Carmelo Anthony on RJ Barrett: “He’s just a bland player bro. That’s not a shot. That’s not disrespect. I ask a lot of…Knicks fans…it’s just like, he’s good, he get it done sometimes, but he’s not an exciting player. You don’t know if he got 4 or 26.”
I thought this was an honest assessment by melo and now Knicks Twitter is attacking him. It seems like no one can be honest about RJ’s game.
“Like OG cool sitting on the wing…he’s still gonna go play defense no matter what. Whereas RJ, he gotta score 20. You know what I’m saying?”
This is hilarious coming from a dude who admitted he had to get his in order to be satisfied, win or lose, and was known for standing around on defense for the better part of a decade. Gimme a break Melo…your time with the Knicks was a failure whether you like it or not. Who gives a fuck if it was “exciting”.
Say what you want about RJ but he never (publicly) complained about his role or touches or any of that, utter professional his entire tenure here.
ZoroChopper10
If he thinks about Barrett imagine what he thinks of Randle and Brunson lol
I don’t Knicks have any overly exciting players
Yet they win more than melo era
NY_Blue
He’s a very inconsistent player. I liked his effort and he wouldn’t shy away from big moments. My biggest issue was his shot never developed.
TreSeven
“Bland” isn’t a nice-sounding word, but even when RJ’s playing at his best, he’s not exactly popping up on NBA top 10 plays every night. And I’m an RJ fan
press_Y
He’s boring but that’s not the main reason to criticize him. His awful decision making is a lot more detrimental
SimpatheticNS
This is accurate. Specifically the end part where he says RJ has to get his 20. I thought one weakness of RJ was that he would sometimes force it. He had a hard time playing in the flow of the game. This is something that has been evident since duke when he played with Zion. Whatever you want to say about melo and forcing it but the analysis is there
dlee25093
Lmaooooo love you melo, call it like you see it – he’s ass😂😂😂
TheBensonz
Very accurate. Why are Knicks fans attacking him? RJ’s not on the team anymore.
KuntaWuKnicks
Melo nailed it
If we were trading the other way and we got RJ it would be very underwhelming
Fishmike52
bland is having a team built around a chucker who doesnt defend or elevate his teammates. Melo is the most overrated Knick. Problem is there’s a lot of young guy who think this is the best Knicks for a long time and that’s super sad
Mr_Jersey
Pot meet kettle.
HoyaDestroya33
RJ is basically steamed chicken breast with no seasoning
YanksJetsKnicks
Seems like kinda a shot, but he’s not wrong. His play style is a bit boring. I think it’s the lack of explosiveness, ball handling, or go-to moves on offense. I guess an equivalent would be like a running back that doesn’t really have breakaway speed, make people miss, or break tackles, but still gets his yards.
justsomedude4202
I’m not a huge melo fan so like… I feel like he’s projecting a little bit.
Jimmyjam1979
Can I be tin-foil conspiratorial? In his article IQ never mentioned how much easier it was going to be, or more comfortable it’s going to be since RJ is going with him. Idk if he said it elsewhere and I missed it, but you’d think that would be a huge positive for IQ in this, yet he caught a brief “ty” at the end of the article.
Before this week I couldn’t imagine these thoughts. But these two things got me thinking and idc what he says, that was harsh from Melo.
mzx380
Biggest RJ hater on this sub but I feel that Melo made a wrong choice of words. What he meant to say is that given RJ’s skillset, he’s forgettable.
aesop_fables
There’s nothing RJ does really well. He’s not very athletic. He can’t shoot. Very inconsistent. Is Melo wrong here? Nope. He is bland.
No_Average2933
He’s not wrong. He’s the living embodiment of Canada.
LarryAv
🎨🎨🎨
GlassJoseph
Melo’s not wrong…but RJ is young and he’s a team guy. He could score 30 a night at the detriment of his team. They’ll lose 3 out of every 4 games if he tries to play like Melo cause he just can’t hit 70% of his shots in the paint and 50% of his 3’s. The league is changing in a way that won’t benefit teams with 1 focal point like it did in the old days. It’s being refereed like pro wrestling. Game too slow- stop calling fouls. Game is boring – bring it in a little tighter. Big rivalry match – let them foul.
ObiOneKenobae
🤣 I mean yeah, his bag is the NBA equivalent of wonderbread, but no need for this
Iamamyrmidon
Melo is accurate, but fuck Melo doughnut face iso ass. Set the team back years because he couldn’t wait a few months to be a FA.
