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**23AJ** · 12-06-2005, 02:17 AM

First question.

Where would you currently rank Melo among the best players in the league ?

Second question.

How good of a player do you think Melo will turn out to be ?

Carmelos stats as of right now:

20.5 PPG 5.1 RPG FT% .790 FG% .453

I excepct Melos Points, Rebrounds, and assists to average around 23ppg 6rpg 3apg by the end of the season.

chucho · 12-06-2005, 01:18 PM

I think Melo has quite a ways to go before he can be mentioned with the best in the NBA. I think he should've stayed in college another year or two. Yes he can score, but I just think he has a LOT of maturing to do mentally and physically. Anyone who scores as much as does, and yet you very rarely see him do much any other category (i.e. defense, rebounding, making those around him better with passing or picks, etc.) doesn't belong in the names at the top of the NBA.

Melo should someday be at the top of the league, it just depends on how much heart he has, how hard he is willing to work, and how far he improves his NON-scoring skills.

**darth-horax** · 12-06-2005, 02:59 PM

I worry about Melo in the long run. This is his third year in the league, and he's averaged just at 20 a game for every year. However, he doesn't seem to do anything to improve.

Yes, I know 20 a night is good at any level, but he should be upping his skills to get him to around 23 or 24 a night by his 5th year as a pro. In order to get to that level, it's going to take more work...work I"m not sure he wants to put in right now.

He's getting by on natural skill vs. working to get a quicker first step or a better vert so he can finish more effectively instead of trying to acrobatically finger roll everything over the defender.

He's a solid player, but he still needs to work on his game to be mentioned in the same breath as Lebron or even Dwyane Wade.

Natedagreat12 · 12-06-2005, 03:12 PM

Best on Team. hes proably in the top 30 in the league. nuff said

**23AJ** · 12-06-2005, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darth-horax

I worry about Melo in the long run. This is his third year in the league, and he's averaged just at 20 a game for every year. However, he doesn't seem to do anything to improve.

Yes, I know 20 a night is good at any level, but he should be upping his skills to get him to around 23 or 24 a night by his 5th year as a pro. In order to get to that level, it's going to take more work...work I"m not sure he wants to put in right now.

He's getting by on natural skill vs. working to get a quicker first step or a better vert so he can finish more effectively instead of trying to acrobatically finger roll everything over the defender.

He's a solid player, but he still needs to work on his game to be mentioned in the same breath as Lebron or even Dwyane Wade.

I agree it seems like Melo needs to put more time in the gym getting stronger. More time on his jump shot in the off-season.

This year I think Melo will average more points/rebounds/assists though. He still needs to put more over all work in though.

**23AJ** · 12-06-2005, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chucho

I think Melo has quite a ways to go before he can be mentioned with the best in the NBA. I think he should've stayed in college another year or two. Yes he can score, but I just think he has a LOT of maturing to do mentally and physically. Anyone who scores as much as does, and yet you very rarely see him do much any other category (i.e. defense, rebounding, making those around him better with passing or picks, etc.) doesn't belong in the names at the top of the NBA.

Melo should someday be at the top of the league, it just depends on how much heart he has, how hard he is willing to work, and how far he improves his NON-scoring skills.

I don't think Melo needed to be in college anymore. He dominated the college ranks his freshmen year. He averaged 22 PPG 10 RPG. Melo led Syracuse in scoring, rebounding, and minutes played. He also led Syracuse to a National Championship. I think it was smart for Melo to go to college, but after his freshmen year you would be hard pressed to try and keep any talent like that from entering the NBA.

**23AJ** · 12-06-2005, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Natedagreat12

Best on Team. hes proably in the top 30 in the league. nuff said

Simple and to the point.

chucho · 12-07-2005, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 23AirJordan

Simple and to the point.

Yeah, one liners are fun and informative

In reality though, he isn't the best player on his team, let alone a top player in the NBA.
Shoot, Camby is running circles around Melo right now, and even K-Mart WHEN HEALTHY has the ability to put up 20 points per and 5 rebounds per.

Melo just doesn't do a lot more than grab a little over a rebound per quarter (yes he has his breakout 12 rebound game once a month), he rarely has any assists instead choosing to try and force his way to the basket or force up a bad shot everytime he touches the ball.

Quote:

I don't think Melo needed to be in college anymore. He dominated the college ranks his freshmen year. He averaged 22 PPG 10 RPG. Melo led Syracuse in scoring, rebounding, and minutes played. He also led Syracuse to a National Championship.

Actually he was a very raw player in college. He forced everything, never really played in the system that well, never tried that hard. He just got by on talent, like he is doing now.

I'm not saying he doesn't have the talent, or that he won't become one of the tops, he just has a lot of work to do to get there.

**23AJ** · 12-07-2005, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chucho

Yeah, one liners are fun and informative

He's a good poster, and sometimes a one liner is all we have to say. No harm there.

