[jerb2011Participant]

I don’t know if anybody has argued this before, but who is better. Everytime I see a position ranking, KD and Melo always seem to flip-flop behind Lebron James for 2nd.
Here are the 2009-10 stats:
Melo:
G GS MPG FG% 3p% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG
69 69 38.2 0.458 0.316 0.830 2.2 4.4 6.6 3.2 1.3 0.4 3.0 3.3 28.2
KD:
G GS MPG FG% 3p% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG
82 82 39.5 0.476 0.365 0.900 1.3 6.3 7.6 2.8 1.4 1.0 3.3 2.1 30.1

According to the stats, KD is the better scorer in every way possible ( 3PTt%, FG%. FT%, and PPG), he plays more minutes, less fouls, less injury-prone, and a better total rebounder. On the contrary, Melo is bigger, better in the paint, a better passer, and less TO-prone.

Thoughts and comments are appreciated.

[the I in winParticipant]

I like that Melo has a great post game and doesn’t mind getting dirty. If I’m starting a team with one of these guys as a rookie I’m taking Durant. However if I need to beat Lebron I’m going for Melo. Melo is strong enough to keep lebron from backing him, he is quick enough to keep in front of him fairly well, also Melo will score plennty to keep up with Lebron. From when I saw Lebron vs. Durant last year, when Lebron decided it was time for Durant to stop scoring he was stopped. When Lebron played Melo they both had 40 so I guess Melo didn’t win the match up but he made it possible for his team (aka Chauncey) to win the game.

[llperez]

if its just next season and im not talking about the long term, i would still take melo. But its very close. I honestly think durant is almost getting too much love around here. He is still a average ball handler who can struggle creating his own shot off the dribble against top defenders.

[huff09Participant]

Give me durant over melo any day

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

They’re 2 of the 3 best offensive players in the league along with Kobe..by that i mean they can score in so many different ways…

but if i had to pick 1 it’ll be Melo..but Durant is the better defender

[TRC1991Participant]

Durant…but its VERY close

about as difficult as trying to decide who the best SG is behind kobe and wade

is it brandon roy? joe johnson? someone else?

[gregoden08Participant]

That’s actually pretty easy. B-Roy is the 3rd best SG in the NBA.

And to answer the question, Melo, but BARELY.

[BasterdInABasketParticipant]

Melo and KD are 2 of the top 4 offensive players in the league along with kobe and lebron. Regardless if youre a lebron fan or not you cant say that he isnt maybe the best offensive player in the league. A career 28-7-7 line speaks for itself.

Ill take KD over Melo now though. His length and his slightly better D gives him the edge for me

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

u must not know anything about basketball..

lebron might be the best player in the nba..
whut i was saying melo,durant and kobe can score so many many ways..lebron has trouble with his mid-range game…

even wade who might be 1 of the 3 top players in the nba..doesnt have an around offensive game like melo,kobe or durant

i’m not saying they’re the 3 best scorers

[omphalosParticipant]

Man thats a tough call to make, but for next season I’ll pick Melo. The dude is just strong as hell and in a League with LeBron James, Melo really is his best opponent. Melo has a much better jumper, but James is more athletic. Durant’s time will come, but as has been mentioned, he needs to improve his isolation game and get stronger to bang inside.

[SDEParticipant]

If they played 1 on 1 Melo would kill Durant , … Scoring wise its a tie but a lot of people say Melo is the best scorer in the league.. Durant is getting a lot of hype right now but its well deserved.

In the NBA its a man’s game and like The I in win said lebron strap Durant when he wanted to… and i seen lebron strap wade also in the fourth when the game was on the line. Its only two people in the league that give Lebron trouble and thats Kobe And Melo.

IMO the best players in the NBA are always wing players the can change postions if they had to.
Thats why the my top five are:Kobe,Lebron,Melo,Wade,Durant. Wing players kill in the finals. Duncan was the last big to impact the finals and the last pg was who IDK.

