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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  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    thank you, i was befuddled that people think it’s just going to happen.

  • MUBWAR

    can everyone drop all this conversation bout lbj vs melo. 4 seasons ago today was the last time melo past the 1st round. just drop it please

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    in what world is Anthony the superior scorer?

  • RKJ92

    Man im very level headed and I wasnt trying to sound crazy but I just dont see LeBron not winning the title this year unless LA becomes disgustingly good after the aquisition of howard and nash, which would give him his 2nd ring and IF and only IF he gets that 2nd ring with the same production amount this year or better I would put him on Par with Larry given LeBrons defense is A LOT better when comparing the two, I mean if im wrong thats fine but if LeBrons production was the exact same or better and he added another ring with better defense then Larry would you not at least say he’s just as good?

  • LakeShow

    Earth. The year is 2006.

  • RKJ92

    LOL #dead

  • Drig

    More well-rounded perhaps?? His perimeter shot is more consistent whenever I saw it. But he does settle for too many jumpshots at times. At a much more smaller level, we again get something similar to Kobe i.e. Melo vs Jordan i.e. LeBron.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Nope. LeBron scored 31 a game in 2006, Melo, 26. — Try again.

  • LakeShow

    The thing is, even once (if) he gets his 2nd, unless it’s the most dominant playoff performance of the last 20 years, he still doesn’t immediately leap Bird. He is as good a player today as Bird was overall i’d say, but he needs to take that team to one or two more chips before he is above Bird career and LEGEND wise.
    Your not crazy, just the notion that Bron WILL go down as better than Bird is a little too optimistic.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    factually speaking, Melo is in no way shape or form a better scorer than LeBron. He is only “better” from Mid-Range. The most inefficient and detrimental area to shoot the ball on a basketball court. (well the most inefficient and detrimental area to shoot a reasonable shot i should say).

  • Drig

    :| …………But seriously though, Melo for some goddamn reason doesn’t take it to the rack as much as he should ( just like JSmoove ) but I don’t get how his offensive game is in anyway inferior to LeBron’s…..Effectiveness LBJ blows everyone outta the discussion but ability wise, I think he’s better. Still don’t think he can make that switch though lol. And I think NYK needs him to step it up a LOT more on D.

  • RKJ92

    nbk +1

  • http://twitter.com/jklchay Jon Chay

    Thank you!

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    if only ability was what matters in a game tho. If ability is what it took, Kobe would be the best player ever. By a huge margin.

  • Drig

    True. But as far as ability goes, he does have almost all the tools that makes LeBron a good scorer. Playmaking, Melo will never approach LeBron. I think Walt said what he said with regards to his ability. Again, I don’t think he’s gonna change. And the small issue of his defense is more pressing than any of his offensive troubles lol. This is assuming Kidd can keep the ball outta Melo’s hands.

  • RKJ92

    I never at any point said Larry Bird and LeBron were on the same level please pay attention to what I wrote.. as of right now in LeBrons career Larry has been the better player (DUH) but what I was TRYING to say was that I feel very confident that he can end up the better player then Larry Bird NOT that he is right now I feel like your pulling a Skip Bayless on me not even knowing what I was talking about but spewing garbage back at me -.-

  • Drig

    I know. I’m just saying maybe Walt was focused on his latent ability and believes that Melo can make an attitude adjustment and become more of a team guy. I don’t like those odds but that’s NYK’s best bet lol. That’s actually sad for a team that’s called a contender lol

  • RKJ92

    Ya I agree completely with what you just said, because what I was saying is even with him being a better defender and getting 1 more ring he will only be A little under OR ON PAR with Larry, I think given say like 2 more championships, some league AND final mvp’s, more 1rst team all-defensive teams, he should be a lock considering he’s good enough that its quite feasible.

  • LakeShow

    So PPG is what makes one a “better” scorer than another?
    Kobe over Bron last year?

  • danpowers

    bron is the better overall player, period. melos offensive arsenal is bigger than lebrons. its just not really a point as long as lebron uses what he has much smarter than melo. besides midrange melo is the most efficient player in the league when he is driving the ball http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2012/08/30/knicks-carmelo-anthony-amare-stoudemire/. the knicks just didnt use that alot so far which should change this season. but still, as much as i hate to say it, lebron is on another lever unless melo doesnt play a whole season like he played last april (which is not very likely to happen)

  • RKJ92

    Not at all but i’d be willing to bet my left nut that LeBron was more efficient and scored more in both his head to head matchups with Melo AND Kobe that year ;)

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Come on Lakeshow, don’t tell me you really need me to explain that LeBron was also more efficient.

  • RKJ92

    I already beat you to it haha

  • LakeShow

    No he wasn’t.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Yes he was. Look at effective FG%. Not just fg% that doesn’t illustrate who was more efficient. And they were separated by .001% anyway.

