2012 NBA Playoffs Thread

[RayChuang]

Sorry, but I think the "trade 'Melo' out of New York" talk is not going to quiet down soon.

Here's the problem: Carmelo Anthony's playing style is NOT well-suited for the NBA. The NBA playing style--especially in the playoffs--emphasize more the half-court game with strong guard play and good ball distribution.

In short, the days of the "everything goes through me" player is coming to an end.

[Larry C.]

Originally Posted by Mr. Cinema

LeBron is a prime example of making his teammates better. He led an extremely average Cavs team to back to back 60+ win seasons.

Wow a Lebron James compliment here in Sports Talk....

[Sonny Corinthos]

Spoiler:

Pic of Stoudemire’s hand injury. Warning, it's not for the squeamish.

[Goat3001]

Originally Posted by Mr. Cinema

Melo is one of the most selfish players in the league and will never win a title. This is his 9th season in the league. If you're still only concerned about your shots 1st, and team success 2nd, then you're never going to change. Most super stars make their teammates better. But Melo doesn't.

Funny how it all works. If you go back to threads about the post-Shaq, pre-Gasol era Lakers and people were singing the same tune about Kobe. Selfish, more concerned about stats, will never win again.

Another funny aspect is that if the Knicks gutted out the win in game 3, which as you saw, they had a chance to do until the 4th. The first responses here and out of the Knicks fandom would be how Stat needs to go because the team doesn't play defense when he's in there.

Everyone needs to simplify their analysis here. There is one simple reason why the Knicks are getting crushed in this series and why Melo will never win a championship anytime soon... The Heat are better. That's it. Outside of Melo all they have is inconsistent scoring, at best (yes, that includes Stat). And why is Melo having a bad series? Because he's getting guarded by defensive beasts in Lebron and Battier. As a Knicks fan, I want the offense running through Anthony... Because what's our second best option? JR Smith?

[RayChuang]

Originally Posted by Goat3001

Funny how it all works. If you go back to threads about the post-Shaq, pre-Gasol era Lakers and people were singing the same tune about Kobe. Selfish, more concerned about stats, will never win again.

Of course, the problem for Kobe was that until Andrew Bynum suddenly became an effective defensive presence and Pau Gasol arrived through that one-sided trade, Kobe Bryant didn't have the players around him to get the Lakers to a deep playoff run. Mind you, during the 2007-2008 season the Lakers lost Bynum later in the season and during the NBA Finals, Gasol literally got run over by the Celtics' "Big Three" of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

[WallyOPD]

Originally Posted by Goat3001

Funny how it all works. If you go back to threads about the post-Shaq, pre-Gasol era Lakers and people were singing the same tune about Kobe. Selfish, more concerned about stats, will never win again.

I can't believe you're going to make me defend Kobe. You are a dirty, dirty bastard. Kobe's fellow starters during the 3 years between Shaq and Gasol:

Chucky Atkins, Smush Parker, Caron Butler, Luke Walton, Lamar Odom, Brian Cook, Chris Mihm, Kwame Brown.

Melo's fellow starters during his last 3 pre-Knicks seasons in Denver:

Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Allen Iverson, Arron Afflalo, Kenyon Martin, Nene, Marcus Camby.

There's really no comparison, and anyone who says that Melo wasn't playing with talent is fooling themselves. Some of those Nuggets teams (minus Melo) were no less talented than the Mavericks team (minus Dirk) that won the title last year.

Originally Posted by Goat3001

Another funny aspect is that if the Knicks gutted out the win in game 3, which as you saw, they had a chance to do until the 4th. The first responses here and out of the Knicks fandom would be how Stat needs to go because the team doesn't play defense when he's in there.

With his giant contract and his defense and knee issues, Amare is killing that team, too.

Originally Posted by Goat3001

Everyone needs to simplify their analysis here. There is one simple reason why the Knicks are getting crushed in this series and why Melo will never win a championship anytime soon... The Heat are better. That's it. Outside of Melo all they have is inconsistent scoring, at best (yes, that includes Stat). And why is Melo having a bad series? Because he's getting guarded by defensive beasts in Lebron and Battier. As a Knicks fan, I want the offense running through Anthony... Because what's our second best option? JR Smith?

