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Carmelo Anthony cannot lead Knicks to title - Broussard ESPN

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by rubbertoe, Nov 20, 2013.

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rubbertoe Member

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Link here

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/carmelo-anthony-cannot-lead-york-knicks-title-nba-201100384--nba.html

#1 rubbertoe, Nov 20, 2013

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You don't say

#2 CCorn, Nov 20, 2013
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What execs really think of Melo

What execs really think of Melo

The New York Knicks enter tonight's game against the Houston Rockets with a disappointing 3-4 record. While it's way too early to panic, it's not too early to say this: Even when the Knicks right themselves (and I firmly believe they will), they have only a decent chance of getting out of the first round and no chance of getting past the second.

Hence, the Knicks' superstar, Carmelo Anthony, is doomed for yet another postseason of failure. In his 10 previous NBA seasons, Anthony, to his credit, has made the playoffs every year. But just twice has his team advanced past the first round. This kind of perennial failure begs so many questions.

So how much of the blame for that should fall on Melo? What does that say about him as a player? What's he missing, if anything? Can he lead a team to a championship, or even to the NBA Finals? What type of team would fit best around him? Should he leave New York next summer in search of a better chance to win it all? Is he really just a star masquerading as a "superstar'?'

To answer these questions, I turned to four long-time league executives who were granted anonymity so they could share their true opinions.

Eastern Conference executive No. 1

In short: This particular executive says Anthony picked up some bad habits while he was in Denver. Is he a winner? Sure, but is he Batman or Robin?

"I like Melo. I like that he competes. He obviously can score at a high level. People forget that when he got drafted by Denver, the Nuggets had won 17 games the year before. And he immediately turned them into a playoff team and took them to the playoffs every year he was there. He took a 17-win team and led them to 43 wins. So he can win and make a team better. I think his problem is that he went to Denver, which was a dysfunctional franchise at that time, so he picked up some bad habits and didn't learn what it takes to really win in this league. If he had gone to a better organization with a truly professional environment coming out of the gate, he would have learned and been more professional. He won big in college (leading Syracuse to the National Championship in 2003). He won big in high school at Oak Hill. He's been a winner all his life. "But early on in Denver, he probably saw some bad habits and was allowed to get away with his bad habits -- like if he was five or 10 minutes late for a shootaround, or if he missed a team event somewhere. As a leader, you can't do that because you have to be able to get on guys when they do those things. He probably never learned that. And after leading a team from 17 wins to 43 wins, he probably thought winning in the NBA was a little easier than it really is, and he never was made to understand what it takes to get to the next level. He didn't learn the little things, the finer points of playing defensively - understanding that you have to make consecutive plays on defense if you really want to get it done. Things like that. So now, 10 years into the league, he's probably Robin on a championship team instead of Batman. He has Batman talent, but the intangibles are missing. And I think part of that is because of what he was introduced to when he came into the league with Denver.

"As far as next summer, if I were him, I'd stay in New York and hope I can attract some more help. I think he has to put his feet in the concrete now and look at himself in the mirror. He knows where he's coming up short. I believe he's smart enough to recognize that. If Kobe Bryant was younger, it'd be great for Melo to go play with him in L.A. because Kobe could get him to do the things he doesn't want to do right now. He'd have to listen to Kobe. But Kobe's older now and doesn't have enough left to help Melo win it. Overall, all these people talking crazy about Carmelo, saying he's not a winner -- ask them if they would take him on their team. You wouldn't get many people saying 'No.'"

Eastern Conference executive No. 2

In short: There's no denying Carmelo Anthony is a selfish player. The possessions and statistical inefficiency bear that out. And this executive agrees.

"He's a great player, but he's also a selfish player. That's just how he is. I don't think he'll look at himself in the mirror and say, 'What am I not doing? What am I doing that's keeping us from winning?' Again, I'm not saying he's not a great player. He's a phenomenal player. He's just selfish. He likes the glamour and the big time. Why else would he have left Denver for New York? That Denver team he was on was better than New York. But he wanted the show and the glamour. It wasn't about winning.

"For him to win, he has to have the right team around him. But finding the right team for him is very hard. You really have to get five Tyson Chandlers -- guys that play like Chandler but play at the other four positions. You need guys who will cater to Melo, guys who don't need the ball, guys who don't care about shooting a lot, guys that can make spot-up jump shots. Those are the type of guys Melo needs because he's not looking to be a team player. He's going to be a gunner and just shoot. If you have those type of guys around him, maybe he can win it. But the way I see it, he might end up being 33 years old after he matures a little bit and on a team with a guy or two who's better than him, and then he'll win it.

"All the talk about where he'll go next year -- if he goes somewhere else, that puts more pressure on him to win. It's going to follow him. I don't know if he'll have the guts to leave. If he leaves, he better win wherever he goes. If he stays, he can get the most money from New York and then at some point, demand a trade if he has to.''

Western Conference executive No. 1

In short: Anthony can score, but can he win? This executive says Melo needs help.

"I actually think that, for whatever reason, Melo's always gotten a pass. At the end of the day, he's been in the league long enough where, if he was really a winner and about winning, he'd have figured it out by now. He's had enough time to do that now. He should be able to say, 'Ok, this is not working. I've got to figure it out. I've got to take it upon myself as a superstar to try something else. Try to be a facilitator, make plays for other guys, or like Kobe and LeBron, get some stops. Every team I'm on is bad defensively, let me make more of a commitment defensively.' If he was really about winning, there's more he could do.

