Who won the Nuggets / Knicks Carmelo trade?

[ssspence]

No matter which way you side (i believe the Nuggets already have), fact is the answer is still "incomplete". Because:

Alex Kennedy ‏@AlexKennedyNBA

The Knicks are now 3-13 - tied for the worst record in the East. They've lost nine games in a row, their worst losing streak since 2006.

The worst thing about the Knicks' struggles is that they traded their 2014 first-rounder to Nuggets. Now, that may end up being a top pick.

Unprotected. Even if the pick ends up being No. 1, the Knicks give it to the Nuggets. RT @RSG07071980 @AlexKennedyNBA Is the pick protected?

Ouch. That hurts. Yet another reason why the Knicks securely wear the crown of Worst Run Sports Franchise.

[Quinn]

I bet nuggets and hawks fans are drooling.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

No matter which way you side (i believe the Nuggets already have), fact is the answer is still "incomplete". Because:

Alex Kennedy ‏@AlexKennedyNBA

The Knicks are now 3-13 - tied for the worst record in the East. They've lost nine games in a row, their worst losing streak since 2006.

The worst thing about the Knicks' struggles is that they traded their 2014 first-rounder to Nuggets. Now, that may end up being a top pick.

Unprotected. Even if the pick ends up being No. 1, the Knicks give it to the Nuggets. RT @RSG07071980 @AlexKennedyNBA Is the pick protected?

Ouch. That hurts. Yet another reason why the Knicks securely wear the crown of Worst Run Sports Franchise.

Wow, I didn't know the nuggets had their '14 pick too!! I always thought that Denver won the trade, they got rid of an unhappy player who was leaving anyway. The Nuggets have been the better team b/c they do well in a much tougher conference! I'm in the minority of people who think Melo is overrated. I think he isn't a team player and his team will never win the chip if he is #1. I hate the Knicks and hope they get a good pick for the Nuggets, my only problem is we need 8 teams to push BKN and Atl out of the playoffs so we can get a good lottery pick. Man, I hate this!! Lol 

[ssspence]

I'm in the minority of people who think Melo is overrated.

I'm not sure it's a huge minority anymore.

[hpantazo]

I'm in the minority of people who think Melo is overrated.

I'm not sure it's a huge minority anymore.

People were putting Melo a small step below Lebron for a while. All I got to say is can you ever imagine a team with Lebron in his prime going 3-13? Melo is such a mediocre player.

[Snakehead]

I'm in the minority of people who think Melo is overrated.

I'm not sure it's a huge minority anymore.

People were putting Melo a small step below Lebron for a while. All I got to say is can you ever imagine a team with Lebron in his prime going 3-13? Melo is such a mediocre player.

I am not a big fan anymore but mediocre?  C'mon dude, that's way overboard.

The problem with Melo is you need to very specifically tailor your roster around him.  You'd need to have a great defending and rebounding center (if you're going Melo at the 4), a smart and great passing PG, spot up shooters at the other positions to stretch the floor.  And you need a coach who is going to have a system that encourages ball movement.

LeBron on the otherhand, and a lot of the other great players, just can fit many styles and systems.

I don't think Melo is that great anymore, but he's still a top 10 player.  I just don't think it's easy to fit him on a roster of a contender.  A lot of things have to come together personnel wise.

[hpantazo]

I'm in the minority of people who think Melo is overrated.

I'm not sure it's a huge minority anymore.

People were putting Melo a small step below Lebron for a while. All I got to say is can you ever imagine a team with Lebron in his prime going 3-13? Melo is such a mediocre player.

I am not a big fan anymore but mediocre?  C'mon dude, that's way overboard.

The problem with Melo is you need to very specifically tailor your roster around him.  You'd need to have a great defending and rebounding center (if you're going Melo at the 4), a smart and great passing PG, spot up shooters at the other positions to stretch the floor.  And you need a coach who is going to have a system that encourages ball movement.

LeBron on the otherhand, and a lot of the other great players, just can fit many styles and systems.

I don't think Melo is that great anymore, but he's still a top 10 player.  I just don't think it's easy to fit him on a roster of a contender.  A lot of things have to come together personnel wise.

That's exactly my point though. Top ten players don't need the roster perfectly tailored around them to get their team to the playoffs. Melo does. He's an exciting player with good numbers, but top ten he is not.

[Snakehead]

I'm in the minority of people who think Melo is overrated.

I'm not sure it's a huge minority anymore.

