I don't get it...I just don't. A team that started 22-15 is now 27-26 and in desperate need of someone to take the load off of MVP candidate Amar'e Stoudemire's shoulders, so what's the hold up?
Danilo Gallinari? This is season number three, not to say he's a bust but he's definitely no Carmelo Anthony. Landry Fields? Gee, where are we going to find someone else who hustles and has a nose for the ball in the second round? Wilson Chandler? Melo will average somewhere between 25 and 30 points per game as a Knick...Chandler's inconsistent scoring won't be missed. I get not wanting to gut the roster, but to be set on keeping two of the three previously mentioned players instead of going out and acquiring one of the leagues elite players is an absolute atrocity.
I hate being a Knicks fan that feels entitled to getting the best players and becoming one of the leagues new powerhouses, especially after the last decade, but this is a concept that's been fed to us yet taken out of our mouthes before we could eat it over the last two years. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire...all of the stars available for 2010 with New York set as the biggest stage for them. Donnie Walsh cleared almost $30 Million in cap space in anticipation of the star-studded class, hoping that the real Alpha Dogs would want to bring life back to the hoops Mecca. Of all of the stars only Amar'e was up for the challenge, but Melo's made it no secret that he wants in too.
I'm not saying that Melo and Amar'e are enough to get this team to the next level, but you start with those two SUPERSTARS and you attract more players to be a part of this up-and-coming powerhouse. Or you settle for a team that loses to the Kings and Clippers at home because they don't play defense and if either Gallinari (inconsistent) or Chandler (inconsistent) are off they have no chance of winning.
I understand that Donnie Walsh thinks he can get Melo for a cheaper price, but I don't think this potential acquisition is a move that can be treated like a guessing game. With all of the Collective Bargaining Agreement controversy, player salaries may go down and Melo probably doesn't want to take his chances that he can get the deal the Nuggets have put in front of him from somebody else next season. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Melo takes the fat contract to stay in Denver, or if another team enters the hunt because the Knicks have allowed them time to put together a package to present a better situation for Melo. In order, he wants to get paid, win, and win on a big stage...while New York is the biggest stage, it's not the only stage and it definitely isn't the only place Carmelo can win.
With that said, I'm not necessarily worried about any other teams currently making a push for Carmelo, and quite frankly I don't know if Melo has any interest in playing another season (if not game) in Denver, but I don't think waiting this out is a risk worth taking for the Knicks. This current Knicks team has shown flashes, but the truth of the matter is they're not the team they were in December and January. They're a few pieces away as it is, but one of those pieces is another All-Star caliber player. Gallinari and Fields may get there one day, but Melo's there now, and puts the franchise in a better place for the future.
It would be great to sign Melo in the offseason and keep the aforementioned trade bait, but if Melo isn't available again after the trade deadline it's just another let down in the Knicks rebuilding process. If the Knicks end up empty handed their rebuilding slogan will go from Lebron in 2010, to Melo in 2011, to hopefully Deron Williams/Chris Paul in 2012...it's enough already! Getting Carmelo gives the Knicks the best chance to lure more talent in by making the Knicks the new fun project to be a part of. Besides, Chris Paul toasted to the new Big Three in New York at Carmelo's Wedding last summer...you don't think he'd break his word do you?
In all seriousness, Carmelo Anthony is another huge step in the right direction for Donnie Walsh's rebuilding conquest, and the talent that Walsh has in place right now really isn't worth the risk of missing out on him. Carmelo with Amar'e and Ray Felton (or Billups if they include a point guard swap) going into next season is a lot more enticing than Amar'e and any other two or three players on this current Knicks team. I know that Gallinari, Fields, and Chandler have potential to serve as career starters in the NBA, but they really are just high-end role players for a team that needs another go-to guy. Two big-time players and some role players acquired through free agency sounds a lot better to me than one go-to player with some talented guys who may or may not be able to get going in a big game.
Knock on wood, the Knicks are an Amar'e injury away from being irrelevant again. You add Carmelo Anthony to the mix and Amar'e has someone to pick him up on nights that he's off, as well as an exquisite talent who gives the defense something else to really have to focus on. I know the issue isn't Melo's talent, but really take the time to realize how much of a difference maker he is and how valuable he truly could be to this franchise. Is it worth having to part with two of the following: a budding European, second-round draft pick, and a very watered down version of the guy we want? I sure think so.
We'll see...
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