^ This. Remember what the Knicks were before Amar'e came here? It was a gamble to get things started. This is after that debacle with Zeke. How soon people forget
. He knew the team still needed to be built to compete, so he took the first step that no star player wanted to take for the Knicks. He gets tons of credit for that. It's not his fault management threw $100 mil his way, who wouldn't take it, but with him I sensed it was more than that. So to respond to your comment
@MrDozo
, yes he did do the Knicks a favor by signing.
@8PM at MSG
is correct, this team would not look like this presently if Amar'e wasn't here. It basically was a domino effect that landed Melo.
Also, players saying they want to retire as a _____________ is just athlete and contract speak. How many times have we heard that across sports and the player either gets traded or signs elsewhere, so that statement is just noise for the time being.
Quote:
I have to check this out. He came from a rough beginning.
This. If his intent all along is to be a Knick, why say this before the season starts and make it a season long distraction? By him saying he's going to opt out, everyone is going to question him after every good and bad stretch. He brought the questioning on himself. Did he not pay attention when Lebron pulled this? My suspicion is that he isn't THAT dumb, my thought is that he is putting pressure on management to get a plan together now to put a team around him that will win. My read on it is that by him doing this now, he doesn't totally believe in this squad as presently constituted. Why say this after a training camp and some practices? That means he took a look at the team and was like idk. Yeah, he gets more money by opting out, but I don't believe that is the sole reason for saying this.
Melo will be Melo and will be given a max contract no matter where he goes and regardless of team record. He's a max player period.