jordan0386
Member
Pretty sure NIKE will work this into a campaign, for themselves, next season.
KD 6s need to go back to the hell from which they came.
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2013 NBA Playoffs |OT2| Rose has no Muscle Memories, Durant having Russell Memories
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Pretty sure NIKE will work this into a campaign, for themselves, next season.
KD 6s need to go back to the hell from which they came.
Blackace
if you see me in a fight with a bear, don't help me fool, help the bear!
GO TO THE HOOP
Future PhaZe
Member
Was watching on Overtime so I only got a crappy angle of this move and wasn't sure if it looked as dumb on television...
It looked dumb, but to be fair KD and I think another guy got D all up the ass to force Collison into that lame shit.
ithink gasol had been swatting his shit all game. he might just not have had it in him to do that again
Blackace
if you see me in a fight with a bear, don't help me fool, help the bear!
He had such a good launching pad tho...
MorisUkunRasik
Member
I hope you like The Pacers, New York didn't keep the receipt.
You can't rain on this parade. We already won.
Cowherd: MELO CAN'T WIN! HE WILL NEVER BE DURANT! DURANT IS A SUPERSTAR MELO IS SELFISH! SURE HE HAD 9 REBOUNDS BUT ONLY 1 ASSIST!
Today he already hinted he will make a case for why people give Durant a pass whereas they didn't/wouldn't for Lebron before. Meanwhile he continues to hammer Melo and gives him no pass.
Ninja Scooter
Member
Will some leftover Pacer pipe do?
Trade him for pieces and rebuild around a solid core of DFish-Perkins-Ibaka imo
Keep Westbrook, bring back Harden and trade KD to the Raptors
ItWasMeantToBe19
Banned
Well, Durant was awesome in the playoffs before the last six quarters, actually plays defense, and has averaged four times as many assists as Melo has in the playoffs. Melo has managed to be terrible throughout every game in the postseason and has had one good scoring postseason in his career while never passing or defending.
Red Blaster
Member
what's wrong with hammering melo, he's been in the playoffs like 10 times and has been awful in all of them except one
Shit happen when you playing 46mpg and the one who have hardest work in both end, dude even guarding Marc Gasol :lol
friskykillface
Banned
KG and Pierce and hell Doc are waiting for the call.
Do it thunder
Do it thunder
Hasphat'sAnts
Member
This is Durant's 4th year in the playoffs. Melo's won a grand total of 3 games after his 4th.
I am commenting on the narrative. Especially from morons like Cowherd who leads off almost every show now about Melo and how he will never win a title cause of his style while complimenting guys like Durant even though their style is very similar.
Its painfully obvious that you need at least 2 if not 3 superstar players. Durant can't do it alone. Melo can't do it alone. LeBron couldn't do it alone. But depending on what you think of these guys personally you either give them a pass or hammer them.
Melo is still playing how he did all season which helped the Knicks have the best season in 19 years. His shot isn't going down. I don't think Melo is better than Durant, but both are pretty ineffective if their shot isn't going in. Doesn't help that the supporting cast is terrible especially if JR is shooting even worse.
Although Durant played horribly the last two games he gets the proverbial pass due to the Westbrook injury. He's shown an ability to lead his team to the Finals and this years incarnation was worse than last years due to missing Harden. And the playoff incarnation was 2007 Cleveland bad
And as for Lebron not getting passes? Wtf is Cowherd talking about. Lebron got a pass in 06, 07, 08, 09 despite playing pretty poorly in 3 of those 4 elimination series. No one criticized him till Lequit in 2010 against Boston and the 2011 Finals fiasco.
Durant deserves a pass this year but he did play poorly these last two games.
And as for Lebron not getting passes? Wtf is Cowherd talking about. Lebron got a pass in 06, 07, 08, 09 despite playing pretty poorly in 3 of those 4 elimination series. No one criticized him till Lequit in 2010 against Boston and the 2011 Finals fiasco.
Durant deserves a pass this year but he did play poorly these last two games.
Hasphat'sAnts
Member
The Lebron shitfest started in 09 when he lost to Dwight despite winning 66 games.
But he averaged 35/9/7 on 41 minutes in that year's playoffs. So yeah.
But he averaged 35/9/7 on 41 minutes in that year's playoffs. So yeah.
Regardless of when it happened, it did happen. But it has more to do with how people view these guys as people rather than any actual basketball related reasons. Durant will always be viewed more favorably even if he is cleaning out a middle age Asian woman's gutters.
Durant was at his best when he had two legit superstars playing along side him. Without them this post season, despite his best efforts he came up short. Durant > Melo but Melo not getting a pass for the same reasons is ridiculous.
ehhh I know it'd be nice to have days off for Wade to heal but I hope the next game is Tuesday, not Thursday
What is the format for the next round?
If Pacers win tonight, game 1 will be next Tuesday? Not this weekend?
