OT: Melo free agent

[Kitaman]

Is it the money, ring or litmus test? Best player on the market, so the suitors will be lining up. He may shoot a lot but he's a baller. Turning down over $20 million this coming season is amazing. More tough times for Knick fans. I expect this to be interesting to watch.

Linky

 

[pnete]

Don't let the door stick to your butt on the way out, the way the ball stuck to your hands. Worse trade Knicks ever made.
Now, dump Stat, Felton, Smith and the Pastrami kid. Start over with every undrafted player in this year's draft.

 

[dsturdy5]

I see Celtics fans talking about getting him. I say no thank you.

 

[Dynasty]

If he leaves, he will be more hated than LeBron was(is?) in Cleveland for forcing his way to them then leaving. The least he could do is do a sign and trade and get the Knicks some assets.

 

[8893]

If he leaves, he will be more hated than LeBron was(is?) in Cleveland for forcing his way to them then leaving. The least he could do is do a sign and trade and get the Knicks some assets.

I disagree that he will be hated remotely as much as Lebron was/is in Cleveland if he doesn't stay. I'm a Knicks fan and I'm pretty ambivalent about it, and I think most others are as well, including Phil Jackson. Melo is a very big mixed blessing imo. Singularly great and the only marquee name putting asses in the seats right now, and probably enough production on his own to keep the Knicks in the playoff hunt in the East because it is such a mediocre division. But not enough on his own to advance far in the playoffs, and certainly never win a championship with the Knicks imo.

I am ready for him to go. He made it interesting but I'd like to compete. James Dolan (and the damage he allowed Isaiah to inflict) is still the one most to blame for the Knicks' misery, but Melo was just an expensive band-aid to cover a deeply flawed franchise. If Jackson is going to do anything to make a positive difference he is better off without being saddled by Melo and I think he knows that. If Melo becomes a free agent it makes it very easy for Jackson to wash his hands of the whole situation and say we had no choice but to let him go, because signing him to another max contract would further cripple a team that is badly in need of being rebuilt.

 

[EricLA]

I hope Chicago picks him up. I could see that being a good match for both sides...

 

[dsturdy5]

I hope Chicago picks him up. I could see that being a good match for both sides...

I'm curious as to why you think he's willing to play defense in Thibs' system. He hasn't shown any desire to do so thus far in his career.

 

[champs99and04]

I think 80% of the grief 'Melo takes is unwarranted. He's been picked apart so much over the last couple years that I am now wondering if he's the most underrated player in the league. He has the reputation as a gunner and ball-stopper, when in reality, he's an extremely efficient offensive player who is 100% capable of being the first scoring option on a championship team. Last season he averaged 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists on 45/40/85 shooting splits. When you consider the guys he's playing with - a broken down Amare Stoudemire, a hobbled Tyson Chandler, Ray Felton, J.R. Smith - it becomes even more impressive that he was able to put up those numbers on a team so...dreadful. The Knicks suck and that team probably doesn't win 20 games without him, but somehow he is scapegoated for their organizational incompetence.

Is he a perfect player? Of course not. He's a sub par defender (though a lot better than people realize as a post defender) and bad passer. He's not close to being in the same company as a LeBron or Durant, but who is? A lot of the people who don't think he can ever play on a winning team or coexist within an offensive system probably haven't watched him in the Olympics. If he went somewhere like Chicago, they become the favorites in my mind to win the eastern conference. Hell, if he goes to Boston to play with Kevin Love and Rajon Rondo, that team might win the eastern conference. A lot of the things being said about 'Melo - he's not a winner, he's selfish, he can't defend, etc. - were being said about Paul Pierce seven years ago, and that all looks foolish now. I hate Syracuse as much as the next guy and am by no means 'Melo's biggest fan, but much of the criticism is completely unfair in my mind.

 

[JaYnYcE]

I disagree that he will be hated remotely as much as Lebron was/is in Cleveland if he doesn't stay. I'm a Knicks fan and I'm pretty ambivalent about it, and I think most others are as well, including Phil Jackson. Melo is a very big mixed blessing imo. Singularly great and the only marquee name putting asses in the seats right now, and probably enough production on his own to keep the Knicks in the playoff hunt in the East because it is such a mediocre division. But not enough on his own to advance far in the playoffs, and certainly never win a championship with the Knicks imo.

I am ready for him to go. He made it interesting but I'd like to compete. James Dolan (and the damage he allowed Isaiah to inflict) is still the one most to blame for the Knicks' misery, but Melo was just an expensive band-aid to cover a deeply flawed franchise. If Jackson is going to do anything to make a positive difference he is better off without being saddled by Melo and I think he knows that. If Melo becomes a free agent it makes it very easy for Jackson to wash his hands of the whole situation and say we had no choice but to let him go, because signing him to another max contract would further cripple a team that is badly in need of being rebuilt.

I can't believe I'm reading this on Boston majority board. This might be the most sensible piece of writing that I have ever read in regards to the Knicks on this board.

 

[JaYnYcE]

I think 80% of the grief 'Melo takes is unwarranted. He's been picked apart so much over the last couple years that I am now wondering if he's the most underrated player in the league. He has the reputation as a gunner and ball-stopper, when in reality, he's an extremely efficient offensive player who is 100% capable of being the first scoring option on a championship team. Last season he averaged 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists on 45/40/85 shooting splits. When you consider the guys he's playing with - a broken down Amare Stoudemire, a hobbled Tyson Chandler, Ray Felton, J.R. Smith - it becomes even more impressive that he was able to put up those numbers on a team so...dreadful. The Knicks suck and that team probably doesn't win 20 games without him, but somehow he is scapegoated for their organizational incompetence.