The Heat are better, but that's in large part because Melo and Amare are eating up max contracts but aren't playing like max players, and because Melo approved a deal that got rid of many of the team's young and interesting pieces while destroying their cap space and ability to sign better talent.

[Goat3001]

Originally Posted by WallyOPD

The Heat are better, but that's in large part because Melo and Amare are eating up max contracts but aren't playing like max players, and because Melo approved a deal that got rid of many of the team's young and interesting pieces while destroying their cap space and ability to sign better talent.

Yes, right now Stat and Melo aren't playing up to their contracts. I can't disagree with that. I do disagree that the Knicks traded interesting pieces to get Melo. Mozgof and Felton did nothing after leaving the Knicks, and won't be anything special. The trade was essentially Melo for Gallo and Chandler, a trade you make every single day of the week.

As for the Kobe/Melo comparison, while Melo had better teams my point is simply that people throw around the word "selfish" just because they see a guy trying to carry his team. Anthony is far and away the best offensive player the Knicks have... He SHOULD be taking most of the shots. They called Kobe selfish for the same reasons, obviously we now know that he's not. Melo probably won't ever win a championship (I think Knicks fans need to settle into the idea that it'll be the mid 90s again, good teams but there will always be a handful of better ones)... I just think calling him selfish and saying he's playing for stats is unfair.

[argh923]

Originally Posted by Goat3001

Yes, right now Stat and Melo aren't playing up to their contracts. I can't disagree with that. I do disagree that the Knicks traded interesting pieces to get Melo. Mozgof and Felton did nothing after leaving the Knicks, and won't be anything special. The trade was essentially Melo for Gallo and Chandler, a trade you make every single day of the week.

...except for the fact that the Knicks were better before the trade.

[Mordred]

Couldn't you lay a lot of the problems of this Knicks team at the feet of Mike D'Antoni? He built this team to play his style of basketball, and outside that '06 (?) Phoenix team, it never really seemed like a winning formula. Entertaining during the regular season, sure, but not a lot of post-season success.

[BigDaddy]

What a 4th quarter for the Thunder. As much as I want the Lakers to win it all I feel like the Thunder will take it.

[FanofComedy]

Originally Posted by bootsy

Who cares you make your own breaks. I'll take all the breaks I can get.

I;m just hoping the media don't favor them to beat the celtics in round 2 when they know the real story of how they got there.

[FanofComedy]

Originally Posted by BigDaddy

What a 4th quarter for the Thunder. As much as I want the Lakers to win it all I feel like the Thunder will take it.

You forgot all about the Spurs huh?? What team in the west is beating the Spurs 4 times in a series?-lol

[Goat3001]

Originally Posted by abrg923

...except for the fact that the Knicks were better before the trade.

We should have seen that the marriage between Melo and D'Antoni wouldn't have worked from the start. Yes, the pre-Melo Knciks were better than they were in the second half of last year and start of this year. But the Woodson Knicks played much better than the first half of 2010/11 Knicks.

But you're clearly biased against the Knicks so I don't expect you to agree.

[whotony]

I almost feel bad for the Bulls. Never like seeing a team lose because of injuries.

[hahn]

Ugh. Thought the Bulls would still be able to pull it off without Rose. But then losing Noah? What a way to go out. Gotta feel bad for Chicago fans. Hopefully they can pull out at least 1 more win, but I don't see anyway to come back without Rose or Noah.

[hahn]

Whoa, STAT is back. Not sure if that's good for the Knicks.

[hahn]

Davis is clearly past his prime. I know there are a lot of Lin doubters, but Lin is definitely a better a point guard than Davis. Davis makes too many boneheaded decisions.

[Mr. Cinema]

Originally Posted by Goat3001

Yes, right now Stat and Melo aren't playing up to their contracts. I can't disagree with that. I do disagree that the Knicks traded interesting pieces to get Melo. Mozgof and Felton did nothing after leaving the Knicks, and won't be anything special. The trade was essentially Melo for Gallo and Chandler, a trade you make every single day of the week.

