Carmelo Anthony Traded To New York

[BATMON]

Re: The Carmelo Anthony (NY or Bust?) Thread

I can't believe Melo would ruin the Nuggets season...screw over the fans and team mates like Billups, people who Denver means a lot to...

All so he can join a 8 and 30 or whatever weak eastern conference team.

The man has made 100 million already...money can't mean that much. If he signs an extension, I'll lose all respect for him.

Should he stay and wait for a superstar to join him or fufill his contract and pursue his right as a free agent?

[Court_vision]

Re: The Carmelo Anthony (NY or Bust?) Thread

Should he stay and wait for a superstar to join him or fufill his contract and pursue his right as a free agent?

If he's serious about his career, he should be using free agency to find the best place for him to potentially win a championship.

Dude has made a hell of a lot of money and he's going to make a hell of a lot more even as a FA.

Absolutely no reason to take the 'security' of signing now in Jersey. If he does sign = he's all about the $$$ and doesn't care about chasing a ring.

Chauncey doesn't want to play in Jersey...Rip Hamilton is absolutely done.

Even with Melo, the Nets are years away from being a force. He'll basically be signing his prime years away to chase the 6th to 8th seed and first round and out for the next 4 or 5 seasons.

[CabreraMVP]

Re: The Carmelo Anthony (NY or Bust?) Thread

Okay, Rip is not done by any means. He averaged 18pgg last season. This year, he's averaging 13pgg in 25 minutes and shooting 40% from 3.

The only thing that has changed with Rip in the last 7 years is his shooting percentage. Since Chauncey was traded, he started shooting 41%. If he plays with Chauncey, he's going to be scoring 16-17pgg and shooting 45% like he did with Chauncey before. Without Chauncey, he doesn't get the ball in a great position to score. He has to create more and that's not his game.

He's not done at all. He is still in better condition than just about anybody. He got stale here. Detroit hasn't been a great place to play the past couple years. Pair him up with his best friend, and then one of the best players in the league, in a new city? I can't find any reason why he wouldn't excel their.

New Jersey won't be a 6th to 8th seed. If you have Chauncey, Rip, Melo, and Lopez as your core, it won't be hard to recruit some solid role players in the offseason. Chauncey and Rip are a dynamic duo on both sides of the ball, proven winners, Melo is an elite player, and Lopez is one of the better young bigs in the league. People will want to play on that team. It won't be hard to add depth. That's really the only thing they wouldn't have, a deep bench.

[BATMON]

Re: The Carmelo Anthony (NY or Bust?) Thread

Okay, Rip is not done by any means. He averaged 18pgg last season. This year, he's averaging 13pgg in 25 minutes and shooting 40% from 3.

The only thing that has changed with Rip in the last 7 years is his shooting percentage. Since Chauncey was traded, he started shooting 41%. If he plays with Chauncey, he's going to be scoring 16-17pgg and shooting 45% like he did with Chauncey before. Without Chauncey, he doesn't get the ball in a great position to score. He has to create more and that's not his game.

He's not done at all. He is still in better condition than just about anybody. He got stale here. Detroit hasn't been a great place to play the past couple years. Pair him up with his best friend, and then one of the best players in the league, in a new city? I can't find any reason why he wouldn't excel their.

New Jersey won't be a 6th to 8th seed. If you have Chauncey, Rip, Melo, and Lopez as your core, it won't be hard to recruit some solid role players in the offseason. Chauncey and Rip are a dynamic duo on both sides of the ball, proven winners, Melo is an elite player, and Lopez is one of the better young bigs in the league. People will want to play on that team. It won't be hard to add depth. That's really the only thing they wouldn't have, a deep bench.

Lopez is having a suspect year. Rip isnt the All-star he was and Billups will ask for a buyout, who is also having a shakey year.

Your selling:

Billups
Hamilton
Melo
Whomever
Lopez

as a 4th/5th seed next season w/ free agents lining up to play w/ two 30+ year olds in Newark?

Youve got to be kidding.

[BlueNGold]

Re: The Carmelo Anthony (NY or Bust?) Thread

Yeah, Rip isn't done IMO. The only reason he's faded over the last few years is because that mess in Detroit has killed his desire. They gave him a nice contract extension (I think) before the Billups/Iverson deal, but then we all know what happened with AI on the Pistons, and now they've stockpiled a bunch of guards that eat into his minutes. I feel they've disrespected him and I think all he needs is a change of scenery to a winning team.

And on CV's point about Melo taking the NJ extension meaning he doesn't care about winning a ring; I know me personally, I never felt like he cared about winning one. Maybe I'm wrong but that's just the vibe I get from him.

[Kashanova]

Re: The Carmelo Anthony (NY or Bust?) Thread

If he's serious about his career, he should be using free agency to find the best place for him to potentially win a championship.

