Melo still doesn’t get it.

 he needs to learn how to play team ball, fck his athleticism, he’s already physically dominant

TEam ball is definitely something he isn’t phenominal at. But conditioning and overall physical shape should be another thing at the top of his list. Let’s get real, he looked kind of chubby this season. nothing wrong with that unless is hurts your team though. The biggest thing hurting his team is Melo-ball rather than playing team ball. We all know what happened when Lin was running the show and Melo was out. They played better team basketball and everyone contributed rather than just letting Carmelo do his thing.

^

I don’t think HotSnot means that Carmelo needs to be as athletic as LeBron but moreso the fact that Carmelo is always content with being "okay".  He doesn’t want to go beyond "good enough".  Once he reaches "good enough", he stays there whereas work-horses like Kobe, LeBron, Rose, Wade, and Durant aren’t happy with "good enough" they want "I didn’t think you could get there".

I think Melo’s inability to play team ball is directly related to his poor shape. Melo can’t play off the ball because he’s too slow to get free against elite defenders and he tires too easily, he can’t create well for others because he can’t blow by his man on the dribble and force the D to collapse.

If you watching him against Lebron, he simply couldn’t get by him, and the same can be said for when Battier was guarding him. I know they are two amazing defenders, but physically, he couldn’t get layups at the rim because he didn’t have the quickness to get by his man.

I really hope Melo figures it out someday, because unless he wants to make a full-time move to the PF position, he’s going to struggle to carry his team as a SF. Oh, and even if he sticks at PF, he won’t have a speed or strength advantage against either Lebron James or Josh Smith, two players he’s likely to face in the playoffs.

If Melo buys in to better conditioning, then the Knicks can be a top-4 team in the East, but as it stands his physical limitations are going to continue to hold him back.

 Melo has looked alittle bigger this year as has Chris Paul too me. But Melo getting into shape isnt going too improve his athletic ability that much and isnt going to make him a better team player. But it will help him be more efficeint and also help his defense effort being he could exort more energy on that side of the ball. If he could get back too or close to where he was physical wise the year he lead Denver to the WCF would be great.

With the NBA going to the new tight fitted style jersey in recent years its easy to see guys who either gained some pounds or just doesnt look to be in great condition or their usual conditon(Melo,CP3,Felton,Diaw,Blatche, Josh Smith last year etc). And you can tell in their play, Melo wasnt a great athlete but he hardley gets over the rim or looks explosive on his dunks, CP3 was once one of the fastest players in the league and also he only dunked once since like 08′ or 09, Smith looked alot less explosive last year than in years past, Felton also was one of the quickest guys in the league, Diaw and Blatche just really let their selfs go it seems. 

I agree with what Coach Woodson said Melo needs to come back in better shape at the start of next year, but i also agree with Melo about him being in good shape later in the year because he wasnt him self earlier in the season scoring wise, but during the last couple of months and playoffs Melo looked like himself and maybe it was because of better conditioning.

I don’t think physical shape is the most important issue with him… and it’s not new.

I remember, maybe 4 or 5 years, ago when melo was playing in denver, I watched him (a report on nba.com) being completely out of shape (no abdo, no trace of muscle on the arms, fat face and neck…) just 4 days before the first game…

I was truly astonished cause I always imagined he was not that kind of player…. Since I always saw some antoine walker in him…. talented offensive player, no D, no collective IQ, poor work ethics (physical shape).

"But I felt like I was in phenomenal shape, especially coming down the stretch, late March, April, the whole month of April, even coming down to the playoffs."

He certainly played like it. These are his stats since March 26 (including playoffs):

28.8 PPG on 47.2 FG%, and 7.5 RPG in 37.1 MPG in 21 games

He looked to be in good shape down the stretch. The Lockout hurt alot of players conditioning, especially at the beginning of the year. Melo was no different.

 I’m with itsdwighthoward. A lot of guys came in out of shape this season. CP3, Melo are 2 that come to mind for me. Nothing crazy but looked a little chubbier than usual. I think it affected both of them a bit. I think that probably half the league could get in better shape than they were this year. It was just a rough year for everyone. 

Melo will be better next season. People forget he had knee surgery for the first time last summer.

Melo being in the best shape he was ever in wouldn’t mean they them beat the Heat.  If they took the regular season more seriously and didn’t take the Cavs game so lightly they would’ve been the 6th seed and been a lot more competitive and won more games against Indiana.  Also the injuries to Lin, Shumpert really hurt the depth in the back court.

I’m convinced they have to tinker with the lineup as Melo, Amare, Chandler together is gonna be tough to work.  Melo and Amare seems to play better at the 4 and 5.  Also when Lin comes back I’m assuming they don’t land Nash they will have to work on team chemistry.  The good thing is Lin will be healthy for the summer and training camp.  Knicks really need to work on their other players since Fields will most likely be gone.  JR Smith off the bench would be better then starting and he’s not a play maker really or a smart defender.  I’d have Shumpert start at SG definitely when he gets back.  They need a backup PG with Baron out next year.  Whether its buying a 1st rounder or signing a PG in free agency its def. need.  Also they need help at the wing position and a backup Center too.  Jeffries is getting older and isn’t as reliable, Harrelson played well in some games and should improve next yr but they need some more size.  Not sure if Gadzuric will be back and gets hurt.

