Ok metro, you want some information and research, let's go there.
http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports....lo-say-hes-not-the-alpha-dog-on-a-title-team/
Here's a little snippet from an ESPN article where Chris Broussard talks to league executives (I value these peoples opinions slightly higher than a deluded fan of one player who still thinks the ghost of abcd's 5th grade posting level is quality forum material).
Amusingly, this league executive compares Melo to Stephon Marbury, a comparison which anyone who wasn't a Marbury nuthugger would realize is actually NOT a compliment
Further to this they appear to share my opinion that he doesn't play like a leader (complaining about foul calls and not getting back in transition being one example of this) and that he doesn't play enough defense. Interesting.
In regard to bad shots, here's a snippet from the Knicks own coach Mike Woodson on Melo taking bad shots:
"They've got to try and take better shots sometimes," the coach said after Monday's practice. "Sometimes, some of those difficult shots that you?re accustomed to making that you?re not making, you got to figure out a way to get better shots." (On Melo and JR)
In my last post I provided a specific example of how Melo took one of the worst shots in league history as the final shot this season, but let's delve a little deeper. The clutch aspect of Melo that his supporters are so quick to jump on when praising his ability as a player. Melo is 1-15 on game tying/game winning shots as a Knick. His one shot that fell in that situation? A layup! Oh my goodness, so when Melo actually attacks the hoop and gets a close range shot in the clutch he scores but when he takes a turnaround fadeaway jumper over two defenders he doesn't?! What kind of sorcery is this? Could it be that Melo is so accustomed to taking bad shots that these habits are causing us to lose games sometimes? Surely not
Your assessment of Melo being a top player because you're comparing him to his teammates makes absolutely no dent in my arguments whatsoever. I already stated Melo is the best player on this team, repeatedly. That has nothing to do with how he measures up as a player in this league.
Being 8th in free throw attempts again is subjective, you present it without the supporting fact that he attempts THE MOST field goals per game in the NBA. Out of the 7 players ahead of him in free throw attempts, only two of them are even in the TOP 10 for field goals attempted. So when you see the stats from the correct perspective, you can see that Melo gets his free throws from taking more shots than anyone else, and when you combine that with his poor FG% compared to the rest of the list you can only ascertain that he doesn't attack the rim like the rest of these players do, hence settling for jump shots too often.
Stats obviously provide certain points to measure a player against, but stats can only record so much. Melo's success on defense relies on him playing one on one (just like Bargs), the only type of defensive play where you can actually measure the stats. Melo plays well defending players in the post, no question. I never stated anything otherwise. His deficiencies exist when trying and failing to chase players around screens, or in transition, where he actually has to put effort and exert energy into defending his man, or in help defense situations which stats do not measure in any way, shape or form. Again, this is not all Melo's fault. The Knicks dreadful defensive schemes don't put him in the best position to succeed in this regard, however I'm sure you won't even note this part of the post because your brain only allows you to read anything as an attack on your beloved Melo.
You are clutching at straws trying to tell me I only post here when Melo is playing bad... What? My post in this thread and the only criticisms I have posted about Melo in months came after his 62 point game...
If I am a "lazy poster" as you put it, it's because I honestly don't care that much. I like Melo, I like him on this team and I enjoy watching him play. I don't enjoy seeing him play so far below his potential by settling for jumpers so regularly, arguing with officials and playing below his ability on defense. I don't post often to debate you because at the end of the day it's a pointless exercise, everyone knows you are stubborn to a fault and I have grown up beyond the point of finding childish insults amusing, I prefer to debate people who are secure enough in their own opinion not to have to start spouting out personal attacks and recalling the former "glory" (lol) of a group of posters who somehow believed their "domination" of an internet forum (lol some more) was anything more than a group of children spamming mildly amusing internet pictures in an attempt to deflect from the fact that their debating skills were 1st grade level at best.