Bill Walton Loves Amar'e but has no words for Melo.
Bill Walton was on the Michael Kay show. He loves what Lebron did. Loves Amar'e but thinks he's a Robin than a Batman. But loves the guy a lot. But will bite his tongue on Melo.
Now I know Melo can be a ball hog. But when I saw him go against Lebron last year I was even more sold on him. But he has to pass. I good point guard can make Amar'e and Melo work.
Melo is a great closer. And in my opinion point guards and big men don't make the greatest closers.
Amare and Melo would mean two offensive "black holes" controlling the entire future of the team. Neither one is a great defender, rebounder or most glaringly, passer.
Walton recognizes this.
Both of them get it done in the clutch, the last 5 minutes of a basketball game which is the most important part of any game.
I could care less if they arent great passers or rebounders, thats what role players are for. You cant expect a perfect basketball player who does everything.
A frontcourt of Amare and Carmelo would average a combined 4 assists per game, while controlling the ball the entire game, at a combined cost of $40+ million per year.
In a hard cap world.
If you don't recognize that that is a serious impediment to winning an NBA championship, maybe you just have to look up the word impediment.
They said Kobe was a ball hog, and still is at a point. But he has 5 rings. They will learn. Its all about the coaching. If Chris Paul does come through than than the issues of passing wont be a problem. CP3 would control. But we're just speaking on hypotheticals here.
Point guards don't make great closers? How about Clyde Frazier and Magic Johnson?
Big men don't make great closers?
Kareem and Wilt?
Great players make great closers.
There are great closers at every position.
The Knicks need better D, better rebounding and better players period.
I don't think D'Antoni stresses D nearly enough which was the culture of the Knicks back in their glory days.
Im not talking about 6'9" pgs. and Walt was 6'4" average height then, when today it is 6'7" like kobe (a great closer). Kareem and Wilt, Long time ago. And Wilt couldnt close with todays rules.
Shaq, KG, Duncan, need kobe, Ray/Pierce, Ginobli respectively.
When you see game winning shots and burst of points in final minutes of a game it Kobe, Wade, Melo type players. Lebron can score but not close. And I'm talk fron 2nd round playoffs and up.
A great closer is a scorer, just him doing his thing to get the bucket. He would be about 6'5" to 6'8" and the ability to create his own shot. There is always an exception to a rule, (Dirk Nowitzki).
STAT seems comitted to defense. Ronnie and Tony as well, Wilson and Fields too and Felton. Gallo had a great rebounding second half. I think this team will be on the low side on decent defensive team and that is 100 times better than last years group.
But I will stick with my opinion. PGs and Big men may hit big shots and they can be good closers but I think the greatest closers are the wing players.
When you are talking about closers I think you are talking in the clutch.
You are too young to remember most of the greatest players of all time.
Give the ball to the logo Jerry West and you will see Mr. Clutch.
You can stick with your opinion but it is flawed at the very best.
Wilt was an unbelievable athlete and could close better than anyone. If he played today he might be even better. He was the most dominant player ever.
If you are talking one on one basketball then Oscar Robertson was as scary a matchup as there is as a PG.
Bill Walton before he got hurt was a great closer.
I think you are just in love with slashers!
I loved how he said Melo wasn't in the same league as a legit #1 top-dog star like Kobe Bryant.
WHAT?
Where were the Lakers when the 2005 playoffs tipped off? That's right, nowhere to be found.
Kobe is a great player. A HOF closer and scorer. But Kobe doesn't make players around him better and KOBE HAS WON NOTHING when he wasn't complimented with another All-Star center.
Without a HOF center, Kobe was a 1 and done, first round exit player. Led his team to nada... Made nobody better. He even quit in a game 7 b/c he's immature.
Sure, Kobe has 5 rings.... But, not one ring came without Shaq or Gasol. Basically, Kobe needed the BEST CENTER in the NBA at the time in order to win.
Let's see what happens if Kobe plays with JR Smith and Kenyon Martin, and put Carmelo on a team with Shaq or Gasol.
Carmelo carried Syracuse to a title AS A FRESHMAN. The dude is a winner. BUT, like Kobe he's an offensive savant. A scorer. He's not Magic or Lebron.
Put Carmelo with Stoudemire and find out how much of a top dog he really is.
Screw you Walton. Go smoke some more dope.
You're talking about a different era in the NBA. Did you not see the players I listed, all of whom are in today's NBA What I believe may not hold true back then. Don't tell me I'm in love with slashers. But the thing about slasher thing gives them that threat. And I said Lebron was not the best closer and he slashes all the time.
Closer is some one who can single handedly takeover in the end. In the era you're talking about There was no Point Guards per say, or Small or power forward. Just Guards forwards and center. With each position given a definition or style of play (for better or worse) The game has changed. It crazy that back then PGs and SGs were comparable but today there is virtually no difference b/t SGs and SFs.
**Closing minutes, down by a few, who do you want to have the ball? Just list the players in today's NBA to answer that question.
Back then different types of players.
It wasn't just Kobe + Shaq or Kobe + Gasol that won those championships. Players like Derek Fischer, Lamar Odom, Robert Horry, Ron Artest, etc surrounding those two stars to make an exceptionally deep TEAM is what won the championships.
All the more reason to wait and sign Melo in the offseason and ADD him to the current roster and surround the two stars with a deep, complimentary roster.
That is how the Knicks will win a championship. Trade everybody for Melo now and eliminate our depth, flexibility, assets and draft picks, and any chance of ever winning a championship.
If I am talking all time, who do I want to have the ball there are a myriad of players who I would want. Believe me in the 60s and 70s PGs were more of a point guard than they are now as there were few isolation setups as you see now. It was a 5 on 5 not a 2 on 2 that you often see now.
All time who would I want to have the ball:
Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Wilt
Jerry West
Oscar Robertson
Michael Jordan
Magic Johnson
Larry Bird
Walt Frazier
Kobe Bryant
Julius Erving
Lebron James
Reggie Miller
Here is an interesting link that puts Lebron first. All of them though only hit on .295 of them not a good percentage.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
I read that before. Those kind of stats mean nothing in basketball. This is not baseball. Those are from the same kind of people that says Melo is not an elite player. If I need points give me melo over Lebron. If I need a play give me Lebron over Melo. You have to just see it. You don't scout with numbers. You see it in basket ball. If you talking all time hey cant argue with you, you seen them I haven't. But today what I say holds more water.
Vince Carter clutch? the man has no heart or desire. Him over Kobe invalidates that article.
Last edited by Blumatic; Oct 29, 2010 at 17:53. Reason: additional comment
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