In reality though, he isn't the best player on his team, let alone a top player in the NBA.
Shoot, Camby is running circles around Melo right now, and even K-Mart WHEN HEALTHY has the ability to put up 20 points per and 5 rebounds per.

Melo just doesn't do a lot more than grab a little over a rebound per quarter (yes he has his breakout 12 rebound game once a month), he rarely has any assists instead choosing to try and force his way to the basket or force up a bad shot everytime he touches the ball.

Actually he was a very raw player in college. He forced everything, never really played in the system that well, never tried that hard. He just got by on talent, like he is doing now.

I'm not saying he doesn't have the talent, or that he won't become one of the tops, he just has a lot of work to do to get there.

He's a good poster, and sometimes a one liner is all we have to say. No harm there.

Well I have to disagree with you regarding Melo.

You say he isn't the best player on his team. I would say he is of equal value to the Nuggets as Marcus Camby. I'm not over looking Camby at all. No doubt Marcus is the Nuggets MVP this season. However with out Melo's scoring Cambys stats might not look as nice, because the Nuggets would be losing at a much higher clip. Just ask Elton Brand.

Take a look at the Nuggets record with out Camby and Martin versus with out Melo. The Nuggets win a lot more when Melo is in the lineup. When Camby and Martin are in the lineup and Melo is out of the the lineup the Nuggets lose more. Coincidence I don't think so.

I think you are underrating Melo a little bit. To say he only has one good game a month where he gets 10 rebounds or so. That just isn't true. Melo has had a lot of those games this month. GO back and check the box scores.

I think what you say about Carmelos college career actually only strengthens my comment that it was time for Carmelo to move on. Why you ask ?

Well if Carmelo wasn't playing in Jim Boeheim system all that well, never really tried that hard, and just got by on talent. Yet still was the best player on his team. Was able to average 22PPG and 10RPG. Plus lead his team as a freshmen to win the National Championship the most coveted team achievement for mens college basketball.

Why should Carmelo stay ? And go back and read my initial post. I Said Carmelo was to great of a talent to stay in college anymore after all his achievements as player/team.

Think about this a little deeper. Carmelo put up the same stats as King James their rookie season. Yes James has surpassed Melo now. However bare with me... You have players with NBA talent that are even less NBA ready than Melo. Example for you: Darko Milicic and Marvin Williams. Both players who were selected as a higher pick than Carmelo. Both of those guys went number 2 over all. Neither of those guys can hold a candle to what Melo is doing right now or in Melos rookie season. Yet they both went higher in the draft then Melo did.

You see my point? The NBA isn't really about drafting NBA ready players as it is NBA potential it seems. In this culture of NBA drafting to a degree. I don't see how you could hold someone like Carmelo back.

Also IMO Carmelo was much more of an NBA player coming in to the league than many other high draft picks. It seems to me Carmelo is becoming underrated as a player over all. The guy is only 21 and a supreme talent.

However I do agree with your comments that Melo needs to still work much harder on his game to be one of the NBA's best players. However I do believe he is a borderline all-star. Although he has the potential to be a lot better. I believe you will see him to continue to improve under George Karl.

**cpawfan** · 12-07-2005, 08:01 PM

I think Melo is still trying to figure out what type of player he wants to be. He is a pretty pure SF with more of a power game than a perimeter game.

In the half court game (i.e. when floor spacing is crappy and the PGs aren't pushing the ball) I want to see Melo on the block posting up his man. Camby and Kenyon are both comfortable setting up at the top of the key, so let them do that and draw their men away from the middle. Melo is good enough passer to take advantage of double teams and both Camby and Kenyon can hit 18 foot jumpers or take a pass and drive at the hoop.

**23AJ** · 12-07-2005, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpawfan

I think Melo is still trying to figure out what type of player he wants to be. He is a pretty pure SF with more of a power game than a perimeter game.

In the half court game (i.e. when floor spacing is crappy and the PGs aren't pushing the ball) I want to see Melo on the block posting up his man. Camby and Kenyon are both comfortable setting up at the top of the key, so let them do that and draw their men away from the middle. Melo is good enough passer to take advantage of double teams and both Camby and Kenyon can hit 18 foot jumpers or take a pass and drive at the hoop.

Well Carmelo I think will turn in to being a great inside out player. He already has a good post game. He just needs to work on his jumper. The more his jump shot develops the better Carmelo will be. Also Carmelo has a solid frame at SF to post up. I was noticing this when the Nuggets played the Nets.

Richard Jefferson is a solid SF. However I thought Carmelo could take Jefferson pretty much anytime he wanted to the bucket. Not to discount Jefferson at all, who I like a lot, but to me this just showed off Carmelos strength. Got to give Carmelo his due.

Carmelo should always get the initial touch in the half court offense. If he gets doubled kick the ball out find the open player like you said cpawfan. Let Camby/Martin or whoever gets the ball hit the open Jumper. Or drive to the bucket.'

Also if Melo could get his vert up a little bit. I think that would do a lot for his finishing under the basket. More dunks instead of lay ups.

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