Sparrow_Wilson
He’s right but it’s still kind of rude. Just because it’s true doesn’t mean you should say it lol
DevlopmentlyDisabled
Melo is one salty mfer right now
ITAVTRCC
Something can be both true and disrespectful…
heliumointment
something can be both:
1. true 2. not helpful
it **is** a shot. it **is** disrespect. it **is** true. and it doesn’t do knicks nation any good at all.
*nobody wins when the family feuds.*
lgk
thighcandy
“That’s not a shot”
after taking a shot. Calling someone “a bland player, bro” is not a valid criticism. It’s just an overt shot. Melo is being a baby and obviously wants to be part of the news cylce for some reason. Just ignore him and move on.
Da2550
I didn’t think anything was out of line. It seems harsh but he’s being honest and is prob right on the nose
ephemeral2316
RJ Barrett is the Kai Havertz of basketball.
ThisPlatformIsDogPoo
Yea but he played 2 good games in a row and he’s only 23 so the Knicks lost the trade according to r/nba
explicitreasons
I’m kind of a Carmelo hater but he’s right.
Sad_Dish6589
It’s crazy he’s saying this because the past few years I personally felt that RJ needed to get in the gym with Melo and work on getting a few go to moves that would make scoring come easier to him.
iamdanabnormal
Melo was harsh but his point is essentially correct.
RJ’s major issue was that he had to work so hard to get his points due to his lack of fluidity that it would obscure the talent he did have in getting to the rim. Add that to the fact there were aspects of his game he didn’t do well or was maddeningly inconsistent in that yeah, sometimes you’re left feeling that unless he scores his 20, there is very little to take away from RJ’s game.
Until RJ once and for all irons out his ability to finish at the rim and refine his shot, this is going to be the story of his career which would be a shame because everything about RJ, the person is what you want in a franchise player.
TotteKaiju
Melo was completely wrong about his number in Denver but he’s 100% correct about RJ.
GX112
Melo isn’t wrong but there is a high level of hypocrisy here. At least when RJ has a bad game but the team wins, I see him actively cheering on his team mates and super hyped that we won. Melo on the other hand …. Yea.
nazrmo78
Idk of bland is the right word but what he then describes is accurate. He’s doing better in Toronto though so I’m happy for him
Sharp_Black
Melo hit the nail on the head.
thedanbeforetime
i dont feel very strongly one way or the other on this, but are yall really confused about why some people are upset by it? the choice to say that in the way he did came across as a personal shot. which is why he immediately said “that’s not a shot”.
in the words of the dude “you’re not wrong walter, you’re just an a**hole”.
cpteague
I don’t disagree but all I’m taking away from this is Melo has been on his PR campaign bs lately, we got this RJ jab, the Jokic/Nuggets comments, and the videos of him hooping coming out. Idk if he is gunning for a media job or what, but clearly his goal is to get people talking about him.
39 Comments
“Like OG cool sitting on the wing…he’s still gonna go play defense no matter what. Whereas RJ, he gotta score 20. You know what I’m saying?”
This is hilarious coming from a dude who admitted he had to get his in order to be satisfied, win or lose, and was known for standing around on defense for the better part of a decade. Gimme a break Melo…your time with the Knicks was a failure whether you like it or not. Who gives a fuck if it was “exciting”.
Say what you want about RJ but he never (publicly) complained about his role or touches or any of that, utter professional his entire tenure here.
If he thinks about Barrett imagine what he thinks of Randle and Brunson lol
I don’t Knicks have any overly exciting players
Yet they win more than melo era
He’s a very inconsistent player. I liked his effort and he wouldn’t shy away from big moments. My biggest issue was his shot never developed.
“Bland” isn’t a nice-sounding word, but even when RJ’s playing at his best, he’s not exactly popping up on NBA top 10 plays every night. And I’m an RJ fan
He’s boring but that’s not the main reason to criticize him. His awful decision making is a lot more detrimental
This is accurate. Specifically the end part where he says RJ has to get his 20. I thought one weakness of RJ was that he would sometimes force it. He had a hard time playing in the flow of the game. This is something that has been evident since duke when he played with Zion. Whatever you want to say about melo and forcing it but the analysis is there
Lmaooooo love you melo, call it like you see it – he’s ass😂😂😂
Very accurate. Why are Knicks fans attacking him? RJ’s not on the team anymore.
Melo nailed it
If we were trading the other way and we got RJ it would be very underwhelming
bland is having a team built around a chucker who doesnt defend or elevate his teammates. Melo is the most overrated Knick. Problem is there’s a lot of young guy who think this is the best Knicks for a long time and that’s super sad
Pot meet kettle.