People were putting Melo a small step below Lebron for a while. All I got to say is can you ever imagine a team with Lebron in his prime going 3-13? Melo is such a mediocre player.

I am not a big fan anymore but mediocre?  C'mon dude, that's way overboard.

The problem with Melo is you need to very specifically tailor your roster around him.  You'd need to have a great defending and rebounding center (if you're going Melo at the 4), a smart and great passing PG, spot up shooters at the other positions to stretch the floor.  And you need a coach who is going to have a system that encourages ball movement.

LeBron on the otherhand, and a lot of the other great players, just can fit many styles and systems.

I don't think Melo is that great anymore, but he's still a top 10 player.  I just don't think it's easy to fit him on a roster of a contender.  A lot of things have to come together personnel wise.

That's exactly my point though. Top ten players don't need the roster perfectly tailored around them to get their team to the playoffs. Melo does. He's an exciting player with good numbers, but top ten he is not.

And there is definitely at least one other top ten player who needs a roster tailored around him (Howard).  And I guess to be fair I'd probably have Melo 13th but still.... you said "mediocre".  I think you should look up the definition of the word if "just outside the top 10 players in the whole NBA" means "mediocre".  It's just too hyperbolic.

My ranks.  Obviously they are going to vary but I don't see how you could have Melo any lower than 15.  In fact I think my rank might be a little low.  The guy is averaging 26 ppg and almost 10 rpg (at 9.9 at the moment).  That's no joke.

1. LeBron
2. Durant
3. Paul
4. George
5. Aldridge
6. Love
7. Davis
8. Parker
9. Howard
10. Westbrook
11. Wade
12. Harden
13. Melo
14. Rondo (disregarding injury)
15. Curry

[Fred Roberts]

Melo has top 10 skills in scoring/rebounding/ballhandling for his size .. . but bottom 10 for passing/team chemistry.

Middle of the road defense? It's a shame in a sense. I thought he'd be a bigger, better version of Paul Pierce .. .but that is not the case.

[ssspence]

Melo is so needy from a volume perspective, it saps his teams ability to win in other ways than him -- they have zero versatility. It's reminiscent of Iverson, though Larry Brown's Sixers were designed as a good defensive team to keep that margin thinner. 

Sure, Melo's a great individual player. But 'overrated' is fair when you're play doesn't lift your team overall. Howard needs to fit a style, but he effects his team in a number of positive ways, and he's a great defender (helps to win in the playoffs).

I'm still asking: does anyone really see the Knicks we winners before that 2014 pick? And do those folks still feel the same after it (assuming it's at least a lottery pick)?

[Snakehead]

Sure, Melo's a great individual player. But 'overrated' is fair when you're play doesn't lift your team overall.

But you have to put some blame on the Knicks management.  Some of the things they've gone out of their way to do, like focus so much on JR Smith when they really don't need that type of scorer alongside Melo as their 2nd/3rd best player, is really awful.  How are they not in the market for a PG instead?  And then they bring on Chris Smith??? Bargnani?? Pretty embarrassing.

I'm not a big Melo fan, just to reiterate, but he is a talented player on a franchise that is an absolute mess right now.  The GM decision making and Dolan's antics are not Melo's fault.

[action781]

I'm in the minority of people who think Melo is overrated.

I'm not sure it's a huge minority anymore.

People were putting Melo a small step below Lebron for a while. All I got to say is can you ever imagine a team with Lebron in his prime going 3-13? Melo is such a mediocre player.

I am not a big fan anymore but mediocre?  C'mon dude, that's way overboard.

The problem with Melo is you need to very specifically tailor your roster around him.  You'd need to have a great defending and rebounding center (if you're going Melo at the 4), a smart and great passing PG, spot up shooters at the other positions to stretch the floor.  And you need a coach who is going to have a system that encourages ball movement.

LeBron on the otherhand, and a lot of the other great players, just can fit many styles and systems.

I don't think Melo is that great anymore, but he's still a top 10 player.  I just don't think it's easy to fit him on a roster of a contender.  A lot of things have to come together personnel wise.

That's exactly my point though. Top ten players don't need the roster perfectly tailored around them to get their team to the playoffs. Melo does. He's an exciting player with good numbers, but top ten he is not.

And there is definitely at least one other top ten player who needs a roster tailored around him (Howard).  And I guess to be fair I'd probably have Melo 13th but still.... you said "mediocre".  I think you should look up the definition of the word if "just outside the top 10 players in the whole NBA" means "mediocre".  It's just too hyperbolic.

