The hot topic this week in the NBA was that Carmelo Anthony has no interest in signing the extension the Nuggets have offered and will leave Denver one way or the other. This, of course, sparks speculation that he wants to and will end up going to New York to play with the Knicks.
The thing I do not really get is why is Carmelo Anthony that fired up to go to the Knicks? I mean, sure, they have Amar'e Stoudemire and sure, they play the up-tempo type of game 'Melo likes, but let us face facts here. Stoudemire is one of the most overrated players in the league and Mike D'Antoni is one of the most overrated coaches going.
Sure, the Knicks would be a force to be reckoned with in the East if they were to add Anthony to their current roster, but the thing is they have no winners on that roster. D'Antoni excelled at getting the Suns to the playoffs, but he did little else with them. His career postseason record is only 26-25. His record when getting out of the first round is only 13-17. The series in which his teams were eliminated never went seven games and typically only went five.
Simply put, D'Antoni's system is good enough to get teams into the postseason, but is not good enough for postseason success simply because he refuses to acknowledge the notion that teams need to play a little bit of defense to win a championship. D'Antoni is his generation's Don Nelson. His teams are entertaining and he wins a ton of regular season games, but they always come up short in the postseason because they are finesse teams that play little defense and lack an overall toughness teams need to win when it matters in the NBA.
Then there is the question of who is going to lead this team. Amar'e? 'Melo? Neither of those guys are really leaders. Amar'e has never been one to rally the troops or a guy his teammates rally around. He has a rap for being a bit of a soft player who tends to disappear in big games at times.
Do not get me wrong, Carmelo is a great ball player, but he is not a leader. Is it merely co-incidental that the Nuggets never got out of the first round in the playoffs until they got Chauncey Billups? Guys like Billups and Kenyon Martin are the leaders in Denver and Anthony is merely along for the ride. Anthony is arguably the best scorer in the game, but he does little to elevate his teammates around him the way championship players do.
The thing the Knicks need to realize is it takes more than rolling a bunch of guys who can score the basketball to win championships. They need guys who can defend the basketball. They need guys with some heart and toughness who teammates can rally around. They need guys who can rebound the basketball and are not afraid to mix it up under the basket. With or without Anthony, who is going to do that for the Knicks?
Which leads me to ask why is Anthony eager to go to New York for in the first place? It is not like D'Antoni is a better coach than George Karl is. It is not like the Knicks have a better supporting cast than the Nuggets currently do. What in the world is so attractive about being Amar'e Stoudemire's running mate? It is not like Stoudemire has a track record of winning big games himself. For that matter, it is not as though anyone on the Knicks current roster has a track record of winning in the postseason.
The Knicks and Carmelo Anthony are both focused on the shiny object in the room and not taking into consideration whether Anthony is really a great fit for the Knicks' goal of winning a title, and Anthony is not taking into consideration whether the Knicks really have the right framework in place to seriously contend for a championship.
If Anthony goes to New York, he will not meet with significantly more success than what he has had in Denver. The Knicks would be a definite playoff team, but I am not sure adding Anthony makes them any better than the Hawks or the Bucks right now. They definitely are not as good as the Magic, Celtics, or the Heat.
Maybe the Knicks, or rather the city of New York, is the right match for Carmelo Anthony. He has always struck me as a guy who is more interested in style over substance since coming in to the league anyway.
Republished with permission from PopPickle.
August 22, 2010
jean:
Writer is just a Knicks hater, with or without melo the knock going deep into the playoffs, and in year finals, stop hating
August 22, 2010
Michael:
Dude this article sucks knicks r da best who wouldnt come to ny
August 22, 2010
mike:
^^^ Lebron… lol
August 22, 2010
Jim:
Clearly there is a reason this so called writer is posting on a website nobody has ever heard of.
August 22, 2010
angel:
if carmelo decided to play anywhere besides ny you would not even care, ive never seen another sports city hated on like new york.fact is that new york would be as good as denver is now and, it just happens to be the city that he prefers to live, so hop off and let the man live without your insignificant opinion. I would love for him to be a knick but could give a shit if he wasnt.
August 22, 2010
React:
Ok, seriously….why does everyone (fans and sports writers ) have soo much crap to say about NY, especially the knicks, we haven’t won a championship since the early 70’s….why don’t the lakers or san antonio, the celtics, or the magic get this much grief, we sucked for 10 years and finally we’re getting better and everyone hates this,…this writer is a freakin idiot, he’s says with melo on the knicks we’d be equivalent to the bucks…. The knicks current roster is way better than Denvers current roster without melo
August 22, 2010
Big Mike:
I agree with the people, this writer sucks. Ive been a knicks fan since Bernard King (if your a real knick fan you know how long ago that has been). Melo is a New Yorker and his wife is there son. Why ask why nevermind write an article about why. KNICKS FOREVER its about time!
August 22, 2010
anthony:
This writer sucks how the hell would we not be better then the hawks we beat them last year multiple times without a superstar and saying that our roster sucks after we lose lebron and making better by adding feltin ,Randolph, turiaf, azubukie, stoudimire and more we now have a starting line up and cast of back up players.Now since we gain some hope in our team that hasent made the playoffs in six years and u do this. Thanks stupid writer we have a chance to make a team for us don’t screw that up for us. Lets go ny Knicks 4 life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 23, 2010
Fabster:
This is the most stupid article and one sided article written by a total moron. Obviously u have no idea what your talking about ,everyone on the knicks are under 28 and hungry and everyone in denver is over 30 and tired, so where’s the comparison?