RJ is basically steamed chicken breast with no seasoning
Seems like kinda a shot, but he’s not wrong. His play style is a bit boring. I think it’s the lack of explosiveness, ball handling, or go-to moves on offense. I guess an equivalent would be like a running back that doesn’t really have breakaway speed, make people miss, or break tackles, but still gets his yards.
I’m not a huge melo fan so like… I feel like he’s projecting a little bit.
Can I be tin-foil conspiratorial? In his article IQ never mentioned how much easier it was going to be, or more comfortable it’s going to be since RJ is going with him. Idk if he said it elsewhere and I missed it, but you’d think that would be a huge positive for IQ in this, yet he caught a brief “ty” at the end of the article.
Before this week I couldn’t imagine these thoughts. But these two things got me thinking and idc what he says, that was harsh from Melo.
Biggest RJ hater on this sub but I feel that Melo made a wrong choice of words. What he meant to say is that given RJ’s skillset, he’s forgettable.
There’s nothing RJ does really well. He’s not very athletic. He can’t shoot. Very inconsistent. Is Melo wrong here? Nope. He is bland.
He’s not wrong. He’s the living embodiment of Canada.
🎨🎨🎨
Melo’s not wrong…but RJ is young and he’s a team guy. He could score 30 a night at the detriment of his team. They’ll lose 3 out of every 4 games if he tries to play like Melo cause he just can’t hit 70% of his shots in the paint and 50% of his 3’s. The league is changing in a way that won’t benefit teams with 1 focal point like it did in the old days. It’s being refereed like pro wrestling. Game too slow- stop calling fouls. Game is boring – bring it in a little tighter. Big rivalry match – let them foul.
🤣 I mean yeah, his bag is the NBA equivalent of wonderbread, but no need for this
Melo is accurate, but fuck Melo doughnut face iso ass. Set the team back years because he couldn’t wait a few months to be a FA.
He’s right but it’s still kind of rude. Just because it’s true doesn’t mean you should say it lol
Melo is one salty mfer right now
Something can be both true and disrespectful…
something can be both:
1. true
2. not helpful
it **is** a shot. it **is** disrespect. it **is** true. and it doesn’t do knicks nation any good at all.
*nobody wins when the family feuds.*
lgk
“That’s not a shot”
after taking a shot. Calling someone “a bland player, bro” is not a valid criticism. It’s just an overt shot. Melo is being a baby and obviously wants to be part of the news cylce for some reason. Just ignore him and move on.
I didn’t think anything was out of line. It seems harsh but he’s being honest and is prob right on the nose
RJ Barrett is the Kai Havertz of basketball.
Yea but he played 2 good games in a row and he’s only 23 so the Knicks lost the trade according to r/nba
I’m kind of a Carmelo hater but he’s right.
It’s crazy he’s saying this because the past few years I personally felt that RJ needed to get in the gym with Melo and work on getting a few go to moves that would make scoring come easier to him.
Melo was harsh but his point is essentially correct.
RJ’s major issue was that he had to work so hard to get his points due to his lack of fluidity that it would obscure the talent he did have in getting to the rim. Add that to the fact there were aspects of his game he didn’t do well or was maddeningly inconsistent in that yeah, sometimes you’re left feeling that unless he scores his 20, there is very little to take away from RJ’s game.
Until RJ once and for all irons out his ability to finish at the rim and refine his shot, this is going to be the story of his career which would be a shame because everything about RJ, the person is what you want in a franchise player.
Melo was completely wrong about his number in Denver but he’s 100% correct about RJ.
Melo isn’t wrong but there is a high level of hypocrisy here. At least when RJ has a bad game but the team wins, I see him actively cheering on his team mates and super hyped that we won. Melo on the other hand …. Yea.
Idk of bland is the right word but what he then describes is accurate. He’s doing better in Toronto though so I’m happy for him
Melo hit the nail on the head.
i dont feel very strongly one way or the other on this, but are yall really confused about why some people are upset by it? the choice to say that in the way he did came across as a personal shot. which is why he immediately said “that’s not a shot”.
in the words of the dude “you’re not wrong walter, you’re just an a**hole”.
I don’t disagree but all I’m taking away from this is Melo has been on his PR campaign bs lately, we got this RJ jab, the Jokic/Nuggets comments, and the videos of him hooping coming out. Idk if he is gunning for a media job or what, but clearly his goal is to get people talking about him.