Coach Mike D'Antoni is no Isaiah Thomas. He is a big man. 58+ wins a season for many years in Phoenix. He led US men’s national team to Olympic medal. That is enough for those pesky fans to stop bitching about “Eyoohh,… D’Antoni’s ‘Run & Gun’ is killing the legs of Amare and Melo”. Enough with that nonsense. The dude is paid $100 mil, if he can’t run send him to D-league.
Now that he involuntary handed his resignation, I am sure fans are happy that their beloved, over rated Melo is free to do what Melo does.
I fully accept it’s a streaky season. Except for few top teams, the rest of the league are stuck in crazy roller coaster of win-loss streaks but even in this crazy world of post lock out NBA 8 wins and 7 loss in a row is weird. So, what is the problem with New York Knicks? With star studded roster, I am sure they can’t blame it on ‘Lack of Talent’. They even get eye-popping numbers from their minimum contract, Jeremy Lin. Steve Novak shoots like Pistol Pete, Iman Schampert showed up to be a mini Russel Westbrook. Jarred Jefferies plays big. Newly acquired champ centre, Chandler does what he does best. So, it all comes down to Melo and Amare. Or I guess it all comes down to Carmelo Anthony.
Everyone says Melo is an offensive juggernaut. Melo is a one man offensive team. He closes, he knows how to win. I am not %100 sure if he does what they say. Unlike Kobe, the way Melo operats never improves players around him. All he does is face up isolation and spot jumpers. The part I don’t get about Melo is that since when a super star can get a pass on not having any defense. Almost all super stars and max contract players in NBA is among the best defenders in the league. Even a ball hog like Kobe is the defense player of the year. The god damn NBA champions are always the best defensive team. The other thing about Melo is his lack of consistency since he join NYK. I am not comparing a max contact player with a dude who played in D-league two month ago but Jeremy Lin was more constant that Melo since he started with Knicks.
D’Antoni is out means more balls for Melo, less ball for Lin, Novak and Schumpert. We gotta see if this trade works for the folks in the Garden.