Dude has made a hell of a lot of money and he's going to make a hell of a lot more even as a FA.

Absolutely no reason to take the 'security' of signing now in Jersey. If he does sign = he's all about the $$$ and doesn't care about chasing a ring.

Chauncey doesn't want to play in Jersey...Rip Hamilton is absolutely done.

Even with Melo, the Nets are years away from being a force. He'll basically be signing his prime years away to chase the 6th to 8th seed and first round and out for the next 4 or 5 seasons.

what makes you think he'll end up with the nets? he wants to be a knick. he even implied so today.

Carmelo Anthony said on Friday that his "ultimate" dream would be to play in New York.

"That's like the ultimate dream at the end of the day," Anthony said. "Who wouldn't want to go back home to play?"

[z Revis]

Re: The Carmelo Anthony (NY or Bust?) Thread

Rip and Chauncey aren't getting any younger though. Billups is 34 and Rip is 32. That's not the core I'd want if I were Melo.

[ffaacc03]

Re: The Carmelo Anthony (NY or Bust?) Thread

At first glance it would appear as if NJ wouldnt be a playoff caliber team after this trade goes through ... then again, I thought the same about NY while at preseason (with that cast ?, Amare wont do it alone).

If the right atmosphere and attitude is there and they all stay together, I see no reason for that NJ team to do not do some noise in order to grab a low playoff spot this year and a slightly better one next year ... I am not saying that they would be as good as NY or that they would have a better future, but that we can not dismiss the odds of them blending and producing better than expected.

[BATMON]

Re: The Carmelo Anthony (NY or Bust?) Thread

A'mare came into D'Antoni's system that he already knew w/ the roster well oiled in D'Antoni's style by now.

Avery Johnson getting Rip/Chauncey/Melo isnt the same thing...IMO.

NJ has won TEN games. U actually see them leapfrogging the lower seeds and getting a playoffs spot w/ a totally new team this year?

And why would Melo even want to go from Denver in the middle of the Playoff Race out West to "lets TRY and make the Playoffs"?

[CabreraMVP]

Re: The Carmelo Anthony (NY or Bust?) Thread

Lopez is having a suspect year. Rip isnt the All-star he was and Billups will ask for a buyout, who is also having a shakey year.

Please Back this up. Statisctically, there is no difference between Hamilton now and Hamilton in his all star years. The only difference is shooting 41% opposed to 45%. He scores the same amount of points, same amount of rebounds, same amount of assists, and he is shooting the 3 better.

His shooting percentage dropping is a direct result of playing with Billups, who feeds him off screens, and playing with a mess of a team with no point guard. Hamilton is not done. Hamilton is just as good today as he was in 2006. He is 32, but he's always been the biggest health nut in the league and he hasn't slowed down at all.

I understand to the average fan Hamilton is done because he's "old" and doesn't get the hype he used to get when Detroit was winning 50 games every year. He is the exact same player, the microscopic change in his numbers is a direct result of playing without Chauncey.

And this is true until somebody can prove me wrong, with something better "Hes 32."

Rip as an all star: 19ppg, 3rpg, 4apg, he shot 47% and 38% from 3.

Since Chauncey left: 19ppg, 3prg, 5apg, he shot 41% and 35% from 3.

So how he is done? Like I said, with no real point guard he doesn't get the looks he used to, which explains the drop in shooting percentage. He handles the ball more, evident by his assist totals, but he isn't a guy to create his own shot which he has to do more of. So that hurts his FG percentage also. But Detroit has basically had 3 shooting guard the past two years, and no point guard. So what has he done wrong?

Detroit doesn't run him off screens anymore. That's why he doesn't get great looks anymore, that's the reason for the small change in his numbers. That will happen if he is playing with Chauncey.

Billups said he will suit up if they agree to pick up his option next year, they said they would.

So you have old man Billups, who coincidentally is coming off his best season, and Rip Hamilton, who hasn't slowed down at all with age and is putting up numbers nearly identical to what he did "in his prime" in 2006. These guys together have won more than just anybody in the past 7 years. Chauncey went to 8 straight conference Finals, he must be doing something right in his old age. Denver got swept in the first round, and Chauncey was the only real addition, and they were 2 wins away from the Finals the next season. Not only is he a great individual player but he makes others better. And he's old? He' still a 17 and 5 point guard who is an elite floor general.

These guys are not done, they are not washed up. Billups is old but he's still putting up great numbers. Rip is "old," and he's putting up the same numbers he did when he was 26.

Long post I know, but I know these guys. I watched them play hundreds and hundreds of games together, and 2 seasons without each other. I know they don't make New Jersey less desirable. From 2002-2008 they were the most dynamic and successful backcourt in the NBA and they are both just as good as they were in that stretch.

[z Revis]

Re: The Carmelo Anthony (NY or Bust?) Thread

A'mare came into D'Antoni's system that he already knew w/ the roster well oiled in D'Antoni's style by now.

