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Episode 13 - "I'm just here so I won't get fined" It's a special reunion episode this week as Donnie DaSilva and John Kyle are joined by one of their basketball mentors - Coach George Kraus. George's coaching career spans nearly 40 years with well over 800 high school wins and so many young athletes that he helped play at the college and professional levels. One of the people he coached is The Bench's own John Kyle. Donnie served as assistant on George's staff for several seasons. Just this past weekend, George was inducted into the Niagara Falls Sports Wall of Fame. In addition to our chat with Coach Kraus, the guys give you their personal highs and lows from this past week and Vanessa steps into the segment as Curtis Anthony was off watching the Raptors stomp the Kings. Plus, we hit you with a ton of news from around the basketball world including:
You can also listen to the show, and easily access our archives on your smartphone / tablet by downloading the Stitcher App or by subscribing to us on iTunes You may also download the direct link to the MP3. |
Showing posts with label Carmelo Anthony. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carmelo Anthony. Show all posts
Thursday, January 29
Friday, January 23
The NBA All-Star starters have finally been announced.
What soon follows is a whole lotta bitchin' and chipin' amongst the league's many fans. This is of course repeated once the coaches select the reserves. And then again when Commissioner Silver makes the picks for any injury replacement.
So brace yourselves.
We're on the verge of hearing all the "Bieber got Lowry in" we can possibly handle. Or maybe it will be how all the Lakers fans got Kobe in. Or how...Phil Jackson...Spike Lee...James Dolan?!? Ok, I'm not sure how Melo got in.
Forget it. The worst has yet to come.anyway.
Just wait for the reserves to be named...
Here's your starters, folks!
Western Conference
GSW - Steph Curry
LAL - Kobe Bryant
LAC - Blake Griffin
NOA - Anthony Davis
MEM - Marc Gasol
Eastern Conference
TOR - Kyle Lowry
WAS - John Wall
NYK - Carmelo Anthony
CLE - LeBron James
CHI - Pau Gasol
Friday, October 17
Part of this decision is based on Fisher's apparent love of Quincy Acy and his ability to hustle.
For that same reason, Fisher has told various media outlets, that he is also leaning towards Iman Shumpert to return to the starting 5. Both of these player remind me of a conversation I once had on a scouting trip with another coach.
I pointed out a kid on the floor who was running around and going after every loose ball. I hadn't see the kid before, and asked my colleague, "Is he any good?". He promptly answered "He tried hard".
That's coach-speak for he's going to work really hard to make up for his complete lack of talent. So, all that being said - it looks like the Knicks starting line to begin the season will be:
PG Jose Calderon
SG Iman Shumpert
SF Carmelo Anthony
PF Quincy Acy
C Samuel Dalembert
Wow.
Wasn’t this the supposed to be a new era of basketball in New York, ushered in by Phil Jackson and his protégé Derek Fisher? This could be one of the all-time worst Knick starting 5s.
There is no question that Calderon can shoot and distribute. He is a wonderful playmaker, but since leaving the security of Toronto’s slow half court system, his trademark assist to turnover ratio has gotten progressively worse.
He is slowing down as he gets older, and he was slow to begin with.
He has also had one of the worst defensive ratings in the entire league each year of his career.
Shump is supposed to be a defensive stopper but for the last year and a half has done very little. His name was rumored in every possible trade last season because his value was dropping fast. Quincy is an undersized 4 that was given more than 11 MPG by the Kings last season - and they were so underwhelmed, they got rid of him at the first chance they had.
He's like Reggie Evans, but without all the rebounds. Wait, what’s Reggie Evans without all the rebounds? Not much.
After a couple decent seasons in 07 and 08, Dalembert has regressed to being just a guy on the offensive end. As a bench big, you’d likely think Dally would be a serviceable piece who could add a bit of a defensive presence; as a starter it sounds like he’s going to regularly be exposed.
