SI goes IN on Melo, explaining why he didn't make top 10 for upcoming season

[oarabbus]

[quote]Last season marked another strong but ultimately futile campaign for Anthony, who would have been frighteningly easy to forget about if not for his outrageous 62-point effort against Charlotte and his string of 40-point games in February. Those peaks inspired a sense of pity for all of the involved parties; here was the league

[Myth]

There are always shocks, but the biggest one for me was Ibaka above Irving and Lillard.

[ZeN]

Reads more like an article of why his team is not top 10 as opposite to him being evaluated as a player.

[no pun intended]

Reads more like an article of why his team is not top 10 as opposite to him being evaluated as a player.

This.

[bizil]

Reads more like an article of why his team is not top 10 as opposite to him being evaluated as a player.

Exactly! It's a team game and Melo did all he could. I think critics of Melo need to realize that great passing-point forward skills at the SF is A BONUS and NOT a premium. Guys like Bird, Bron, Pippen, Rick Barry, G Hill, and Hondo All are guys who are very good to great scorers who have the mentality and passing ability of the best PG's on Earth. Mullin and Pierce though not quite as good passing or not as pure of point forwards have those kind of attributes too. But most of the other premier SF's were alpha dog scorers-very good scorers and very good to great rebounders for SF's in one:

Baylor
Dr. J
Hawkins
Nique
Melo
Durant
English
Dantley
Mark Aguirre
Marion
Worthy
King

U even have one dimensional sharp shooting types like Rice and Peja who were great scorers and All-Stars too. Melo in my book is a great HOF kind of player. And he actually fits into the normal cloth of a great SF. People ALWAYS gloss over the fact that Melo got Denver to the Western Finals. Or they forget the great season he had a couple of years ago with The Knicks. And Melo is EASILY a top 10 player in the world and frankly has a great case to be in the top five! Something is telling me unless Melo wins a ring, he's gonna get shitted on like Nique used to as his career progresses. It's a shame because those two guys did a lot for the L in terms of promoting the game, being the star in big markets on the superstations, and putting asses in seats around the circuit.

[Mr Exlax]

I'm ok with Melo not being in the top 10 same with James Harden. Neither are 2 way players and their teams need them to be.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Hey look, another idiot faulting ONE guy for a TEAMS ineptitude (not that Melo isn't bad on defense, still though). When will these yahoos (?) just accept that no ONE individual has ever won by themselves. Good coaching, role players and 2nd/3rd options -- you need one of the 3 to be respectable. AT LEAST.

[FireDavidKahn]

People here are making so many excuses for Melo and yet slam Kevin love

[Dengness9]

If I did feel bad for Melo after last season, I definitely don't now.

Dude will have no one to blame but himself if the Knicks don't compete for a championship the next few years because he CHOSE to be there.

I dont hate Melo, never will, but this summer made me dislike. Not because he didn't pick the Bulls, but because of what he said and then his actions being nowhere close to that.

I hope he and the Knicks miss the playoffs next year, Id like to see that.

[Random_Guy]

People here are making so many excuses for Melo and yet slam Kevin love

not a fan of either but love is no way near the scorer melo is. and as pathetic as melo is for not winning, he is like bill russell compared to love in that criteria

[All Net]

There are always shocks, but the biggest one for me was Ibaka above Irving and Lillard.

Reminds me not to go there.

[Milbuck]

Retarded list from top to bottom. The average non-trolling ISH poster could make a better list than the garbage list they made.

Love Duncan...but there is absolutely no credible argument, none whatsoever for him being a top 5 player in the world right now. I don't give a shit about leadership, intangibles, etc. His capabilities on the basketball court at the moment don't sniff top 5 status.

[k0kakw0rld]

not a fan of either but love is no way near the scorer melo is. and as pathetic as melo is for not winning, he is like bill russell compared to love in that criteria

from 11 ppg to avg 26 ppg

[Hoopz2332]

KNicks stay taking l's

[bagelred]

Wow. I'm shocked they put Melo at 11. They usually drop him down further. And that wasn't too critical of him...more Knicks team last season which was a disaster (thanks, Woodson)....

Melo did Knicks a FAVOR signing a 5 year max contract. The salary cap is about to jump big time, but Melo is locked in at that max number. Wait until Lebron signs his new Cavs contract. Gonna be huge.