Jim Boeheim Rips Melo's Supporting Cast
Syracuse – Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim maintains little hope that former Syracuse star Carmelo Anthony can win an NBA title with the New York Knicks. “Not on that team,” Boeheim said. “He did what he can do. He played very well the final game. Everybody’s killing him but Tyson Chandler just didn’t try to catch the ball. He threw him the ball and Tyson Chandler went like this (Boeheim dodged in a chair in his office in the Carmelo K. Anthony Center). He was wide open. He should have been looking for the ball right here. Kenyon Martin should have been looking for the ball. They both went like this (Boeheim dodged again). Carmelo gets turnovers and the announcers aren’t smart enough to even think, ‘Well, the guy should try to catch the ball.’ ”
Boeheim said the Knicks needed Anthony, Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith to play well every night to have a chance in almost any game this season. “Those guys weren’t great players where they were and now they’re asking them to be second and third options,” Boeheim said. “In Miami the second and third options are Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Your fourth option is Ray Allen, who is still in good shape. Your fifth option is Shane Battier, who is still a good player. The New York Knicks have who?”
“I said to my son, ‘He’s going to have to get 50 for them to win,’ ” Boeheim said. “That’s what he needed. Fifty. You’re not going to get that against Indiana. They run an isolation offense so he goes one-on-one all the time. It’s hard. It’s hard work. They need more of an offense where he can get something going. He has to work too hard. That’s not his fault. That’s how it’s set up.”
“Tyson Chandler claims he never gets the ball. He doesn’t try to get the ball,” said Boeheim, who coached Chandler when he was a member of the 2012 United States Olympic team. “He had two points and Hibbert had (21). What was the difference in the series? Raymond Felton was 0-for-7. Lance Stephenson had (25) points. They’re going to blame it on Carmelo? I told him when he went to New York, they’re going to blame it on you.”
“They have no chance to win. (Knicks starter) Pablo Prigioni has never scored against (the U.S. team). We played Argentina six or seven times in different events. He hasn’t scored … against us. You have to have players to win in the NBA.”
“They’re getting nothing but older,” Boeheim said. “They’re not going to get better. They need two more options. Chris Paul would be the guy. … No one else can help them. They’re not going to beat Miami. Indiana’s not going to get worse, they’re going to get better. It doesn’t look good.”
So we never really got a chance to rehash the Stoolie commenter reactions when I compared Durant to Melo. First off, just a little lesson on how the world works – comparing two people doesn’t mean I think they are equals. Saying Carmelo and Durant are in similar situations doesn’t mean I think Durant is better than Melo. A very, very basic notion Stoolies could not seem to grasp. But the better reaction during that debate was all the Stoolies who all the sudden claimed the Knicks were absolutely stacked and loaded with talent surrounding Carmelo.
All year long I’d write hopeful blogs saying when the Knicks played their best, they were capable of beating anybody. Which of course stirred up reactions of “KFC you know absolutely nothing about basketball. The Knicks can beat anyone? 40 year old Jason Kidd? Injured Tyson Chandler? 30 year old rookie Pablo Prigioni? Oh and don’t even say JR Smith. A 6th man of the year is your 2nd option. Lol. The Knicks suck and so do you.” Then I write a blog saying Carmelo’s supporting cast is absolute garbage and he can’t win on his own and I get “KFC you know nothing about basketball. The Knicks supporting cast is garbage? You have Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni to distribute the ball. Tyson Chandler is an Olympian and former defensive player of the year. JR Smith is this year’s 6th Man of the Year. Yea…no supporting cast there. Lol. Carmelo sucks and so do you.” Absolutely unbelievable. People were legitimately using Tyson Chandler being on Team USA and Jason Kidd winning a title with the Mavericks as reasons why they were a good supporting cast for Melo. Talking up PABLO fucking PRIGIONI as a viable option to support Carmelo Anthony trying to win a title.
Look here’s the bottom line – people don’t like Carmelo. So no matter what the situation is, whatever argument you are trying to make, Carmelo haters will take the opposite angle to bash him. Its a reputation thing. Some of that rep he deserves, some of it I think has spiraled out of control with the media. But thats the basis off all this debate. So Jim Boeheim kinda sounds like a douche here. He didn’t really articulate his point all that well and it seems like he’s just kinda complaining and backing his old player, but the facts are true. The cast around him isn’t that great, and the few players that are talented completely disappeared against the Pacers. Aside from a few runs here and there with Shump, Cope and JR hit some buckets, he was out there all alone. Now please understand – that DOESN’T mean I think Carmelo’s game is flawless. I don’t think he’s perfect. I often wish he’d change his style. But that also DOESN’T mean he’s not talented enough to win a title. Surround him with Chris Paul, or like Durant in OKC, Russel Westbrook, and he and his team are a legitimate contender, period.