This does not look good for Carmelo Anthony.

[VengefulAngel]

Shumpert and Smith balling in the ECF, as the second and third options.

[Heavincent]

I still can't fathom why Melo is regarded as a superstar.

[SouBeachTalents]

I still can't fathom why Melo is regarded as a superstar.

That's how I feel about Bosh

[Velocirap31]

Lebron makes everyone better.

[Milbuck]

Lebron is obviously >> Melo but this says more about the state of the Knicks than anything else. JR was killing it even more than he is now when they won 54 games with Melo. Role players play better on better teams, and the Knick are a joke from top to bottom, front office through roster. Plus add to it Melo was hurting most of the time he played.

[navy]

You can praise Lebron without dissing Melo.

Jr Smith? Iman Shumpert? Come on now. If that's the best Melo has had to work with (it isnt) then I cant fault him for doing too bad.

Plus. It's the Knicks.

[pauk]

Carmelo didnt possess the passing/vision/IQ/decision making to complement them offensively like Lebron.... nor did he possess the desperate will to win/determination/work ethic/leadership to PUSH them aswell....

[ClipperRevival]

Lebron is obviously >> Melo but this says more about the state of the Knicks than anything else. JR was killing it even more than he is now when they won 54 games with Melo. Role players play better on better teams, and the Knick are a joke from top to bottom, front office through roster. Plus add to it Melo was hurting most of the time he played.

No. There are players who can make their teammates better and players who can only get theirs at the expense of the offense. Melo has always been a great, individual scorer. He usually got his at the expense of the offensive flow while a guy like Lebron tries to get his within the flow of the offense. There is a difference.

[Straight_Ballin]

Shumpert and Smith balling in the ECF, as the second and third options.

Has nothing to do with Melo.

Cavs fans cheering on Shumpert and Smith more than Lebron. They actually have something to play for.

Bron trying to save face with cleveland.

Not forgiven until proven.

Bron should just be thankful that players like Shumpert and Smith don't have beta mentalities like him and play for the fans, not themselves like the beta colluder Bron did.

[imdaman99]

Shump was the Knicks 2nd best player in the playoffs a few years back. And JR was absolutely trash, probably had something to do with too much partying or getting dissed by Rihanna... fk if I know. Just so happens that all their role players turned to trash overnight. JR was a cancer, Chandler was getting humiliated by Hibbert and Felton was just Felton.

I don't like Melo, but he's had a raw deal with his 2nd and 3rd options for the longest. Don't get me wrong, it's clear as day that Lebron is better than Melo but I have a hard time believing Melo + Wade + Bosh could not find a way to make it work and maybe win a championship or 2 being in their primes.

[Smoke117]

I still can't fathom why Melo is regarded as a superstar.

Nobody can if you live outside of NY. People talk about manufactured superstars...yet never mention this clown? A guy who has NO business ever being the highest paid player on any team if winning is the idea.

[Milbuck]

No. There are players who can make their teammates better and players who can only get theirs at the expense of the offense. Melo has always been a great, individual scorer. He usually got his at the expense of the offensive flow while a guy like Lebron tries to get his within the flow of the offense. There is a difference.

Straw man. First sentence acknowledged Lebron is a way better player.

Just saying that Melo has repeatedly shown in his career that you can put talent around him and win. Hence JR having a great year with Melo a few seasons ago, when they had decent talent. Melo is not Lebron but he's also not a cancer no matter how badly people try to paint him as such. It's just that his skill-set requires more refined team building. It's not like he's younger Iverson where he cannot coexist with other high level offensive players. It's just that the Knicks are absolute dogshit right now, he was clearly not himself, and the franchise overall is a mess.

[Rake2204]

No. There are players who can make their teammates better and players who can only get theirs at the expense of the offense. Melo has always been a great, individual scorer. He usually got his at the expense of the offensive flow while a guy like Lebron tries to get his within the flow of the offense. There is a difference.

Yep. James has his tunnel vision isolation moments (and not coincidentally, his teammates sometimes take an effectiveness hit when he does so), but by and large, you're right on the money.

Shumpert and Smith have made some great individual plays so far but they've also benefited a ton from having a teammate like James who is such a willing sharer and someone typically always looking to make the right basketball play.

Not to copy everything you said, but yeah, Anthony surely is a gifted scorer, but it doesn't surprise me that others may struggle to be effective within the same offense (not that those struggles must be absolute). What could Anthony really do for Smith and Shumpert? One must juxtapose that with what James provides instead.

[ClipperRevival]

Straw man. First sentence acknowledged Lebron is a way better player.

Just saying that Melo has repeatedly shown in his career that you can put talent around him and win. Hence JR having a great year with Melo a few seasons ago, when they had decent talent. Melo is not Lebron but he's also not a cancer no matter how badly people try to paint him as such. It's just that his skill-set requires more refined team building. It's not like he's younger Iverson where he cannot coexist with other high level offensive players. It's just that the Knicks are absolute dogshit right now, he was clearly not himself, and the franchise overall is a mess.

Nope. Melo just never had the game to elevate the play of his teammates. He was always a great, individual scorer who can get his. He never consistently showed the ability to draw the double and set his teammates up. He got most of his on iso plays. That is not championship, alpha dog basketball. There are levels to greatness. He was never on Bron, MJ, Kobe and Wade level. He was always a great, individual scorer, one of the best ever but a level below the true greats. He just didn't play team ball.

[ClipperRevival]

Yep. James has his tunnel vision isolation moments (and not coincidentally, his teammates sometimes take an effectiveness hit when he does so), but by and large, you're right on the money.

Shumpert and Smith have made some great individual plays so far but they've also benefited a ton from having a teammate like James who is such a willing sharer and someone typically always looking to make the right basketball play.

Not to copy everything you said, but yeah, Anthony surely is a gifted scorer, but it doesn't surprise me that others may struggle to be effective within the same offense (not that those struggles must be absolute). What could Anthony really do for Smith and Shumpert? One must juxtapose that with what James provides instead.

100% agreed.