NBA 2012-2013 Season Thread - Page 679

Maybe he gets all the blame and finger pointed at him because he is getting paid a lot of money and has accomplished nothing? He couldn't lead the Knicks to a playoff spot and speaking of Knicks, that is a big market team and whoever plays for them will be magnified. Amare is suppose to bring th Knicks back to the spotlight by winning, he even stated it, guaranteed it himself. But he hasn't and Melo has gotten the same flack for it too so it's not like Amare is being singled out. The difference is that Melo is just a far better player (you can see by his MVP like game this year) and you can actually see him trying to change and actually train and workout in the off-season. It may have coincided with the Olympics so we'll see how he works during the next off season.


And you know what, you are correct that Amare will not be the last guy who doesn't rebound well for his size or can't competently defend but why is such laziness be ignored? Especially on a player who gets millions and accomplished nothing? I mean why encourage players who doesn't want keep training to improve in the off-season?


No there won't be a lot of Kobes who spends his life at the gym but there Durants and Westbrooks and even Lebrons who does have fun and party but also works on their games to improve every summer. They stay in shape and seek help to improve. That should be encouraged. Maybe by pointing out Amares flaws, fairly or unfairly, then the future generation can take note that they shouldn't try to fly by their talents alone because they are just one injury away from losing their career.

"Working out" obviously meant keeping busy and working on your game in the off-season.

And playing like an MVP in a crappy team means nothing because well you are on a crappy team that never made the playoffs. Kobe is an MVP that carried the Lakers to the playoffs in a tough Western Conference, that is MVP in a crappy team. Kemba Walker averaging 18/3/6 & 2 stls per game isn't MVP or even All Star caliber because guess what, he is on a crappy team and no one else will score.


As for the money, no I would not turn down that money. Hell if he offers that to me right now and be a PG for them, I'll take it but be sure that I am going to work my ass off and try to be the best I could be even if the best I could do isn't even good enough for a high school team. I don't blame Amare for taking the money (heck not even blaming him for NYs crappy seasons), however his work ethic is in question. He trained with Hakeem for 2 days and then what? Party on, party on all night? Yeah he can hit the gym and run the threadmill and lift weights but at the end of the day if you aren't working like Durant and Lebron (who actually goes to each others camp and train with each other for months end long) then you aren't taking your potential to it's fullest.

Yeah these guys travel all year long during the season and that is tough and they need to rest their body but there is about 4-5 months lay-off between seasons and you can't come to the season w/o improvements and hope that your athleticism will carry you in your 30s. WHy do you think Kobe is playing his most efficient, scoring leader at his age even after countless injuries? He trains and works. Who knows where TMac or Iverson would be if those guys took practices and summer workouts seriously? If Amare worked his body, maybe he wouldn't be so injury prone? These are all "what ifs?" but it can make your body stronger, you have to work on it constantly, break apart those muscles to rebuild as stronger and better.


And as for Nash, dude has been constantly criticized for his defense, he just always in a small market teams. Read up on the worries when he was coming to LA, everyone is saying the LA D on PGs are already weak and Nash will just make it weaker. No one is covering Nash' fault on defense at all. His 3-point scoring, he can't really be lights out for his position, his job is to pass the ball and distribute and make everyone better and run around, he has to be the most active on the court and at his age, his stamina is amazing but it can still be exhausting and it takes a lot of energy to shoot from behind the arc (or at least shoot well/consistently with the right form).


It really is as simple as this, he is blaming him knowing no defense on not having a coach and I can guarran-damn-tee it that is simply untrue. Watch Laker games these days, their defensive lapses and see how pissed DAntoni is. Watch those Phoenix games and see how mad he gets on those defensive breakdowns. Dude obviously taught defensive sets and upset by not executing it. He may not be the best defensive coach but this is the NBA, defense is part of the game and you are insane to think that a coach would not teach defense on his players, even the basics. And on a player like Amare, who's tall and athletic, I'd be surprised if he didn't ask him to block more. Everyone knows he can jump out of the building and he has had years where he averaged 2 blocks a game but he isn't doing it consistently when he should.

Hey I am not a big an of DAntoni, even when he went to the Lakers, but that was obviously a cheap shot and Amare looking for an excuse on his lack of defense.

But again if you don't point that out then it will never be resolved and we'll have players that are one dimensional. HS players will think that is ok, no need for the fundamentals because they can just dunk on everyone. No one is singling Amare out, he is the point of discussion by his stupid quote so he is the one being talked about. He is being compared to other stars because that is what he is being advertised as and it is how he is getting paid. See how much crap Joe Johnson gets as the most overpaid player in the league right now? Or Rashard Lewis? Those guys get a lot of flack too but Amare is/was the franchise player of the Knicks, a giant global market team and they threw down a lot of money at him to be that star. And the Knicks has accomplished nothing on his back. So why are you surprised at the crap being thrown at him?

I never said Amare is a bad player, he is a good player but he isn't the franchise player that most think he is. You said he played like an MVP in a crappy team but you can't say that when the team doesn't get to the playoffs. He is a good player in a crappy team but to say he played like an MVP when there are no other options on the team and not make the playoff isn't "MVP-like". MVP ina crappy team would be Lebron with the Cavs or Kobe with Smush and Kwame, still making the playoffs (a finals in Lebrons case with a crappy Mike Brown as a coach), those are playing like MVPs in a crappy team, not Amare playing well while the team accomplishes nothing.


As for DAntoni, everything I've said is from what I've seen, the Suns were practically the Lakers' rival a few years back so I saw them play a lot, no the Knicks with the DAntoni though. But yeah, he may not know what to do but he was upset and he shows it. He sure call a lot of timeout in the Lakers now when the Lakers gets their lapses.

I think Amare should be able to average in the 20s even with Melo and I believe that was expected from him. And that is what makes him overpaid.

As for the Kobe and Lebron comparison, well that is why you can't call everyone MVP and why I don't see any good player on a crappy team being an MVP or "playing like an MVP" because those are rare. Let's take Kyrie as an example, dude is a beast and averaging 22/4/6 but in a crappy team. Is that MVP caliber stat? Yes, but since he is unable to win, he isn't an "MVP" in a crappy team. If every good player in a bad team are deemed MVP then it loses it's meaning, does that make more sense? I am not sure I am conveying what I am trying to say clearly.




It's cool to keep posting, not much Knicks talk here so take advantage of it. :lol You just have to argue/put up with me until others chime in, then I'll be more quiet.

In other news, I think the new CBA sucks if it causes good team like the Grizz to do this:


I mean the team isn't even Miami. LA (both teams), Brooklyn or NY when it comes to big names and giant salaries but they are still being forced to break up? Kind of sucks. I think it would be terrible to lose Gay and Memphis might as well say good bye to their playoff run if it happens.

Queue the Lakers trade talks