Comments on: Knicks Morning News (Thursday, Jan 12 2012)

By: Brian Cronin (@Brian_Cronin)

Brian Cronin (@Brian_Cronin) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 08:10:51 +0000

The Knicks’ defensive improvements are kind of a mixed bag. On the one hand, we’re seventh in defensive efficiency. On the other hand, we’ve played pretty much every bad offensive team in the NBA at this point. The opponents we’ve played have the following offensive rankings:

11th, 23rd, 13th, 24th, 26th, 28th, 30th, 29th, 28th, 6th.

Tonight we play the Grizz, who rank 27th. Following that we play #2 OKC, #3 Orlando and #12 Phoenix.

JK47 looks pretty on point after the OKC game.

By: hoolahoop

hoolahoop — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:55:20 +0000

Online communities are strange creatures. Some of us that argue most here may get along best in real life.

By: hoolahoop

hoolahoop — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:51:14 +0000

I don’t mean to personally attack you. I’m sure you’re a nice guy. . . and if we watched a knick game together it would probably be a lot of fun.
But so much Melo adulation, at least for me, changes the discussion from one of basketball analysis to a teenage fan club. (Are you a teenager?)

Do whatever you want. People like me won’t stick around, which I’m sure will be just fine for some people here.

By: ruruland

ruruland — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:07:49 +0000

hoolahoop: IWhy do you take my response to others criticism of Melo personally?Let the chips fall.(Quote)

Sigh.... It's not personal but you're personally attacking me. How am I driving away intilligent discussions?

By: hoolahoop

hoolahoop — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:05:54 +0000

At ruruland:
I don’t take your your response to others criticism of Melo personally.

More importantly, your Melo worship is childish and immature. It drives away some of the better posters here who want to have an intelligent basketball discussion, instead of Melo is the best, Melo is fantastic, Melo is the greatest. Everybody sucks, Melo Melo Melo.

There are some great conversations on this board, but it sometimes gets taken over by fanboys. Maybe you’re a young kid, then I should be more understanding. But, I assume everyone posting here is an adult.

By: ruruland

ruruland — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:05:14 +0000

jon abbey: “Not sure why Melo always gets so much more criticism than Durant, when he’s superior in many aspects”and also he’s a lot easier personality to like for most people.

That's probably it.

By: hoolahoop

hoolahoop — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:04:20 +0000

I don’t take your your response to others criticism of Melo personally.

More importantly, but your Melo worship is childish and immature. It drives away some of the better posters here who want to have an intelligent basketball discussion, instead of Melo is the best, Melo is fantastic, Melo is the greatest. Everybody sucks, Melo Melo Melo.

hoolahoop: Why do you have to have a knee-jerk defense to everything Melo? Don’t take criticism of him personally. It clouds your ability to really see what’s going on.

Why do you take my response to others criticism of Melo personally?

Let the chips fall.

(Quote)

By: jon abbey

jon abbey — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:42:35 +0000

“Not sure why Melo always gets so much more criticism than Durant, when he’s superior in many aspects”

interesting point, I think it’s because Durant is only 23 to Melo’s 27, and also he’s a lot easier personality to like for most people.

By: ruruland

ruruland — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:36:37 +0000

and Martin, Nene were both injured. The Nuggets were banged up much in the same way the Knicks were in last year’s playoffs, but more disoriented due to not having a head coach on the bench.

Billups had a couple of good games, but it was basically the Melo show.

In the playoffs, especially against the kind of foes Melo has faced through his career (San Antonio twice, Lakers twice, Boston, Minnesota (top 5 defensive team), Clippers (top 5 defensive team)) it is SO hard for one guy to take over when there is no floor spacing or a second threat.

For the vast majority of Melo’s playoff career, that’s what he’s faced. That’s not the case with Durant.

By: ruruland

ruruland — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:31:48 +0000

Also, it’s really difficult to compare Melo’s playoff performances with Durants. If you haven’t followed Melo or Denver closely the last 8 years, you wouldn’t the circumstances that team faced in the playoffs.

For one, Melo is nothing like the player he was as a 19 pr 20 year old (by far his worst playoff performances). Durant has a slight stastical advantage (playoff wise) because he played on better teams in the playoffs and was more mature when he began his playoff career.

The 2006 Nuggets (Melo was 21) had absolutely no business in the playoffs. They were without Kenyon Martin, Nene, and their second-best scorer Earl Boykins.

The 2006 team featured a cast of journeyman in the 8 man rotation: Greg Buckner, Demarr Johnson, Reggie Evans, Eduardo Najera…. (You though the Amare/Billups-less Knicks were bad last year)

The only two competent players on that team were Marcus Camby and Andre Miller, not exactly guys who could space the floor.

It was 1-5 for Melo every possession; the team shot around 20 percent on jump shots created from double and triple teams.

The other 4th bad statistical playoff showing for Melo was in 2008, which was the low point of the Iverson era. Melo had just gotten a DUI, was overweight and really was just a mess. It was later found out that the team had been partying with Iverson throughout the last few months of the year– he had that kind of influence.

the 2007, 2009,2010, 2011 Melo, with respective PERs of 22.1, 24.3, 23.2, and 22.7 is a better representation of Melo the playoff player.

You must understand that in 2007 it was Iverson and Melo (Jr Smith was suspended) The Nuggets had poor floor spacing and the overal team construction was not conducive to highly efficient offensive play from Melo.

2009 was the one year all the pieces were healthy and assembled– and Melo posted a 24.3 PER and was arguably the best player in the WC playoffs until Kobe took over in game 6 of WCF.

2010 Coach Karl was sick…