Thursday, September 20th, 2012 at 10:05 am  |  120 responses

Walt Frazier Wants Carmelo Anthony to Be More Like LeBron James


Heading into this season, Walt “Clyde” Frazier’s biggest piece of advice for Carmelo Anthony is to be more like LeBron James. Which, to be fair, sounds a whole lot easier said than done. From the NY Times: “Frazier, a television analyst for MSG, believes the Knicks improved this off-season with the acquisitions of Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby and Raymond Felton. But he was quick to point out that so did the Brooklyn Nets, the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics. That is why Frazier thinks Coach Mike Woodson and the Knicks, who are loaded with veterans, need to win now. ‘I think their window is a two-year window right now,’ he said of the Knicks’ chances at a championship. ‘They have to capitalize right away.’ Frazier knows what it takes to win a title. In the 1972-73 season, Frazier said that he, Bill Bradley, Willis Reed and other teammates had great chemistry. Like a number of Knicks fans, Frazier is eager to see if Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire can form a stronger bond this season. ‘They better forget last year and do whatever it takes,’ Frazier said of Anthony and Stoudemire. ‘They have to look at Miami and what LeBron James was able to do, Carmelo especially because James became the consummate player — defense, passing and whatever else it took for that team to get a championship.’”

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  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    LeBron was all of those things before this past season…he just got better at them. He came into the league with all of the tools. He improved his jumpshot the past few seasons. The major things he added last season was a postgame and he stopped caring about proving people wrong. He just played. Melo’s tools are different. He could become more interested in defending, rebounding and passing. But he won’t be on LeBron’s level.

  • biggieman

    Ha keep dreaming Walt… Carmelo is too selfish to care about things like “passing” or “defense”. Knicks have a two-year window before they blow up this roster and start over.

  • Unknown nigga

    I’m glad he put this out there for all the “delusional” knicks fans who even think they have shot at winning. If clyde don’t think so, stfu

  • Rainman

    Heck, I wanna play more like LeBron James too

  • http://www.reverbnation.com/savagemuzicgroup T-Ray

    Couldn’t agree more well said.

  • http://www.facebook.com/chris.callihan1 Chris Callihan

    agree 100%

  • shockexchange

    What the Shock Exchange is learning is that it is hard to take “today’s players” out of their comfort zones. They play “their games” and that’s it. Just like there are lots of dogs who look like they can hunt, and bark real loud but have never caught a rabbit. At some point you have to conclude “that dog don’t hunt” and move on.

  • danpowers

    me too lol

  • pposse

    So let me get this straight Walt..you want Carmello to play more like the guy who is going to go down as the second bast baller of all time..okay, good luck with that!

  • http://twitter.com/Jzakoni Verified Account

    sorry Walt, Lebron is one of a kind… he WILL go down as the greatest SF of all time

  • http://twitter.com/ekaravidaj Ermal Karavidaj

    or the best ever, you never know!

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    the one thing Carmelo should learn how to do like LeBron, considering his unique skillset, is learn to shoot as well as him. — Which a lot of you are going to flip out about. — I’m not talking about Mid-Range, (9-16 feet), I’m talking about everywhere else, (3-9 feet) (16-23 feet) – LeBron has been considerably better, despite the theory that Carmelo is the league’s “premier” or “second best to Durant” scorer in the league.

  • Junkie

    He needs to bring up his field goal rating, if he’s going to hog the ball at least make some baskets.

  • L Dribble

    This is only possible if he plays against Nigeria every night.

  • M Cho

    2 year window?? Look at the Knicks roster, then look at the other contenders’ rosters — that window is nailed shut.

  • http://twitter.com/niQknacks niQ

    Good luck with that…

  • RKJ92

    easily he’s disgustingly dominant..

  • http://twitter.com/Jzakoni Verified Account

    i never got why melo always got compared to bron.. no comparison

  • http://twitter.com/Jzakoni Verified Account

    let the man dream..

  • RKJ92

    Its true though, there really isnt an arguement to it.. I still dont know why people argue that LeBron cant shoot he’s actually flat out nasty, Carmelo is just streaky so when he’s on, he looks like the better shooter; but the problem is he’s not shooting the lights out everygame to be the 2nd most dominant shooter everybody claims he is.. LeBrons always a consistant shooter though and in MY opinion never forces his shots there usually pretty decent looks with the positions he makes for himself.

  • hoodsnake

    What he actually said was, Pass the goddamn ball to Amare!

  • spit hot fiyah

    speculating and imitating, was walt

  • RKJ92

    Just because of similar body size, theyre the same position, and either got drafted together or within a year of eachother I dont really remember truthfully lmao! but thats really the only reasons theyre compared other then that though its a wash.. LeBron really is one of a kind were lucky to be able to watch him play the game of basketball not a lot of players will ever be as big and gifted as he is.

  • MrSuper

    He has to hit the gym hard then

  • Junior Taylor

    Bird would like a word with you. LeBron has a ways to go to dethroning Bird.