When asked about the inefficiency of the triangle during a pre season loss to the Toronto Raptors (in which the Knicks shot 37.8% from the field and 3-23 from deep), Carmelo stated:
“I can’t really worry about what other people are worrying about, whether it works for me or not. I go out there and I don’t have a choice but to make it work. Whether it takes now or it takes later, we don’t have a choice but to make this work”.
Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the new system, is it? What a mess. It looks like it could be a very, very long season for fans of the blue and orange.
Thursday, October 2
He continued by saying “but that doesn’t matter to me”.
Clearly it does Melo, or you wouldn’t have put it out there for public digestion.
“I know what I’m capable of doing. I know the grind and the hard work I put into this. I know how consistent I’ve been over my career. To do it day in and day out and night in and night out on a very consistent basis year in year out, I know what I can do and I know the work I’ve put in. So as far as caring about if I’m underrated as a superstar, and getting the respect I deserve, I don’t worry about that. In due time, if everything goes well, I will get it.”
Doesn’t this read like a guy who simply doesn’t get it?
Take Melo’s words and translate them into straight forward English, after removing the cloaked sports clichés.
What he’s really saying is – ‘If I continue to put up numbers like this every year, people will eventually say I’m better than LeBron and Durant’. Hey Carmelo, how about “If I help lead my team deep in a playoff run, people may then view me differently – but to this point in my career, I haven’t done that”.
Or how about using that new found financial security to say something a little introspective like “I know I have aspects of my game I can improve on – and I’m working to do that so that there is no doubt that I’m the best in the world”.
His responses read like “I am the best… but you morons don’t realize it”. That is the attitude of a man with a chip on his shoulder, who seems like he’s content with his current effort / production level and refuses to take responsibility for his team’s short comings.
Further evidence of that point comes when Melo was asked why he isn’t usually mentioned in the same breath as Durant and James, and he replied with:
“I know, personally, I’m there. It doesn’t bother me. These (critics) are all people that maybe never accomplish anything, that just sit back and write articles all day long about what they see. They’re kind of living through us out there on the basketball court. I don’t worry about me being put up there. I know night in and night out I’m gonna go out there and put my work in regardless of win loss or draw. I’m still going to go out there and be the best player I can be.”
The shockingly low level of accountability and the fact that he doesn’t publicly admit to any personal areas of opportunity is sad – especially for Knicks fans.
While Melo has shown the ability to score at will, it’s often as the prototypical high volume / ball stopping type scorer. He likes a ton of isos run for himself, and doesn’t look to make his teammates better.
At least, you hope it’s that he hasn’t looked – and not that he’s incapable of making his teammates better.
When Melo got to New York, it was firmly Amar’e Stoudamire’s team. Stat was enjoying a career year. Over 26 points and 9 boards per game. Once Melo was added to the offence, Stat began a long, slow decent into mediocrity.
While injuries have taken their toll on Stoudamire, his trademark enthusiasm and offensive passion simply hasn't been there since Carmelo was acquired.
It has also been brought up many times, that the best ball the Knicks have played since Anthony joined the team was during the month or so that he was out of action in the Winter of 2012 when unknown point guard Jeremy Lin led New York with a frenetic paced, free flowing offence that didn't see the ball stick in anyone's hands.
Last season, Carmelo’s assist numbers ranked him 47th in the NBA among Small Forwards. And his turnover numbers tied for 14th.
Those that say that Melo makes up for those short comings with the 25 plus per game that he drops, should also keep in mind, that last season he ranked 15th in True Shooting % among Small Forwards and 101st overall.
Not exactly mind blowing numbers.
In fact - those numbers are pretty dreadful.
While Carmelo has earned a rep amongst basketball people for being a “better-than-advertised” post defender, his perimeter and help defence is below average at best.
We are all motivated by different things in life - and if this is what Anthony needs to fire himself up and help carry the Knicks to a playoff birth, then all of us here at The Bench wish him the best of luck; but he needs to get the message that being a “superstar” means MORE than averaging 25.7 ppg in the playoffs (which he does) … it means elevating the game of those around you so that you get out of the first round more than twice over 11 seasons.
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