Avery Johnson getting Rip/Chauncey/Melo isnt the same thing...IMO.

NJ has won TEN games. U actually see them leapfrogging the lower seeds and getting a playoffs spot w/ a totally new team this year?

And why would Melo even want to go from Denver in the middle of the Playoff Race out West to "lets TRY and make the Playoffs"?

After looking at the standings, it's definitely possible, but two things need to happen: 1. The trade goes down NOW, or within the next week at the least, they can't afford too many more losses. And 2. They mesh well from the get-go and don't go through a LeBron/Wade/Bosh-esque slump to start.

They're only down 5.5 games from 8th seeded Philly and 6.5 games from 7th seeded Indiana.

[z Revis]

Re: The Carmelo Anthony (NY or Bust?) Thread

And this is true until somebody can prove me wrong, with something better "Hes 32."

Just to clear this up.. I wasn't even responding to you with that. It wasn't an attempt to prove you wrong nor an attempt to say those guys are done. I was merely stating the fact that they aren't getting any younger... which they aren't.

[CabreraMVP]

Re: The Carmelo Anthony (NY or Bust?) Thread

Well they aren't getting any worse, either.

Detroit and New Jersey play each other next week. Could be interesting.

[z Revis]

Re: The Carmelo Anthony (NY or Bust?) Thread

Well they aren't getting any worse, either.

Detroit and New Jersey play each other next week. Could be interesting.

With age comes declining play. They may have not hit the wall yet, but eventually they will. If I were Melo, I'm not sure I'd want those guys as my core players for the future.

[mvspree8]

Re: The Carmelo Anthony (NY or Bust?) Thread

Please Back this up. Statisctically, there is no difference between Hamilton now and Hamilton in his all star years. The only difference is shooting 41% opposed to 45%. He scores the same amount of points, same amount of rebounds, same amount of assists, and he is shooting the 3 better.

His shooting percentage dropping is a direct result of playing with Billups, who feeds him off screens, and playing with a mess of a team with no point guard. Hamilton is not done. Hamilton is just as good today as he was in 2006. He is 32, but he's always been the biggest health nut in the league and he hasn't slowed down at all.

I understand to the average fan Hamilton is done because he's "old" and doesn't get the hype he used to get when Detroit was winning 50 games every year. He is the exact same player, the microscopic change in his numbers is a direct result of playing without Chauncey.

And this is true until somebody can prove me wrong, with something better "Hes 32."

Rip as an all star: 19ppg, 3rpg, 4apg, he shot 47% and 38% from 3.

Since Chauncey left: 19ppg, 3prg, 5apg, he shot 41% and 35% from 3.

So how he is done? Like I said, with no real point guard he doesn't get the looks he used to, which explains the drop in shooting percentage. He handles the ball more, evident by his assist totals, but he isn't a guy to create his own shot which he has to do more of. So that hurts his FG percentage also. But Detroit has basically had 3 shooting guard the past two years, and no point guard. So what has he done wrong?

Detroit doesn't run him off screens anymore. That's why he doesn't get great looks anymore, that's the reason for the small change in his numbers. That will happen if he is playing with Chauncey.

Billups said he will suit up if they agree to pick up his option next year, they said they would.

So you have old man Billups, who coincidentally is coming off his best season, and Rip Hamilton, who hasn't slowed down at all with age and is putting up numbers nearly identical to what he did "in his prime" in 2006. These guys together have won more than just anybody in the past 7 years. Chauncey went to 8 straight conference Finals, he must be doing something right in his old age. Denver got swept in the first round, and Chauncey was the only real addition, and they were 2 wins away from the Finals the next season. Not only is he a great individual player but he makes others better. And he's old? He' still a 17 and 5 point guard who is an elite floor general.

These guys are not done, they are not washed up. Billups is old but he's still putting up great numbers. Rip is "old," and he's putting up the same numbers he did when he was 26.

Long post I know, but I know these guys. I watched them play hundreds and hundreds of games together, and 2 seasons without each other. I know they don't make New Jersey less desirable. From 2002-2008 they were the most dynamic and successful backcourt in the NBA and they are both just as good as they were in that stretch.

Rip played only 46 games last year, and only 67 the year before that. His durability has been an issue, not to mention the fact that his scoring has dropped to 13.2PPG, with 2.2RPG and only 2.6APG. All of these are the worst numbers since his rookie season.

And he's making $12.5M this year. That's at least twice what a player with his production should be making. And he's 32, which is right around the time that perimeter players start freefalling.

If I had to take on Rip and Chauncey to land a superstar, I'd do it -- whether Melo is truely a superstar or just a high-volume scorer is a different conversation, but I would take those three plus Humphries and Lopez over what they are currently running with. But I wouldn't touch Hamilton or his $25M that he's due after this season under any other circumstances.