  • bike

    It is amazing that LeBrons career FG% is .531. Carmelo’s is around .430. I just don’t see Carmelo ever becoming a major inside threat…he doesn’t strike me as motivated enough.

  • robb

    I wanted to comment earlier but I couldn’t stop laughing. Keep dreaming Walt.

  • http://twitter.com/Jzakoni Verified Account

    don’t get me wrong… birds nice.. but against born?! Really? think pippin may even take bird on home…

  • RKJ92

    I wouldnt even argue that at the moment JT, Birds nasty but LeBron will eventually surpass him unless some freak accident injury happens I just dont see them on the same level due to LeBrons otherworldly athletism and ability to literally control the game on BOTH ends (where Larry lacked in defensive ability WHEN comparing him to LeBron).

  • RKJ92

    That’s not their career shooting, that was their shooting from this past season bro LOL <3

  • RKJ92

    Pippin was nice but he wasnt Bird, Ive liked your views so far from what i’ve read but this would be a wash dude lmao! Bird was on one of those other worldly levels he had killer instinct, was an EXCELLENT playmaker, rebounder, shot 50%FG-40%3FG-90%FT, was a champion multiple times like mans was SCARED of Larry forreal!

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Bird would wipe the floor with Pippen. Bron is not on that level yet. You don’t win 1 title and have a legitimate argument as better than Bird. Man, this generation is bananas. Bird is still the GOAT small forward. Bron has to win another title in dominant fashion for this to even be a discussion.

  • Guest

    truthfully speakin… the only advantage i see pip having on bird is speed and defense… and i believe that’ll be good enough to hold him.. but hey i could be wrong

  • Guest

    truthfully speakin… the only advantage i see pip having on bird is speed and defense… and i believe that’ll be good enough to hold him.. but hey i could be wrong…

  • http://twitter.com/Jzakoni Verified Account

    truthfully speakin… the only advantage i see pip having on bird is speed and defense… and i believe that’ll be good enough to hold him.. but hey i could be wrong..

  • RKJ92

    Dont get me wrong though I never once said LeBron is better then him right now I said LeBron will EVENTUALLY surpass him which I truthfully believe.. and I have MAD respect for Larry.. he was NASTY!

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Nobody ever held Bird. (not talking shit) – have you never really watched Bird? Do you know about the things he used to do?
    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/364412-boston-celtics-if-only-larry-bird-was-walking-through-that-door if you haven’t that link has a few stories about Bird. — In Bird’s prime, Pippen would have been eaten like a cookie infront of the cookie monster.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    to just say that it is inevitable for LeBron to pass Bird is CRAZY (imo). If LeBron doesn’t win another title he will not be better than Bird. And it is never a given that a player will win another title.

  • Dagger

    You realize that you could make a legit point for Bird being a better scorer (not only shooter), passer and rebounder than Lebron, right? Not to mention he was probably the most clutch player in the history of the game. Saying that he and Bron are on the same level is a credit to Lebron, not Bird. Don’t get me wrong, I think Lebron will go down as the best SF of all time, but he has a long road to travel. Larry was, after all, a legend.

  • Salty

    I think what he needs to learn from Lebron is his tenacity and the way he’s improved, mentally, over the last couple of years. Carmelo’s biggest weakness is his weak mind and heart.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Carmelo has a weak mind? How so? I have plenty of criticisms for him as a player, but that is not one of them.

  • http://twitter.com/Jzakoni Verified Account

    LOL lets just say… those 3 are all legends

  • Conor

    I agree with @disqus_rOeXXBD2qs:disqus.

  • Ctk

    What if Melo is to Bron ..Is like Drexler to Jordan..He just ain’t good enuff…Other than Durant there is NOBODY better n the league u want to use to go against Bron PERIOD

  • http://twitter.com/Jzakoni Verified Account

    ‘What if Melo is to Bron ..Is like Drexler to Jordan’ couldn’t have said it better..

  • Conor

    Kobe. Until he is taken by injury, his skill set is overwhelming. You saw what he did to O.K.C. Though he cost Los Angeles two games (during the fourth quarter of both), he was equal with Durant relative to production.

    There was no reason for the 1st Round series versus Denver to have taken seven games but for inconsistent and occasionally effortless play. It won’t happen again, the Lakers have what I believe is going to be an excellent bench, resulting in fewer minutes for the starters that otherwise would have been misused.

    All this to say, Anthony bests LeBron with scoring but is inferior in every other category but man-to-man defence.

  • Conor

    * “It won’t happen again. …”

  • WorkinGeazy

    You really cant compare the two Lebrons athletic ability sky rockets over Melo and his basketball IQ is off the charts compared to him!

  • LakeShow

    Exactly. Bron could and maybe even should pass Bird.
    But to act like it IS going to happen is as you say, crazy.

  • Yusaf

    Ha Ha this Walt funny. Carmelo cannot light a candle to LeBron. I should like extra mustard with that one ha.

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