August 23, 2010
B:
the knick bashing just doesnt end. why are the knicks the only team in the nba to be put on blast the minute a player mentions he’d like to play for them. no other team catches so muck flack at the mere mention of a possible trade. the catch 22 comes when people speak of ny as a non championship caliber team, yet criticize any attempt they make to put the pieces in place to become one. ive come to realize this is more anti-NY sentiment amongst all these bloggers than anything else. jealous much?
August 23, 2010
Writers Block:
there are many people that are happy the knicks have suffered for the past decade. The proclaimed mecca of basketball and msg being one of the best places to watch and play are reasons behind it. This writer obviously isnt good at his job because he is so biased that his arguments and statements are see through with no credibility. Good luck on your next article because you can only go up from here buddy,
August 23, 2010
wow:
Eric Engberg this is one of the most poorly written articles I have ever read and IM not even a knicks fan. Get it together man, your points are ridiculous with a hidden agenda behind them.
August 23, 2010
Chad:
First of all Kenyon Martin was nothing before Jason Kidd and was known for bone head momentum breaking plays in NJ. He also has been nothing without J.K. in Denver (we he actually is healthy enough to play) so the writer needs to stop it. And lets not forget that Chuancey was about 2 passes from being out of the league before Larry “I QUIT” Brown reinvented him. And lets not even get started on Mr. 60 win 1st round knockout. GEORGE KARL SUCKS AS A COACH! PERIOD! I am no fan of Mike D’Antoni but he is at least as good/bad as G.K.
Carmelo has a chance to be a home town hero in the biggest market in the sport. Who wouldn’t want that? As bad as the Marbury experience ended we all loved when he came to town. Carmelo is a top 5 player and a fit for any team. I get the sense that the writer is from Denver and probably not getting enough air to his brain.
August 23, 2010
Paul:
This article is garbage, regurgitated nonsense. First of all, how is Stoudemire overrated exactly? Look at the numbers, along with the explosiveness, excitement and dominance on the court. To say he is overrated is ridiculous and denies the stats and facts. Secondly, you say D’Antoni is only good at getting teams to the playoffs, but sucks after that—how do you figure? He went to two conference finals with the Suns, so that disproves your point right there. If he can get to the conf finals twice, there is no reason he can’t bring a team to the finals and perhaps win it all. So, that’s another stupid point. Lastly, how is Melo proven to be more “style over substance”? He’s a perennial all-star now and an offensive machine. That seems like a lot of substance to me—and he’s also already proven to be a winner as part of a National Championship team at Syracuse.
August 23, 2010
eric campbell:
another knicks hater, in with the Suns, it was “the greatest show on hardwood” the most explosive offense ever. IN new york its… cant play defense
and stoudemire is overrated??!?!?!?!?!?!? ask PAUL GASOL HOW 40 ON HIS HEAD IN THE PLAYOFFS FELT FOR OVERRATED
August 23, 2010
Paul:
Great point, Eric. With the Suns D’Antoni was a great innovator and ahead of the curve in a changing league; Stoudemire was a dominant big man—but as soon as they get to the Knicks, D’Antoni “doesn’t believe in defense”, and Stoudemire is overrated and overpaid. It’s all just straight Knicks hate. No team in the league gets criticized more unfairly than the Knicks.
August 23, 2010
J.J.:
I have to Agree with this article 100%. ONLY if the knicks manage to get CP3 would this be something special.
August 24, 2010
P Rich:
Listen haters. Do you realize that when Melo joined the Nuggs they improved by 26 games? Do you realize what effect he will have on a team that will be at least a 7th seed? ans yes the Knicks wont be finished, they’ll be going after CP3/D.Will also. If Melo comes to the Knicks, you guys will then be talking about how overrated he is.
August 25, 2010
Lenny Mier:
The reasons why Melo should come to the Knicks are: Money, Marketing, Networking, Atmosphere (Manhattan, Radio City, Broadway, Celebrities, etc). and like the Heat, if he joins the Knicks other key players will follow. Sign him and they will come.
Note: the Knicks have been over the cap for 10 plus years (until recently)and when I say over I mean double to triple times over. So they are scared in doing it again. So they will sign and trade for key players, those who want to play with Melo and A’mare. Other teams have cap fright.
August 25, 2010
Lenny Mier:
Ooops meant to say : So they are not scared in doing it again”
September 8, 2010
Sjoerd:
A lot of knicks fans out here, the writer only meant to say that Melo isnt going to win anything in with the knicks as long as D’antoni is coaching there.
Yes theyll win a lot of games but in the playoffs they wont win it all.
October 2, 2010
Manny C.:
It has always been a hated world when it comes to NY , but for some reason lots of players still want in. Adding Carmelo would be exciting , then Chris paul in the summer , how sweet would the be . It will be a great year for NY . So for all the writers that are haters of NY I have a few word for you Step Off and enjoy the Ride .