Yeah I think the conference finals have a set schedule, either Tuesday or Wednesday
Future PhaZe
Member
Psychological Intellect
Banned
Why should Melo get a pass? They're in similar situations(KD lost westbrook and team looks lebron cavs bad, JR sucks, knicks suck), yea. but apart from the last two games Durant has played pretty incredible. Melo has had like one good game. KD tries to make plays for his teamates but Melo rather just chuck long twos. I mean he had what, 6 assists in the entire Boston series?
KD's and Melo's playmaking skillset are limited but Melo doesn't appear to give a fuck.
I'm not a Melo hater or anything, but his shot isn't going down but he seems content on chucking long twos over his defender.
if Pacers win tonight. ECF starts Monday.
Melo At his early career, he's the fan darling too with his "fearless" playstyle. Being on several video game cover and stuff, just recently he got the hard reception.
Because its always like that, media and people got harder to you when you older and that "time to win" keep ticking.
Durant and Rose wouldn't got it any easier too when the time come, shit people already starting pick them.. Next year they have a lot to prove or gonna got tore apart.
ItWasMeantToBe19
Banned
Well, Durant's shot usually goes in though whereas Melo's goes in far less. You can't be the best player on a title team if you score at average efficiency while not passing or defending at all so Melo probably can't win a title with this style whereas Durant probably can win a title with his style.
Also weird to say that Melo's trying to do it alone when Felton and Shumpert were the best players in the Celtics series.
Hard to say he's getting unfair criticism either when he was voted the third best player in the NBA by the media this year while guys like Marc Gasol got no support for MVP while Gasol does everything well and is elite at several things whereas Melo does one thing at a very high but not elite level and is bad everywhere else.
Future PhaZe
Member
Melo had a chance to re-write the narrative. He chose the NY market over winning.
Did he even get an increase in endorsements?
Did he even get an increase in endorsements?
Meanwhile, Boozer had 26 and 14 on 10 of 19 shooting.
I think we all know who KD should be traded for.
ANDDD ONNEE!!!! FUCK!!
Psychological Intellect
Banned
That boxing Deodorant commercial where talk about how in shape he is for the playoffs.
INDEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vestal
Junior Member
totally different situation. The Knicks are basically at "full strength" in regards to this season and how it has played out. On the other hand Durant has been handicapped by IMO a HORRIBLE coaching job. The problem OKC faced was due to how their offense is setup and how dependent it is/was on having Westbrook. So YNB goes down, and you have Scotty Brooks basically walking around like a chicken with his head cut off, and decides to basically make Durant a Point forward. Durant is a great offensive player but he isn't(here comes the hate) a Lebron James or Magic Johnson who can handle the ball and distribute it very efficiently at that size.
What Memphis did was not rocket science, they had 2 guys some times 3 guys go at Durant every single time he had the ball. Lets face it Durant isn't that crafty a ball handler to be able to take on constant double teams. So the series took a toll on him and basically what we saw last night was a shell of himself.
The blame goes on the coaching staff, sure you can make an excuse that well they lost their 2nd best player. It shouldn't be a valuable excuse, they should have had an offensive system that was able to adjust to that type of situation.
captmcblack
Member
And Melo isn't handicapped by Woodson's coaching, or the inability of the other players around him to be healthy or consistent, or the ability of the Knicks' FO to ensure they selected healthy/consistent players to put around him?
Melo isn't as great a shooter as Durant. No one is disputing that. Melo is averaging what 6 rebounds per game? Oh but now its his assists right? Well newsflash he isn't a PG or Lebron. His role on this team isn't to dish the ball, its to score and score as much as possible. And for a large part of this season he was doing it really well. Of course he could add to his game but he is a limited player. But he gets shitted on for being selfish for taking shots (as if he is taking them away from better players) or for not being Lebron basically.
Durant will only win a title if he has the real alpha male back (Westbrook), a better coach, and a more reliable 3rd guy than Martin. Has nothing to do with his style or image. Plenty of guys with great style or attitudes never won the title.
Its not weird to say that at all. He is trying to do it alone. Not doing it well but his team is as offensively inept as the Westbrook less Thunder.
Melo isn't surrounded with some amazing talent from which he is sucking the life out of. Shumpert is mainly a defensive guy and whatever he gives you on the offensive side is gravy. Felton also only plays well in spurts. Melo is their main guy. He is the guy that deserves most of the credit for the best record in 19 years for the Knicks. When the Knicks win its because Melo is on fire and hitting his shots. When he isn't guys like Kidd, Pablo, Felton, Chandler, Martin, and even JR now aren't going to pick up the slack.
I don't know how Gason got into this conversation and I said nothing about the MVP race. In fact I am talking mainly about guys like sports personalities like Cowherd who because they don't really like Melo, bury him over everything. His shooting, shots, assists (for a forward no less), or his rebounding. Durant can have 2 terrible games, fail to step up, be overshadowed by Westbrook, and he will still be loved.
To me Durant and Melo play the same style of ball. Both primarily jump shooters who for their size don't play down low on offense and defense nearly enough. Durant is better at it but people like him more not cause he is simply better at it, but because they like him as a person more.
