i still think you need to set the right team around him. he is not a playmaker so he needs a pg alongside him that can run an offensive like the dynamic with kd and westbrook. durant is not much of a passer but westbrook covers up that lack of his game.
And it wasn't like Amare was lazy out there. I saw a few times in the 4th and overtimes he was posting up and calling for the ball. Instead, the guard up top swings to his right and has Melo doing the same thing in the post. Melo tried to go hero mode
Melo for his career has been a very good rebounder that clearly isn't his problem. As a Knick the problem is they depend on him way too much.
But Durant does what he does at an extremely high efficiency. You tend to let those things go. And he's not a chucker. Melo is simply getting exposed as a selfish chucker. 2 possessions to win the game he ignored his wide open teammate: one play was Shumpert, the other was Douglas. Inexcusable.
Milsap and Jefferson are killing Klove in the post. If they dont double either one, its almost an automatic score.
you forget that he was the reason that he also hit clutch shots for them in the 4th/and OT d'antoni needs a playmaker that can get melo/amare to establish under the 3 point line. they just throw to melo at the top ad tell him to go 1-on-5. that's bad coaching.
And you forget that he was THE reason they were down in the game and needed to bail the team out (ala Tim Tebow). He's gone 9-27, 5-22, 11-26, and now 10-30 in his last 4 games. That's pathetic. I'll give you that the team desperately needs a playmaker. But Melo is a chucker. Like I stated, he ignored Shumpert and Douglas when they were WIDE WIDE WIDE open for 3pt shots, and waved off Amare TWICE so he could iso from the side of the court. When you have another legit 20pt scorer on your team, USE him. As the best player and you know they're doubling you, use your teammates. You don't have to be a great playmaker to know that. You get doubled, PASS THE DAMN BALL. It's fundamental basketball. And Melo lacks that.
they are doing that to every team in the league right now. Milsap is a terror on defense and Jefferson is getting easy bucket after easy bucket. That team is just really good right now at home.
douglas and shumpert are terribly inefficient as well. douglas is shooting 32% from the field and 25% from 3 shumpert shooting 38% form the field and 30% from 3. there was times in the game melo made passed to them and they missed wide open looks. when amare had felton (who was dishing out 9 assist a game) they ran the 2 man game d'antoni used to run and pheonix. they don't have that anymore. even d'antoni has addressed thier situation it all starts with a playmaker and the knicks offense looks like garbage without one and everybody is out of rhythm because of it.
So Melo shooting badly means he can jack it up??? The guy was doubled and had a WIDE OPEN teammate. You must make the right basketball play and you live with it. Shumpert was having a very good game. Douglas made 3 3s in the game. Again, it's not about percentages b/c the Knicks as a whole shot poorly; it was about making the RIGHT BASKETBALL PLAY. A wide open shot is always better than a contested shot. And him waving off is no excuse for not having a playmaker. We all know the Knicks would be much better with a playmaker. Most teams would be. But it shouldn't stop your best or 2nd best player from not making the right basketball play, and instead chucking up bad shots.
i see we're going to just go back and forth with no conclusion. at least we both can admit that it starts with a playmaker.
I think many here are forgetting the Knicks gave up way too much for Melo, which isn't his fault. They are so depleted Melo can't make up for the roster deficiencies. The Knicks overvalued him and are paying the price. And they compounded their problem by blowing their remaining wad on Chandler, which means they are locked into mediocrity unless a miracle happens.