Watching these playoffs and all the former Knicks playing and contributing on the Nuggets hurts.  From Corey Brewer, Mozgov, Galinari, Harrington and these aren’t even star players but provide a spark and some depth sometthing we are clearly lacking.

 1. Melo does need to lose about 10lbs, he missed two fts in game 4 because of fatigue

2. Melo is a scorer and has a scorer’s mentality, I do not want to change that. I think people are expecting him to be something he is not. That being said, is he the type of player that can carry a team to a title, the answer is no. Ok so how does one build a team with Melo in the mix? You need a strong willled PG. His best year in my opinion was when he had Chauncey at the 1. Can Lin be that? Nope, not next year. if they can somehow get Nash it’ll solve a lot of the problems. Melo should just be there to catch the ball and then in a triple threat position, not to dominate the ball.

3. JR Smith is terrible, dribbles too much, thought i’d just mention that.

 1. What does a vertical have to do with being in shape? Being in shape doesn’t automatically make you athletic. 

2. Being in better shape also doesn’t make you getting free easier. Ray Allen and Rip Hamilton get free so easisly because they are not only in good shape but they’re also fast. Carmelo getting in better shape won’t necessarily improve his speed. He can get in shape all he wants and he still won’t be the athlete that lebron or Josh smith is. 

3. Did the time period of late March to the playoff elimination not happen? He played amazing, and he also played 39 minutes a game in that time period. 

4. I think Carmelo and Amare can play together, I think Carmelo and Tyson can play together. The problem is Amare and Tyson can’t play together. On offense they line up in the same spots and do the same thing. Amare is the much better offensive player but the best part of his game is the screen and roll. In the Knicks offense, Tyson is the screener which leaves Amare to the side. Amare tried to improve his jumper, even out to the 3 point range but that is inconsitent so he can’t sit in that spot on the floor like Carlos Boozer does. Get a point guard and move Amare or Tyson. Moving Melo is crazy. 

5. The whole team not just Carmelo needs to come back in better shape and with improved games. Carmelo could stand to lose a few pounds but I don’t think that will help his game to an usurmountable level. Carmelo needs to lose the pounds just to be a leader though. Just show his teammates he’s working for them. 

Last I checked he had one of the 2nd jumps in the league esp. for SFs.

He needs to play team ball more the athletic stuff means very lil.

You can’t tell me Mello’s not athletic but his shot selection and not passing the ball enough are question marks.

 Carmelo is the new Lebron, lets critsize everything about him!

Melo

1. Needs to work on his legs and core, his upper body is phenomenal but his legs are weak, he has a good hard dunk every 5 games, but the reason he gets stuffed so much is because he cant dunk over guys at will anymore, Melo needs to improve his fitness and his body and thats a fact. He’s only 27 so he can still improve and become a better jumper and faster player

2. That will allow him to play better off the ball, he can play off screens better, rebound better and defender better as well

3. He needs to call up LeBron after the Olympics and work out with him all the time, their BFF’s and look what it ddi for Durant’s game, KD was always a great scorer but became an MVP candidate after working with LBJ, Melo should swallow his pride and get on LeBron’s level. Melo should be a 25-10-5 guy but settles being a 24-6-3 guy. Melo right now is a borderline HOF, if he wants to go down in history as not only a great scorer but a great winner then he has to realize that in the NBA you’re never good enough, you can always get better, spend 5 hours in the gym instead of 1, be a basketball player not a celebrity and most importantly put winning over everything.

Do you think Robert Horry would trade his 7 rings to be remember as a great scorer, NO

the only thing that matters is the ring

 i agree with charlie sheen over here… he is a borderline hall of famer, ”he settles being a 24-6-3 guy”. i think he has the best offensive skill set in the nba, with durant 1b.  

maybe he does need to work on his shape, but he was in better shape towards the end of the season, you could clearly see that he had lost weight by looking at him on the court. being in better shape would only compliment more "off-the-ball offense skill" but its mainly a question of "will", he’s never been a fan of -run off screens, or finding ways to spot up in transition or anything. maybe that’s not his game and he likes the isos, but that’s not cutting it.

he needs to work on his ability to spot up, or work a melo/amare p&r, which i think he is well capable of. this would solve sooo many problems for the knicks. if he could get a nice 43% on 5  3pt attempts (like last year) with the spot up ability it would compliment the lin/amare or chandler p&r. 

here’s the ‘p&r master’ dantoni talking about the p&r…

notice all the players are basically ‘spotting up’.