buffoon, quack ass, loose lip Phil is the one going to preside over it.
Melo is being used as a scapegoat. Intelligent Knicks fans know that trading Melo will not address the priorities of building a team. We need a proper professional GM to evaluate and address his personal vision he has for the team. That is priority #1. If anybody is to trade Melo let it be somebody who knows how to build a team with or without Melo. And I garrantee you any intelligent GM would have long build a team featuring Melo playing at by far his best position, where he is most lethal. If you ask me Melo have been sabotaged by the same kind of Jackass minds who booed KP.