As for the Kobe/Melo comparison, while Melo had better teams my point is simply that people throw around the word "selfish" just because they see a guy trying to carry his team. Anthony is far and away the best offensive player the Knicks have... He SHOULD be taking most of the shots. They called Kobe selfish for the same reasons, obviously we now know that he's not. Melo probably won't ever win a championship (I think Knicks fans need to settle into the idea that it'll be the mid 90s again, good teams but there will always be a handful of better ones)... I just think calling him selfish and saying he's playing for stats is unfair.

His career backs up selfish, playing for stats chatter. His teams go nowhere in the playoffs, he's a shitty defender, and isn't a leader. He has and has always had, a me first attitude.

[Mr. Cinema]

Originally Posted by Larry C.

Wow a Lebron James compliment here in Sports Talk....

I didn't care for The Decision, like everyone else. But I won't let that get in the way of what I see on the court. LeBron is clearly the most physically gifted player in the league, by far. He's the only player who can effectively play 1-5 on offense and defense. He's basically a locomotive that can dribble.

And what he did with those extremely sub par Cavs teams was pretty amazing. The opposing team game planned against 1 player on the Cavs, and he still managed to lead them to several successful seasons. He's had his struggles in the playoffs, but he's also had some sensational games as well.

Unlike Melo, LeBron makes teammates better. And since Melo is the definition of selfish, LeBron is easily the opposite.

[mcnabb]

Wow, alot of posts here about the 76ers/Bulls game today. Wonder what the ratings were on this dud today? As a 76ers fan, I hate the fact that we are playing a depleted Bulls roster and it is sort of a cheap way to win. But it would be fun to possibly meet the Celts in the 2nd round for the first time since 1985, as we had a great rivalry when I was a kid.

[bootsy]

Originally Posted by mcnabb

Wow, alot of posts here about the 76ers/Bulls game today. Wonder what the ratings were on this dud today? As a 76ers fan, I hate the fact that we are playing a depleted Bulls roster and it is sort of a cheap way to win. But it would be fun to possibly meet the Celts in the 2nd round for the first time since 1985, as we had a great rivalry when I was a kid.

Then you aren't a Sixer fan. I don't care about the Bulls and their injuries. That's their problem. The Sixers are doing what they are supposed to do. What do you want them to apologize for winning or lose instead. 'I'm so sorry Bulls, that we beat you even though you didn't have Rose and now Noah'. Those are the breaks.

[Arpeggi]

To be fair to Melo, he didn't get to play the shitty East in the playoffs.
2004 lost to no 1 seed Minnesota
2005 lost to eventual champions San Antonio
2006 lost to no 6 Clippers
2007 Lost to eventual champions San Antonio
2008 lost to Finalist LA
2009 lost to eventual champions LA
2010 lost to Utah
2011 Lost to 3 seed Boston
2012 lost to 2 seed Miami


It's utterly ridiculous and borderline stupid to compare Lebron and Melo in the playoffs since Melo didn't get the chance to pad his playoffs record against the shit East and teams such as the Wizards and Hawks.

[hahn]

Freaking James. The guy seems to score at will.

Whew, that was close.

[bootsy]

Originally Posted by Arpeggi

To be fair to Melo, he didn't get to play the shitty East in the playoffs.
2004 lost to no 1 seed Minnesota
2005 lost to eventual champions San Antonio
2006 lost to no 6 Clippers
2007 Lost to eventual champions San Antonio
2008 lost to Finalist LA
2009 lost to eventual champions LA
2010 lost to Utah
2011 Lost to 3 seed Boston
2012 lost to 2 seed Miami


It's utterly ridiculous and borderline stupid to compare Lebron and Melo in the playoffs since Melo didn't get the chance to pad his playoffs record against the shit East and teams such as the Wizards and Hawks.

Yes Melo's doing much better in the "shit" East. It's a good thing he's in the East now so he can rollover those shitty East teams. He doesn't have to worry about playing those tough West teams all the time and he is now thriving in the East. HE's been out of the 1st round one time in his career. That has nothing to do with what conference he plays in.

[Goat3001]

Thank you Knicks for not completely rolling over here.