"Is he overrated? As a scorer, he's not overrated. He's a professional scorer. And as a winner -- that's what it's all about, right? -- he's not rated highly. I mean, this is his 11th season. It's time to win something. He went to the conference finals one time when Chauncey Billups was still good and they had some pieces around them. As a guy without some pieces around him, Melo doesn't get it done because he doesn't make anybody else better. He's going to play the way he plays, but the team's not going to have much success. I don't know if he can be the best player on a championship team. Yeah, he might lead the league in scoring but he's also up there in points allowed. If you're getting points on one end, you can't be giving up just as many on the other end. To win, Melo needs a team full of defenders -- dirty, grimy, tough guys. He needs a veteran point guard like Billups who can tell him what he needs to do and has the authority to back it up. He needs some shooters, too, because he's not going to change his game.''

Western Conference executive No. 2

In short: This executive offers a past player comparable to Anthony. But Stephon Marbury probably isn't the guy you want to be compared to.

"I love him as a player. I just don't think he's your alpha male. He can't be your No. 1 guy. He's kind of like Clyde Drexler. As the alpha male in Portland, Clyde never got over the top. But when he went to Houston and was the No. 2 guy to Hakeem Olajuwon, he won. Melo's too much about himself to be the No. 1 guy. He's not malicious in his approach or anything. He's just not about winning. He's about getting his, and doing it his way. I would love to have him as a second guy. But as your alpha male? He's not going to win anything like that. He's kind of like the 2013 version of Stephon Marbury. He's not as bad as Stephon, but he's got Steph tendencies.''

While they acknowledge his elite skills, these are some harsh words for Anthony. With him, there's no question that he can score and is a great player on his own. But as a team player, it looks like there remains plenty of questions.
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#3 J.R., Nov 20, 2013
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SHOCKER!!!

Too soon?:grin:

#4 PinkTacos, Nov 20, 2013
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LOL @ the exec comparing Melo to Drexler. Must be some young exec who has never watched Drexler in his prime.

Melo is selfish. Drexler was not. Drexler looked to make plays for his teammates. The way the Bulls defended Drexler was to force him to shoot rather than setup his teammates. They considered him most dangerous when he was getting everyone involved.

Melo is looking to score, not much else. Drexler gave you scoring and much more: rebounds, assists, leading the fast break, defense.

Melo is/was never a leader. Drexler led his team twice to the finals.

To compare Melo to Drexler just because he didnt win a championship in Portland is downright wrong.

#5 Zboy, Nov 20, 2013
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Multiple sources?

#6 dmenacela, Nov 20, 2013
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On one hand, this story make sense. On the other hand, Broussard is reporting it. So does that mean Melo is going to win it all?

#7 DreamRoxCoogFan, Nov 20, 2013

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these people are insane. if you remove Lebron and insert Melo, you got a championship. at least a conference championship. melo is selfish. but selfish people win sometimes. that's just how it is.

#8 jms99, Nov 20, 2013
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jms99 said: ↑

these people are insane. if you remove Lebron and insert Melo, you got a championship. at least a conference championship. melo is selfish. but selfish people win sometimes. that's just how it is.
Click to expand...

If you switch Lebron and Melo... Pacers win the East.

#9 CCorn, Nov 20, 2013
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Little late there Broussard.....Like years late...

#10 Swedish_Rocket, Nov 20, 2013
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jms99 said: ↑

these people are insane. if you remove Lebron and insert Melo, you got a championship. at least a conference championship. melo is selfish. but selfish people win sometimes. that's just how it is.
Click to expand...

Nope.

Sometimes I wonder if people realize how good his supporting casts in Denver were. Far better than anything LeBron had in Cleveland.

#11 dharocks, Nov 20, 2013
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This year, I am not sure he can lead them to the playoffs.

#12 jim1961, Nov 20, 2013
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Anyone who watches the NBA knew five years ago that Melo could not lead an NBA team to a Championship nor could his ego allow him to be second fiddle on one.

#13 Dave_78, Nov 20, 2013

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He won't win until he gets another star and Amare is not it. The Knicks are in cap hell as usual and with no picks and a bunch of injured players.

If they were smart they'd blow it up this year trade everyone and try and get one of the big three lotto picks to build around.

Seriously Knick execs can't possibly think that team can compete with Heat or Pacers or with half the WC. And there's no way to add a significant piece.

BLOW IT UP.

#14 Phillyrocket, Nov 20, 2013
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Phillyrocket said: ↑

He won't win until he gets another star and Amare is not it. The Knicks are in cap hell as usual and with no picks and a bunch of injured players.

If they were smart they'd blow it up this year trade everyone and try and get one of the big three lotto picks to build around.

Seriously Knick execs can't possibly think that team can compete with Heat or Pacers or with half the WC. And there's no way to add a significant piece.

BLOW IT UP.
Click to expand...

Funny how the more things change, the more they stay the same.

#15 da_juice, Nov 20, 2013
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Western executive no.1 said:

As a guy without some pieces around him, Melo doesn't get it done
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No ****.

Overall, nothing very deep or interesting. A wall of text with a bunch of cliches, as if straight from Stephen A. Smith's notebook. I would've expected more from executives.

Maybe Broussard just doesn't have connections among the analytical types.

I like when ESPN does anonymous scout or coach interviews, they usually have some actual interesting observations.

#16 DonatasFanboy, Nov 20, 2013
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I don't have a high opinion of Melo but my Knicks team is hot turd.

#17 felixng2012, Nov 20, 2013
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#18 Juxtaposed Jolt, Nov 20, 2013

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Also the USSR will not win the Cold War

#19 R0ckets03, Nov 20, 2013
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Since Broussard said it, I'm gonna put down the Knicks for the championship this year.

#20 NotChandlerParsons, Nov 20, 2013

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