My ranks.  Obviously they are going to vary but I don't see how you could have Melo any lower than 15.  In fact I think my rank might be a little low.  The guy is averaging 26 ppg and almost 10 rpg (at 9.9 at the moment).  That's no joke.

1. LeBron
2. Durant
3. Paul
4. George
5. Aldridge
6. Love
7. Davis
8. Parker
9. Howard
10. Westbrook
11. Wade
12. Harden
13. Melo
14. Rondo (homer maybe, disregarding injury)
15. Curry

I'd take Melo over Wade, right?  I don't see Wade making that NYK team any better.  Nor do I see him even making the NYK teams of the past 2 years as good as they were.

I would probably take Duncan over Melo for this year.

If you're going to disregard Rondo's injury, I'd disregard Rose's injury and prefer him above Melo too.

I may want Marc Gasol over Melo as well (injuries aside).  Maybe even Al Horford as well?

[Snakehead]

I'd take Melo over Wade, right?  I don't see Wade making that NYK team any better.  Nor do I see him even making the NYK teams of the past 2 years as good as they were.

I would probably take Duncan over Melo for this year.

If you're going to disregard Rondo's injury, I'd disregard Rose's injury and prefer him above Melo too.

I may want Marc Gasol over Melo as well (injuries aside).  Maybe even Al Horford as well?

Your ranks my vary, as I said (I wouldn't have Rose in my top 15 players if he didn't just get hurt again, especially how he played so far this year before he was hurt.  I think he's overrated).

And I like Melo more than those other guys yes, even though I do like them.  I'd have Hibbert above Gasol and Horford right now.  He'd probably be my 16th player.

[moiso]

I'm in the minority of people who think Melo is overrated.

I'm not sure it's a huge minority anymore.

People were putting Melo a small step below Lebron for a while. All I got to say is can you ever imagine a team with Lebron in his prime going 3-13? Melo is such a mediocre player.

I am not a big fan anymore but mediocre?  C'mon dude, that's way overboard.

The problem with Melo is you need to very specifically tailor your roster around him.  You'd need to have a great defending and rebounding center (if you're going Melo at the 4), a smart and great passing PG, spot up shooters at the other positions to stretch the floor.  And you need a coach who is going to have a system that encourages ball movement.

LeBron on the otherhand, and a lot of the other great players, just can fit many styles and systems.

I don't think Melo is that great anymore, but he's still a top 10 player.  I just don't think it's easy to fit him on a roster of a contender.  A lot of things have to come together personnel wise.

That's exactly my point though. Top ten players don't need the roster perfectly tailored around them to get their team to the playoffs. Melo does. He's an exciting player with good numbers, but top ten he is not.

And there is definitely at least one other top ten player who needs a roster tailored around him (Howard).  And I guess to be fair I'd probably have Melo 13th but still.... you said "mediocre".  I think you should look up the definition of the word if "just outside the top 10 players in the whole NBA" means "mediocre".  It's just too hyperbolic.

My ranks.  Obviously they are going to vary but I don't see how you could have Melo any lower than 15.  In fact I think my rank might be a little low.  The guy is averaging 26 ppg and almost 10 rpg (at 9.9 at the moment).  That's no joke.

1. LeBron
2. Durant
3. Paul
4. George
5. Aldridge
6. Love
7. Davis
8. Parker
9. Howard
10. Westbrook
11. Wade
12. Harden
13. Melo
14. Rondo (homer maybe, disregarding injury)
15. Curry

I'd take Melo over Wade, right?  I don't see Wade making that NYK team any better.  Nor do I see him even making the NYK teams of the past 2 years as good as they were.

I would probably take Duncan over Melo for this year.

If you're going to disregard Rondo's injury, I'd disregard Rose's injury and prefer him above Melo too.

I may want Marc Gasol over Melo as well (injuries aside).  Maybe even Al Horford as well?

I disagree with the Wade comment.  I think the Knicks would have a few more wins by switching Wade and Anthony.  Wade is a winner.

[Snakehead]

]I disagree with the Wade comment.  I think the Knicks would have a few more wins by switching Wade and Anthony.  Wade is a winner.

You put Wade on the Knicks roster and he's their starting PG at least (definitely their best passer).

And yes I find him a bit underrated, probably because LeBron is so good.  I get he takes some games off now and can look gimpy but still such a overall talented player.  Rebounding and passing are fantastic from the SG position.