Give Melo some patience

People are being way too critical of Melo and his perceived disinterest in team ball. Even if he is missing too many shots right now, we knew this would be his game and most of us still wanted him. It's not like the guy doesn't take the blame for sucking or hasn't made an effort to improve his passing and overall defensive effort.

Just read what he said after the game:

"I think we as a team need to do a better job getting Amare the ball," Anthony said. "I don't know. I have the ball in my hands, maybe it's on me. Maybe I need to get him the ball a little but more, help him out with that. Me and STAT will talk, probably tomorrow, Monday, try to figure it out together. If I'm doing too much I want him to tell me. I want the guys on my team to tell me if I'm doing too much and we'll handle him like that."

per ESPN/knicksblog

We see all these shots he is putting up and some of us assume he just wants to be a ball hogging, stat stuffing, brick shooting jerk who doesn't trust his teammates and is content with never winning as long as he gets his at the end of the day. But I just see a guy who wants to win more than anything and believes in his ability to hit the next shot; and that is coming from hours of practicing certain shots in the gym and years of making them in the NBA. The Knicks are asking him to do more than he has ever had to do before, and for probably the first time he doesn't have a single capable point guard to make his job easier (except the few minutes Bibby is out there, which would ideally be third string minutes behind two real guys). I am not here preaching to give patience for Baron Davis to save this teams offense - though I do think he will be a huge lift if he can find STAT (and even get Tyson some shots) for more open looks and ones closer to the basket, which should open the floor up nicely for Melo - I am preaching to give patience for Melo to make this team: fun to watch, better than expected, flow and something we are proud to call the Knicks. I am not even asking you to stop booing or hating on him, especially since his shot is stinking up the joint, and especially because I believe that will help drive him to be the best Melo he can be (sounds cheesy, but I really think he has all the skills to be one of the top five NBA players for the life of this contract, not just a top 5 scorer). I believe that he hears the critics and won't be satisfied until he shuts them up. I really believe that having two scorers of this talent, and specifically these two guys, is championship worthy when teamed with one of the top defensive centers in the game - when was the last time anyone held Dwight under 10 points? - almost regardless of the players around them. I can only imagine those 3 dominating everyone on offense in a 3-on-3 halfcourt game, while, STAT aside, playing more than capably on D - maybe that is how they should practice until the offense is improved, because you just add two guards behind the 3-point line and it's not too different. I think many of us already believe that he could average twice as many assists per game with the players around him.

Again, I am not saying you should give his current shitty shooting and overshooting a break, I just think you shouldn't conclude that he won't get better and has a bad attitude because of what we are seeing during this AWFUL play and losing streak - I just think you should give him time to improve. I get it, we are NY fans and we expect the best, and we want it immediately and always, so go out to MSG and boo him as loud as possible when he shoots 10-30, he deserves it, but don't give up on him or this team - whose terrible shooting as a collective, can't even knock down open shots, is just as much to blame - just yet, because as they say, 'the best things in life are worth waiting for.' Just because Melo hasn't been a passer enough yet, doesn't mean he can't or won't become one. I don't know, I am probably just an idiot, and probably just wasted my time writing this, but sometimes you gotta get what you're thinking out there.