  • LakeShow

    The Denver Nuggets had 6 players score over 12.5 PPG in 2005-2006.
    Carmelo did not need to score more. He scored on a larger variety of offensive moves at roughly the same percentage. He WAS a better scorer than Bron before 2007.
    Bron has progressed him game more than your giving him credit for. He has always been great at finishing at the rim, but he was not always great at scoring in half court sets and did not have a variety of offensive moves or skills and a shaky jumper before the last 4-5 seasons.
    The difference here is you see scoring layups as the same as scoring a difficult iso bucket since they both count for 2 points, but the idea is that you need someone on your team that can take the tough shots for when you can’t make easy layups.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    You do understand how weak that argument is don’t you? LeBron scored more points, more efficiently, despite being the only viable option on his team. Variety is irrelevant. Scoring is scoring, if you are better at doing it, you are better at it. Especially of you are better at doing WHILE HAVING WORSE TEAMMATES.

  • RKJ92

    and to add to that his point guards were Mo Williams, and Delonte West as the backup.. not exactly known as the best facilitating guards either.. theyre pretty much shoot first

  • O

    Who wouldn’t want their best player to be more like LeBron???

  • LakeShow

    He didn’t score more than Anthony a few other years. My point wasn’t particularly that Melo was a better scorer in the year of 2006 it was more in reference to the fact that after 2006 Bron changed and became better.
    Anthony was a better scorer in the first half of their careers. Bron was by far the better player. He was even better at scoring at certain points in the games, but Carmelo was a complete scorer. He has waned as his career has gone on.
    But to use your method just switch to 2006-2007. Melo=Better scorer.
    Post 2007=no contest LeBron is the better scorer.

  • LakeShow

    Hmmm?
    Sorry not following?

  • pposse

    how dare you downgrade drexler to carmella?/!

  • pposse

    Melo did pick up his game big time in April. I noticed something in him, that was never detected in his genes before. Its crazy to see him pull that off for an entire season and in the playoffs, you never knooo

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Carmelo Anthony has scored more points per game than LeBron James exactly 2 times Lakeshow. Twice. And he has done so more efficiently exactly 1 time. Once. – The one year he did both, score more points, more efficiently, was their Rookie Year.
    .
    LeBron is and has been since their second year in the league, the better scorer. Regardless of how many different ways the scoring happened.

  • The Fury

    Thank you for the link NBK, Bird is the Original Trash Talker in the NBA. That’s why he and GP are my all-time favorite NBA players. When I go back at home I’m gonna read again my old SLAM mag where Scoop made an article about Bird.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    no doubt man, Bird is far and away one of the best players to read about. i don’t know if there has ever been a more confident player as ridiculous as that sounds.

  • LakeShow

    I don’t agree.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    that’s cute. you don’t make sense either.

  • LakeShow

    Thanks baby gurl.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Awe, you stole my line. I’m flattered.

  • LakeShow

    I thought yours was buttercup? What line do I get? You can’t take all the lines maaan

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    idk i been calling people baby girl for a long time. i don’t spell it gurl though, so this is my bad.
    – nbk • 5 months ago−There is a such thing as defense baby girl. http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2012/04/deron-williams-slowly-buying-into-the-%E2%80%98vision%E2%80%99-of-the-brooklyn-nets/

  • KC

    I understand what Clyde really means. He wants carmelo to be less selfish and have a more well rounded game. Carmelo does litttle more than shoot mid range jumpers and he isnt even that great at that. Everyone Talks about he is such a great international player but come on… Everyone on Team usa dominates the international competition(Except Kobe apparently lol) Plain and Simple Lebron is superior to carmelo in every aspect of the game of basketball. Better shooter, rebounder, passer,defender, ball handler, shot blocker, Leader, Higher baskeball IQ, Makes his teamates better…Better, lol and he even has a better signature shoe. Asking carmelo to play like lebron is almost as bad as asking me to play more like him. SMH

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Melo was the most efficient player in the league driving the ball last season. For 2 main reasons, he barely ever does it. and he only does it when he feels like he has a mismatch. – in other words, those 3.6 drives a game are the 3.6 good decisions he makes on offense.

  • LakeShow

    Yeah, see, tossed my own flavor on it.
    Hmm, no buttercup, no baby girl… sex kitten just makes it too homo.
    I’m gunna go with… “chica.” Urban Dictionary: A name for a girl, preferably an extremely hot girl, that you find pride in just knowing her.
    Chica it is.
    .
    .
    .
    Back off chica.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    haha, this is awesome. i can’t stop laughing. the end of that comment was a stroke of comedic genius to me for whatever reason.

  • Revmike

    No one mentioned titles!! Larry had a stacked team for most of his career. This is straight up player verses player and ability vs ability. Are you kidding? Larry bird would have a hard time playing today but Lebron back then would go crazy!

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    LeBron back then wouldn’t be LeBron now. The game was different. Training was different. Childhood was different. You don’t know how either player would have been in any era, you can only take them for what they were when they played. Human’s haven’t evolved in the last 50 years, sad to say i guess.

  • shutup

    I want Walt Frazier to burn his dictionary and thesaurus, dude sounds like he just got his degree while doing a bid.

  • shutup

    thank you for that article, recommended reading for all basketball fans

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