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- Nov 11, 2004
I feel like that term gets thrown around too casually. To me, a true superstar has to have two qualities:
1) Makes everyone around him better
2) Can single handily carry a team on his back, meaning surround him with bums and they're still making the playoffs (i.e. Kobe in 05-06, Wade in 08-09, KG in Minny, Lebron in Cleveland)
I personally feel like there are only a handful of true superstars in the league (kobe, lebron, wade, dwight, maybe chris paul/d-will), as in you could surround them dudes with YMCA cats and they'd still probably make the playoffs.
Now there is the second tier that are pseudo-superstars, who have one of these qualities, but not both. Players like Dirk, Durant, Melo are elite scorers and can be #1 options on a championship team, but don't really make their teammates better. Players like Nash, Gasol, Rondo make everyone around them better but can't carry the load night in and night out.
When I watch Melo play, I see elite scorer, clutch, not afraid of the moment. He's not much of a playmaker, doesn't lock up, doesn't rebound. For comparison purposes, if you stuck Melo on Cleveland would they be a playoff team? I say no. If you switched him with Wade on last year's Heat team or Kobe's 05-06 Laker team, would they make the playoffs? I don't see it.
In my eyes, if he goes to the Nets, they're the 5th best team in the conference. If he goes to the Knicks, they're pushing Chicago for 4th, but I'd still probably go with Chicago in a 7 game series. They still wouldn't beat the Heat, Celtics or Magic in a 7 game series.
Someone convince me that i'm wrong.
1) Makes everyone around him better
2) Can single handily carry a team on his back, meaning surround him with bums and they're still making the playoffs (i.e. Kobe in 05-06, Wade in 08-09, KG in Minny, Lebron in Cleveland)
I personally feel like there are only a handful of true superstars in the league (kobe, lebron, wade, dwight, maybe chris paul/d-will), as in you could surround them dudes with YMCA cats and they'd still probably make the playoffs.
Now there is the second tier that are pseudo-superstars, who have one of these qualities, but not both. Players like Dirk, Durant, Melo are elite scorers and can be #1 options on a championship team, but don't really make their teammates better. Players like Nash, Gasol, Rondo make everyone around them better but can't carry the load night in and night out.
When I watch Melo play, I see elite scorer, clutch, not afraid of the moment. He's not much of a playmaker, doesn't lock up, doesn't rebound. For comparison purposes, if you stuck Melo on Cleveland would they be a playoff team? I say no. If you switched him with Wade on last year's Heat team or Kobe's 05-06 Laker team, would they make the playoffs? I don't see it.
In my eyes, if he goes to the Nets, they're the 5th best team in the conference. If he goes to the Knicks, they're pushing Chicago for 4th, but I'd still probably go with Chicago in a 7 game series. They still wouldn't beat the Heat, Celtics or Magic in a 7 game series.
Someone convince me that i'm wrong.
