rama:
You are way, way, way off base.D’Antoni said to the media about two weeks before Moz started playing again that he had “maybe rushed him into the rotation a little bit” when he wasn’t yet prepared, but that he was going to “work him back in” soon.Sure, injuries dictated how soon “soon” was, but calling the timing further “evidence of his monomaniacal obsession” is just flat wrong, contradictory to published information to the…  

Yes, he said nearly a month ago that he wanted Mozgov to play some, but again, he never backed that up. It wasn’t until he had no choice that he gave Mozgov another chance. He had ample opportunity to play Mozgov, but he chose instead to play Shawne Williams at PF/C despite the fact that we were consistently getting slaughtered on the boards. Coaches and GMs come out all the time and say things they don’t mean, and in the case of Mozgov, the comment could easily have had more to do with trying to up Mozgov’s spirits. MDA’s rotation decisions suggest that Mozgov wasn’t going to get minutes. That’s what I’m going by. Sure, it’s still speculation, but isn’t all of this speculation?

latke: Let’s not rewrite history about how Mozgov got his chance. Chandler and Williams were both hurt and Turiaf got in foul trouble almost instantly every time he was in the game. Finally, Mozgov was set to check out for Randolph in the Detroit game, but then he got fouled and was at the line, so Randolph replaced someone else. If not for the confluence of those four factors, Mozgov would never have gotten the minutes he got and might be right back on the bench like Randolph. The minutes had little to nothing to do with MDA thinking “wow he’s practicing so well,” and everything to do with the fact that he had no other choice. By the time he could have subbed Moz out, he’d made too many good plays for MDA to take him out.If anything, Mozgov’s emergence is further evidence of MDA’s stubbornness, his monomaniacal obsession with having 4 shooters on the floor at all times. It is evidence that AR’s lack of PT probably has little to do with how he’s performed in practice. We are giving MDA credit for something he played no part in.  (Quote)

You are way, way, way off base. D’Antoni said to the media about two weeks before Moz started playing again that he had “maybe rushed him into the rotation a little bit” when he wasn’t yet prepared, but that he was going to “work him back in” soon. Sure, injuries dictated how soon “soon” was, but calling the timing further “evidence of his monomaniacal obsession” is just flat wrong, contradictory to published information to the…

Four of the top five guys in minutes played on the 2009 championship Lakers team were 28 or older, the fifth was Trevor Ariza.

The three key players on the 2008 championship Celtics team were 30 or older, but were definitely helped a lot by 21-year old Rajon Rondo.

Eight of the top nine players on the 2007 championship Spurs team were 29 or older.

The Heat team that was handed a gift-wrapped title in 2006 did have a 24-year old Dwyane Wade, but the best player on that team was 33-year old Shaquille O’Neal, and much of the supporting cast was built out of veterans: Mourning, White Chocolate, Antoine Walker, Gary Payton.

Mozzie was not rebounding the ball well in his early-season audition, but the “new” Mozgov is putting up solid TRB% numbers so far. In the four games of the Mozgov Renaissance, he’s had three games with solid TRB% numbers and one clunker in which he only played 15 minutes. In those three good games he’s had a TRB% of 16.9 or better.

Now, of course, this is an its bitsy sample size and all caveats apply and all that. But if the Russian can maintain a 16.9 TRB%– which, mind you, was the number in the weakest of those three games– then he’d be the best rebounder in the rotation. You’d have three guys out there who are at least solid rebounders: Amar’e, Fields and Moz.

Plus, Moz is an advocate of boxing out, and is a legitimate 7′ behemoth who can at least put a body on opposing big men. He had turnover problems early in the season, but in this little four-game run he’s turned it over only 4 times in over 100 minutes.

I’m not saying Randolph can’t play, because a look at his game logs in GS confirm that he can fill up a box score. I think MDA doesn’t play him because Randolph simply gives too many possessions away. Those games where Randolph went for double-doubles in GS almost invariably come with low shooting percentages, and box scores don’t show how many times a guy misses a defensive assignment or take low-percentage jumpers when there are better options available. Randolph’s defense, by all accounts, is erratic. He’s a great shot blocker but he can’t really guard big guys in the post. He’s a toolsy player, but the tools just don’t seem to add up to a lot of actual in-game value at this point.

Even with all the rebounding he would bring, MDA has to feel there are too many downsides to giving him minutes. Moz seems like a better fit for this club and that’s why he’s getting minutes.

Frank:

Don’t get me wrong -I’d like to see AR get some burn also –but for all we know, he’s dogging it in practice, not giving hit his all, and maybe D’Antoni just doesn’t want to reward that – putting team culture-building over advanced stats at GSW. Oh wait – there goes speculation again!  

I’m pretty sure AR, or A-Dolph, was benched for refusing to cut down on Gummi-worms. It’s also highly plausible that he has been benched due to his terrible D’Antoni impression: “eh whatsamattau? u-a no like-a my Pringles?”

The Honorable Cock Jowles:
He’ll be 27 before the playoffs are over. That sure ain’t young in this league, especially since players peak individually around 24 or 25.  

I don’t think teams worry too much about trading for 27 year-old players, especially ones with no significant injury history. If Amar’e, Bosh, LeBron, Wade, and Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, David Lee et al (all the same age or older than Carmelo) could command between $80-120 million each this summer, I think that suggests pretty strongly that 27 is not seen as past a player’s prime by most GMs.

When was the last time anyone remembers the Knicks being in such a strong bargaining position?
None of this would have been possible without Walsh getting the Knicks cap-healthy and young talent.
Without these factors, Carmelo wouldn’t even be in the discussion.
Further, with Carmelo basically demanding a trade to the Knicks, it appears the Knicks have the ability to get him at a relatively low trade cost, or in free agency at no major cost to the current roster.

How nice for us. :)

latke: Chandler and Williams were both hurt and Turiaf got in foul trouble almost instantly every time he was in the game. Finally, Mozgov was set to check out for Randolph in the Detroit game, but then he got fouled and was at the line, so Randolph replaced someone else. If not for the confluence of those four factors, Mozgov would never have gotten the minutes he got and might be right back on the bench like Randolph. The minutes had little to nothing to do with MDA thinking “wow he’s practicing so well,” and everything to do with the fact that he had no other choice. By the time he could have subbed Moz out, he’d made too many good plays for MDA to take him out.If anything, Mozgov’s emergence is further evidence of MDA’s stubbornness, his monomaniacal obsession with having 4 shooters on the floor at all times. It is evidence that AR’s lack of PT probably has little to do with how he’s performed in practice. We are giving MDA credit for something he played no part in.  

Wow the whole 2nd part of this post (starting at “if not for the confluence….”) is just speculation upon speculation upon speculation presented as fact. Alan Hahn had already noted a week prior to that game that Mozgov was playing extremely well in practice and was likely to get some playing time soon. We really have no idea why AR is not playing more other than D’Antoni doesn’t think he’s ready to help the team right now. We’re playing armchair quarterback judging the coach for something we really have no direct knowledge about.
Don’t get me wrong -I’d like to see AR get some burn also – but for all we know, he’s dogging it in practice, not giving hit his all, and maybe D’Antoni just doesn’t want to reward that – putting team culture-building over advanced stats at GSW. Oh wait – there goes speculation again!

flossy:
I understand all the Melo skepticism, but past-his-prime?Really?Dude is younger than Amar’e and a lot younger than Kobe himself.  

He’ll be 27 before the playoffs are over. That sure ain’t young in this league, especially since players peak individually around 24 or 25.