Jim Boeheim: Jeremy Lin & Carmelo Anthony Can Co-Exist

by Sean Keeley on Feb 15, 2012 4:42 PM EST in Syracuse Basketball

According to Sports Blogger Bylaw JL1.NYK, I am required to post at least one Jeremy Lin-related story this month. And so, I will do so now that he has officially intersected with the Syracuse Orange.

Carmelo Anthony is about to return to the New York Knicks for the first time since Linsanity took hold. The question is whether or not Anthony, who is known to require a certain number of looks and shots each game, will be able to co-exist with Lin and the new-look Knicks.

Jim Boeheim scoffs at you for even wondering such a thing (via SBN NY):

"I see a seamless transition," said Boeheim.

"For somebody to assert that Carmelo Anthony can't play with somebody is the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard," commented Boeheim who coached Anthony and won a National Championship with him at Syracuse in 2002-03 and a few summers ago on the gold-medal winning USA Olympic men's basketball. "I've heard a few now, but of all the statements I've ever heard that's the most ridiculous.

"He won a national championship, he had 10 points in a game on the way to the Final Four and was one of the happest guys in the locker room after the game. He's won a gold medal in the Olympics when he was playing with Kobe (Bryant), Lebron (James) and all those guys and he fit in like a glove. So, I don't see any question that when Carmelo comes back he will help the Knicks get better."

One of those two guys has their name on a building in Syracuse. What did you expect him to say?

Thus concludes my legally-required Jeremy Lin-related post. Carry on.

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Comments

So that's more ridiculous than stating G-Mac was overrated, Jim?

by noro on Feb 15, 2012 5:02 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

You forgot to use a word with 'Lin' in it to describe the excitement

You’re kil-Lin us, Sean.

by cuse2012 on Feb 15, 2012 5:14 PM EST reply actions

I'm sor-Lin-y.

Did I do that right?

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by Sean Keeley on Feb 15, 2012 5:22 PM EST up reply actions

Technically I think it should be

My apo-Lin-gies, or Lin-pologies. Not to be too Linteral, of course.

by JT1Night on Feb 15, 2012 9:35 PM EST up reply actions

He did

LINk to the interview. I feel I’m not doing this right.

by Mike I. on Feb 15, 2012 5:18 PM EST reply actions

In all honesty I think the question is how can Lin adjust to needing to make sure Melo is involved?

The Knicks aren’t paying Carmelo to not get his, so Lin has to make sure that happens while still being an effective PG.

As long as both players are willing to see less of the ball than they are used to (Lin’s NYK usg% is pretty similar to Melo’s NYK usg%) there shouldn’t be much of an issue.

Clear eyes, full bologna sandwiches!

by NOLACuse on Feb 15, 2012 5:21 PM EST reply actions

Slow news day

Someone should tell Boeheim that maybe his frame of reference is a bit dated? Something tells me that today’s Melo isn’t the precocious 18 year old Jimmy has in his memory bank.

by acurrier on Feb 15, 2012 5:33 PM EST reply actions

He also reference the national team

by Mike I. on Feb 15, 2012 5:43 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

nedz moar lolcatz

Born in '87, Orange fan since '86

by StealthTurkey on Feb 15, 2012 5:45 PM EST reply actions 2 recs

May Doug Marrone bless you and keep you.

by ryanwk628 on Feb 16, 2012 10:11 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs

Sat thru the whole thing.

Awesome lol

Go Cuse!
....And Georgetown still sucks!
CRS/HST '05

by nymetsfan1226 on Feb 16, 2012 12:19 PM EST up reply actions

May Doug Marrone bless you and keep you.

by ryanwk628 on Feb 16, 2012 12:45 PM EST up reply actions

I will now attempt to describe your feelings about the lack of lolcatz.

'Cuse 2010, Michigan 2012

by Orange22 on Feb 17, 2012 12:07 AM EST up reply actions

Love the jeremy lin story...

but damn, does ESPN have to beat every good thing to death within a week? The first 12 minutes of sportscenter were about Lin tonight….last comparison was which Harvard alum would you trade places with: mark zuckerberg, obama, Lin

You keep chanting one more year, I thought college was four years

by PointBlankPeriodPeriod on Feb 15, 2012 6:26 PM EST reply actions

Lin's been scoring a lot

Because he had to. When both Carmelo and Amare were, are any of the guys on the Knicks roster really a better option that Lin? Amare comes back, and Lin promptly drops 11 dimes and Amare get 21. I don’t expect things to be different when Carmelo gets back. Lin’s scoring might (read: probably will) go down, but he’ll still be able to make plays.

"If I ain't gonna be part of the greatest, I gotta be the greatest myself." Busta Rhymes

by FeloniousPhunk on Feb 15, 2012 6:30 PM EST reply actions

Yeah, he will just trade points for assists at that point.

However, what getting Melo back does do is open up the lane more for Lin to drive. You can already see how defenses have adjusted to his style of drive with reckless abandon. They collapse in the lane immediately. Granted, that didn’t help when he drained the winning 3 at the buzzer earlier this week, but I don’t envision that happening regularily..

Melo and Amare will only go to complement his style better than forcing him to try to do everything. We’ll know if that is true if his assists do go up AND his turnovers go down.

Go Orange(men)!

by SUmonkey on Feb 16, 2012 8:53 AM EST up reply actions

Lin and STAT

work because both are great in the system and it run tons of pick and roll. Same with Tyson. When Melo has been on the floor he often does his own thing, like try to run an iso from the left etc. When Melo brings the ball down (which he does a lot for a 3) he will often just walk to the 3 point line and chuck one up. If this is going to work, Melo needs to let Lin create and make himself an option for a kick out after a penetration or set up a screen himself.

May Doug Marrone bless you and keep you.

by ryanwk628 on Feb 16, 2012 10:15 AM EST up reply actions

I think it can work

Based on the way Lin can use his extended dribble. He doesn’t really give the ball up until someone is wide open to take a shot without having to do much else. That’s what Amare and Nash were so good together. Amare is at his best when he can just catch and shoot/dunk, not when he has to make a move or three to get a shot off. Lin is no Steve Nash, but they have similar games in that way. So, the same applies to Melo. If he’s getting the ball when he’s wide open instead of in iso situations, he can still get his and the ball stopper thing doesn’t even come into play.

"If I ain't gonna be part of the greatest, I gotta be the greatest myself." Busta Rhymes

by FeloniousPhunk on Feb 16, 2012 10:47 AM EST up reply actions