Is he a perfect player? Of course not. He's a sub par defender (though a lot better than people realize as a post defender) and bad passer. He's not close to being in the same company as a LeBron or Durant, but who is? A lot of the people who don't think he can ever play on a winning team or coexist within an offensive system probably haven't watched him in the Olympics. If he went somewhere like Chicago, they become the favorites in my mind to win the eastern conference. Hell, if he goes to Boston to play with Kevin Love and Rajon Rondo, that team might win the eastern conference. A lot of the things being said about 'Melo - he's not a winner, he's selfish, he can't defend, etc. - were being said about Paul Pierce seven years ago, and that all looks foolish now. I hate Syracuse as much as the next guy and am by no means 'Melo's biggest fan, but much of the criticism is completely unfair in my mind.

close second.

 

[Scoe]

I have become numb to being a knicks fan I don't even know what dissapointed,embarassed, or hope means anymore with the knicks. I have come to accept the fact that they will always suck.

 

[EricLA]

I'm curious as to why you think he's willing to play defense in Thibs' system. He hasn't shown any desire to do so thus far in his career.

Fair question and honestly I'm the last guy to have an opinion on that - I don't watch enough of all the teams to know which ones require a commitment on defense. I was just thinking of offense. I'd rather see him there than in Miami... but my opinions have little to do with facts in the NBA, that's for sure!

 

[metsfan2323]

More tough times for Knick fans.

Linky

This is a great day for this Knicks fan. Can't stand that guy.

The Knicks should tank next season, get a lottery pick and then make a splash in free agency next year with guys younger than Anthony.

 

[Minicoop69]

I'm curious as to why you think he's willing to play defense in Thibs' system. He hasn't shown any desire to do so thus far in his career.

It's not about Melo playing defense, it's about everyone else playing defense. They don't need a defensive player. They need a pure scorer and that Melo is.

 

[J-dog]

Been a Knick fan since the late 60's (Born in 1960; Jet's, Knicks & Mets won in '69 - Been saddled with these teams ever since!)…

I don't hate Melo but Knicks will never win it all with him. His contract, if they were to sign him, would be an albatross that would keep the knick's searching for a championship quality team for at least another 10 years…

Frankly, I've grown tired of him in late games situations, dribbling, dribbling, dribbling & then missing the game winner.

Time to move on IMO..

 

[Dooley]

Best thing to happen to the Knicks since Isiah was fired. Melo is a loser. Selfish ball hog that often forces up shots that aren't there. He contributes nothing on the defensive end (not surprising considering where he went to college).

The Knicks can now finally rebuild properly, if Dolan will kick his nose out of things. Trade Chandler, Felton, and JR Smith. Wait a year for Amare's awful contract to get off the books. Clear cap room and rebuild through the lottery.

 

[SubbaBub]

Wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole. Just not a winning NBA player. Too one dimensional. Can't make anyone else better. Knicks should be glad to get rid of him. He'll be a perennial all star on mediocre teams.

 

[intlzncster]

I think 80% of the grief 'Melo takes is unwarranted. He's been picked apart so much over the last couple years that I am now wondering if he's the most underrated player in the league. He has the reputation as a gunner and ball-stopper, when in reality, he's an extremely efficient offensive player who is 100% capable of being the first scoring option on a championship team. Last season he averaged 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists on 45/40/85 shooting splits. When you consider the guys he's playing with - a broken down Amare Stoudemire, a hobbled Tyson Chandler, Ray Felton, J.R. Smith - it becomes even more impressive that he was able to put up those numbers on a team so...dreadful. The Knicks suck and that team probably doesn't win 20 games without him, but somehow he is scapegoated for their organizational incompetence.

He might be, but we don't know that yet. Because he hasn't. Obviously, college doesn't count.

 

[intlzncster]

I can't believe I'm reading this on Boston majority board. This might be the most sensible piece of writing that I have ever read in regards to the Knicks on this board.

OK, I'll put this to you. Can the Knicks win championships with Dolan as the owner?

 

[intlzncster]

Been a Knick fan since the late 60's (Born in 1960; Jet's, Knicks & Mets won in '69 - Been saddled with these teams ever since!)….

Holy duckck that is a miserable existence. You must thank the heavens every day to be a UCONN fan.

 

[mauconnfan]

Wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole. Just not a winning NBA player. Too one dimensional. Can't make anyone else better. Knicks should be glad to get rid of him. He'll be a perennial all star on mediocre teams.

BINGO

 

[JaYnYcE]

OK, I'll put this to you. Can the Knicks win championships with Dolan as the owner?

Absolutely not. I forgave the Isaiah mess and bullying in Walsh to get Melo here. What did it for me was firing the GM that put together a 54 win team and bringing back the guy who was around during the Isiah era and that ugly scandal at the Garden a few years ago.

I'm rooting for Melo to go to Chicago and play with Rose, Noah Butler and Gibson. That team is better than Miami on paper. He deserves a legit shot at an NBA championship and I don't trust NY to put pieces around him when STAT and Bargs opting in.