Key word.
Melo has never been an assists guy and he never will be. And the measure of his play should not hinder on his assists. He is a small or power forward. Not a PG. Criticize Felton or Kidd for the lack of assists. Melo can rebound better and he did do well last game but his primary role is to score.
I don't think Melo should get a pass. I also don't think Durant should get a pass. But one does and the other doesn't and its not because their styles are worlds apart. Durant chucks plenty of long twos and pull up 3s. Last night they didn't go in. But lets not pretend like he can't drive more to the rim instead of settling for long jumpers. Hell the final play last night he had a lane, probably could have drawn a foul, but instead settled for a long 2.
Of course I think he should drive more. I always thought that. But he loves his jumper so much and believes in it so much that he rather take those difficult shots over driving to the rim. Problem across the board with guys who fall in love with their own shot. Especially on the Knicks though JR drove somewhat last game near the end.
I don't agree that Melo needs to take less shots. In favor of who? He needs to take better shots or simply make the jumpers he is taking, but not less.
The entire premise of this post is wrong, Lebron played poorly in 4 out of 5 elimination series before the public began to blame him. He followed that up with the Decision fiasco and the finals disappearance act in 2011. Acting like public perception was all just random and not related to basketball is just not correct. Fans typically are a lot more rational at judging players then people on here give them credit for. If there is continued improvement in your individual play and team success over a number of years, and then you take a step back when your team loses its second best player, fans give people a pass on that.
Melo doesn't get a pass for the same reason that T-Mac doesn't. Their entire careers have been post season disappointments. You can't say KD has been a post season disappointment with his teams' continued improved success over 3 straight seasons. 1st round. Conf Finals. Finals. You're allowed to lose after an injury plagued playoffs after you pull that off.
It's the same reason why "Tragic Johnson" isn't how Magic is known, because he had success before and after the 84 Finals.
Lebron got a pass till 2010.
2006 "He's young, went up against defending Eastern champs, makes sense"
2007 "He overachieved by getting to the finals, the Spurs were the better team. Pop's coaching locked him up, he'll learn"
2008 "He had some bad games, but the Boston big 3 really was the best team in basketball that year and it went to 7 games"
2009 "He should have won that series but he played out of his mind, Orlando hit clutch shots, and his teammates didn't step up"
2010 "What the fuck just happened. Best record ine league. Destroyed the Celtics in the regular season. He disappeared in game 5 and had 10 TO's in game 6"
Edit: If for example, Durant spends the next 2-3 years in the first/second round he'll start being criticized and rightly so. But this year, and 10 years of Melo's postseason ineptitude are not the same thing.
Vestal
Junior Member
Difference is Melo has had 2 years with basically the same system, and players to adjust.. not to mention that if this was his first few years with Playoff issues he would get a pass.. However, how long have we seen this from him?
Yes. He's been promoting a lot of shit since he's been in NYC.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323884304578328483163576820.html
This article doesn't cover everything though.
The person who feels best about this? Mike Bibby. Now you're no longer Bibby bad, you're Perkins bad. PEACE.
Future PhaZe
Member
Kendrick had me and my bro rolling last night. At one point we stopped watching the basketball and just actively watched Kendrick get pinned down in the post and get destroyed for position over and over.
Of course, but I think people are spoiled if they think all forwards should play like Lebron or Magic. Those guys are 2 of a kind. Durant is supposed to score. He does. Same with Melo. They both can drive more, play better D, and rebound more. But that's about it. Dishing out assists or averaging near a triple double isn't their game and shouldn't be expected.
Also Knicks might be at full strength but that doesn't change the fact that outside of Melo, JR is the only real offensive threat. Felton, Kidd, Shumpert, Novak, Pablo, and other role players are primarily there for things Melo and JR can't do. And if JR and Melo aren't playing well those guys skill wise can't step up. So Melo is handicapped as well by the team the FO put together.
To me the blame goes in order: Memphis (simply better), poor coaching, Durant's poor play, Westbrook's injury, and the FO for thinking Martin = Harden
Lets also not forget to give credit to both the Pacers and Grizzlies since they are both excellent defensive teams. They both happen to be playing teams with only one true scorer and if that guy isn't "on" they can clamp down defensively and win.
Jake Tower
Banned
Hey Thunder, the Rockets will trade you Asik for Durant, straight up. 
MorisUkunRasik
Member
Whole lot of posts in here just to say Melo isn't that great.
captmcblack
Member
How long have Melo's teammates been worthwhile and uncompromised by injury or age?
Has Melo ever played with someone who could consistently be a second banana that didn't spend their prime elsewhere prior to playing with him, or wasn't devastated by injuries/age before or during their time together?
I'm not going to say Melo isn't a flawed player, or a ball-stopper more often than not, or any of the things we're saying. I am going to say that most of those traits are contextual, and moreover they are the same traits that KD has (except we don't harass KD for them).
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