Carmelo was brutal in the 4th yesterday and followed that up with another choke job tonight. I understand his thinking to some extent - because he has so much faith in his ability to shoot - that it's better to stay outside where he has space/separation, as posed to going down low where he's surely to get hacked (and he'll never got the call).
But he fails to realize he misses these "game-on-the-line" shots far more often than he hits one. He may be one of the best at doing it, but we're still talking 33% or something. In baseball those may be good odds....
For the most part, he has himself to blame because he constantly cries foul to the refs, and this distracts him. Arguing calls isn't professional and it does nothing to help you get a call later... So why foolishly belabor the fact?
Also, he is a big forward. Ergo, of course guards get the call more bc of the simple style differences (how they attack the rim).
Carmelo still doesn't get it. His best bet in these situations is a quick, decisive first step attacking basket or defender. Just like what Rose did. Do not let defense set, and cause your base to get stationary. And stop settling! Take the pass and attack. But he isn't coordinated like a guard, or can he handle ball or his control his body. He knows a turnover, charge, no-call or something bad is the likely outcome.
I can live with the shot he took at end of game though. It was an open look. He choked. I think the previous 4 touches though were a disgrace. Another turnover in a clutch situation. I absolutely hate those spin corner fadeaway jumpers.
Bottom line, Anthony has been ice cold both games and when it got down to it in these fourth quarters... He takes the easy way out and pulls up for jumpers. Carmelo is a streaky shooter. It's not like he is a pure shooter. I don't want him take long range shots with the game on the line.
i think Dolan released those expectations as a shot at Carmelo tho. Meaning if he cannot deliver this season, with his best team yet, then he can opt out and run.... Because he won't be worth a max contract as he enters his thirties. Worst thing for the Knicks is to be a second round team for 4 years. I agree too.
Last year things broke perfectly for this team to get to Eastern Conf Finals. Melo couldn't deliver.
And the idiot starts out this campaign by opening his big mouth, talking nonsense about free agency? How dumb can a guy be? Did the weight of that impact his performance the last 48 hours? Let's face it, when Rose is in top form again, Bulls will be blowing us out by 25 points.
i admit the officials were terrible again. Phantom travel on Anthony took 2 points away, Felton never got a call while Kirk gets to the line if you blew on him. That Reach-in foul on CHi shouldn't have been called b/c it spoiled a NYk fast break. That cost us 2 points.
... and Woodson was awful again with his rotation and lack of any semblance of coaching down the stretch.
What we've learned is we are not good enough to beat MIA, InDY or Chi in a 7 game series. We have no answer in the half court set except ISO to Melo, which doesn't work. We will never get calls from refs, and our coach crumbles when we need him most. Expecting the results to change when you deploy the same strategy is insane. It's exactly why Woody and Melo have been disasters in the playoffs. Basketball is all about movement. You get stagnant, you lose.
Sure, we'll win 48-52 games. If we get a top 3 seed, we probably win a playoff series. Then it will all come crumbling down. Shump will never be more than a tease, STAT is done.
i so hope I am wrong. I hope Bargs and JR are enough to compliment Melo, and that Felton and TC stay healthy and that Shump and Hardaway become stars. And that Melo goes DIRK for us and has a miraculous run come June. But, if it were my money, If we lose in the first or second round again and Melo opts out.... I don't give him the max. I let him walk. He will look like a fool, for forcing himself out of Denver to come here and then running away. I let him walk. I suck for a season, get a top pick and clear the payroll and reset everything.
I am just tired of this Melo-drama. It's ugly basketball. And he's just not that good. And even if he were a top 10 player in the NBA, he still needs a sidekick. We do not have a second star. We don't even have a third star. We have some good players.... But that's not enough.
It's the Ewing era all over again. The early 90s. We know CHI, Indy and MIA are going to best us... We watch anyway.... But no matter what happens the next 80 games.... We know it's coming. Melo goes ice cold in June. 6-23. Clank, brick, and then we go home.