Pass the Ball, Carmelo!

When I watch the Denver Nuggets, I find myself not only reminiscing, but wishing. I wish the Knicks were the Nuggets. They are two deep at every position. They have guys who fill roles, scorers, shooters, defenders, rebounders. They share the ball. A guy might have a great game one night and not play much the next. It doesn't matter to this version of the Nuggets. If they play Oklahoma City in the first round, they might beat them.

Then there's my beloved Knicks. With Felton, Gallinari, and Chandler, the Knicks were a bottom half playoff team... this year. But they had depth. They also had guys who could score on a given night. You had to focus on more than just two or three guys when you played the Knicks.

That being said, the Knicks can still be a very good team, even this year. They could upset the Heat or the Bulls in the first round. Carmelo is a great scorer. But he's a volume shooter. He often chooses to take contested shots rather than pass to the open man. It's not that he should be a passer and not a scorer. He should still shoot a ton. But he just needs to find the open man a bit more.

He averages three assists per game, which is not terrible. He's a little better than Kevin Durant. But, as is the case with Durant, he doesn't directly make his teammates better. He's not in the class of Kobe; Wade, or LeBron. His increased passing should result in an average of about four to five assists per game as much as he touches the ball. I'd love to see him play pick and roll with Amar'e, but perhaps that's wishful thinking.

If Carmelo wants to be a championship level player, he must be more unselfish on the floor. It's not about him. It's about the team. If the team wins, the accolades will come.