Re: Karl could sit Melo if Nuggets star doesn't respond <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Despite the dynamic duo, the Denver Nuggets have become stale, and George Karl might do something radical about it.Unhappy with the play and attitude of Carmelo Anthony, the coach has considered benching his star, according to a report in the Denver Post."I think that's the next move," Karl said, according to the Post. "I've told Melo in the last two weeks, 'I don't think you're listening. I don't think you're listening as well as you need to listen.' For me, the next step is to change the democracy back to a dictatorship." Heading into Tuesday night's game against the Hornets, the Nuggets have a 14-20 record since acquiring Allen Iverson and are stuck in the seventh spot in the Western Conference. That's not the results the team expected when it made the biggest trade of the season. Between his 15-game suspension for his role in the brawl at Madison Square Garden and his All-Star snub and then addition to the team, Anthony has lost his way."The inconsistencies, we have excuses for. But I'm tired of seeing it," Karl said, according to the Post.Maybe the impending birth of his son has distracted Anthony. His fiancee, La La Vazquez, is scheduled to be induced, but Anthony doesn't know if he'll miss any time. He may leave the team before Wednesday's game at Golden State."Just waiting for it to happen," Anthony said, according to the Rocky Mountain News. "The anticipation is always high this time when you're about to have a baby and about to be a father."Karl would like to see a reborn Anthony on the court, getting back to the complete player that carried the Nuggets early in the season. Although the league's leading scorer is putting up 31.2 points per game in his last five contests, the Nuggets are 2-3 in those games."Personally, I think Melo should forget about scoring," Karl said, according to the Post.Karl pointed to Tracy McGrady who was thought of primarily as a scorer early in his career but who has expanded his game to fit a Houston team that is playing well."Tracy McGrady has grown up. Tracy McGrady gets it," Karl said, according to the Post. "And, right now, what you're saying is basically, 'When is Melo going to get it? Is it going to be next month?' As a coach, there's no one more frustrated, there's no one more angry than me, because I feel the pain."</div>LinkWould Karl really do this? I have mixed emotions on this. On one foot, I think you sit a guy if he doesn't do what you want him to do on the court, but do you do that to your star player?
Re: Karl could sit Melo if Nuggets star doesn't respond Uh oh...I guess the AI to Denver move really isn't working out that well after all
Re: Karl could sit Melo if Nuggets star doesn't respond I sort of agree with him. Karl had a problem with the way Iverson was playing, saying it seemed like AI was being too complacent and trying too hard to defer to Carmelo instead of being aggressive. He talked to AI about it, and the last three games Iverson has responded. I'm sure Karl had a similar talk to Carmelo about whatever he sees wrong with the way he is playing, and Carmelo apparently hasn't responded.Karl has said though that he's going to ride the hot hand from now on. If Iverson is on, he's going to bring Carmelo off the court and rest him while Iverson runs the offense, and vice-versa if Carmeo is hot.I do think Karl is overreacting though. I've watched Denver games, and Carmelo is underrated in the passing department. He gets the ball on the wing or the post, and looks for cutters... the problem is, only one or two players actually cut (either Camby or Nene). They need more cutters... or Melo needs to expand his game to not only jump shots but penetrating and being more aggressive. Sometimes he gets too complacent.But, I think the biggest problem Karl has with Carmelo is his lackadaisical effort when it comes to the defensive end. Iverson, surprisingly, is giving effort defensively... effort that I haven't seen from him in that department in a few years. Carmelo just doesn't seem to do as much as he should/can defensively, in my opinion.The biggest team problem, aside from defense, is that the rest of the players aren't really doing anything offensively. They look like they're going out there and expecting AI and Melo to put up 70-80 points up there every night, and that isn't going to happen. The last few games the role players have stepped up offensively, and that is why they have been playing well as a team lately.I said it before... if this trade doesn't work out, it isn't going to be because of Iverson (primarily)... it's going to be because of either Carmelo or Karl. This season is more about building chemistry and figuring things out, and next year is when we'll really get to see whether the trade was a good or bad move for Denver.
Re: Karl could sit Melo if Nuggets star doesn't respond I think iverson loves it over there too. As I have noticed, a lot of pressure is off of him and appears to be on carmelo at this time. Maybe carmelo needs to go on some conditioning runs with rip hamilton so he can produce on the defensive side as he greatly does on offense.
Re: Karl could sit Melo if Nuggets star doesn't respond This is why I love George Karl so much....I wish he was still in Milwaukee.
Re: Karl could sit Melo if Nuggets star doesn't respond Once again Carmelo looked out of it last night, for the most part... it just seems that the offense stagnates when he has the ball because he's used to isolations in the post or on the wing. I think Karl has made it fairly clear he wants the offense running through Iverson (penetration) or Camby (passes from the high post) and wants everybody else to play off those two. I think 'Melo is still trying to make that adjustment.
Re: Karl could sit Melo if Nuggets star doesn't respond This was the worst thing ever if he actually done it.Glad he did not even though Melo does need to step up on D and not force as many shots.