[joecheck88Participant]

last point guard was tony parker but i get your point. right now offensively melo, imo, is the best scorer in the league. he can score in so many different ways. he is strong, can shoot, shots off the dribble, spot ups, etc. durant had better percentages but melo can just do it all in terms of scoring. and i recall 2 games this year, first okc vs cleveland, durant drives for a game winner and is blocked by lbj. 2nd is cleveland vs denver, melo takes game winner from about 18 guarded by lebron and it was ballgame. melo is deadly and if it wasnt for anthony carter turnovers(why was he throwing the ball in as a 6foot pg) denver could have been a finals team in 2009 because melo simply couldnt be guarded by anyone on the lakers(this was before artest).

[RICO 1981Participant]

I hope I don’t get killed for this, but I was always wondering why people keep putting KD ahead of Melo. Even when KD was a freshman they were saying he had the best freshmen season ever and I was like Melo won a NCAA championship and was the M.O.P. how can it get better than that? I think KD can reach a higher level then melo when it all said and done, but Melo is the better of the two right now.

[ChrischiParticipant]

Right now I would still take Melo, simpy because he’s proven himself for several years, while Durant had one real good season. Melo also works harder inside and in the post and is way stronger, while Durant has more range. That’s another point for Melo, because I prefer 1st options who score inside.

But who knows how it looks in 2-3 years. Durant is already the leader of the Thunder and the Team USA. I mean Durant handles every situation so perfectly, you just can’t hate on him in any way.

[ItsVictorOladipoParticipant]

Right now I would still take Melo, simpy because he’s proven himself for several years, while Durant had one real good season.
——————————————————————————————-

Yeah when Durant put up 25.3 PPG on 48% shooting from the field and 86% shooting from the line to go along with 6.5 RPG and 1.3 SPG in 2008-2009 that was a pretty sub par season…

[OhCanada-Participant]

Durant because of attitude, commitment, leadership and potential.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I’ve seen Durant ranked 4th behind Kobe, LeBron and Wade on a lot of these top 50 player ranking threads… I don’t get it. I think he’s a great young scorer and top ten player in the NBA, but 4th in the NBA? I don’t know…

I’d definitely take Melo over him right now. Melo is a more aggressive player and isn’t phased by physical play. Melo seems to play BETTER when it’s physical. He can shoot the three or he can eat you alive with the mid-range/in-between game. He can post up small forwards and is too quick for power forwards. He can play the low or high post. He’s more clutch and performs better in the 4th quarter than Durant too… And plays with a killer instinct/nastiness. He plays like a bully on the court.

Give me Melo as of right now.

[StF616Participant]

Kevin Durant
I Think In a Few More Years, Durant Will Be The Best Player in the NBA.
Great Scorer. Good Rebounder. Good Attitude, Team Player
If He Gets Stronger and More Assists i see him passing LeBron as The Best Player Of the Next Decade

[JNixonParticipant]

Durant. He’s the best pure scorer in the game and a good rebounder from any spot. You just can’t teach the pure ability to score that Durant has. He’s among the best players in the NBA, and still has some things to iron out (mainly creating against physical and strong defenders). By this time next season he’ll prove to be better than Carmelo Anthony, if he didn’t prove to be better last year already.

[BasterdInABasketParticipant]

Rudeboy KD is a better offensive player than Lebron and if he was a slightly better distributor it wouldnt even be close. I have trouble seeing how Carmelo is a better offensive player the Lebron. Lebron is the better penetrator and finisher by far, he has been the better 3 point shooter in his career and for last year and he is a much more efficient scorer than Melo and gets to the line more. Melo is a better midrange player and is a better post player. He is also a slightly better free throw shooter than Lebron. But since offense isnt only how many ways you can score, his passing and vision to create, I think puts Lebron ahead of Carmelo offensively.

I know this thread was for KD vs. Melo but I dont think that should be an argument anymore.
but my top 5 offensive players are
1. Kobe
2. Durant
3. James
4. Carmelo
5. Wade

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

what durant did last yr automatically makes him better than carmelo imo…

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

What did Durant do last season that makes him better than Melo?

[tonyl33Participant]

Lets take a look at how the 2 have come along.
College – With the star power of Texas and Durant they didn’t even win the NCAA tournament, they have way more 5 star recruits . Melo along with G-Mac took Syracuse to the promise land.

Team USA:
Redeem Team: Offense was built around Melo as the go to guys with STARS playing along side him, LBJ, Kobe, and Dwight.
Current Team: Durant is the main player on the team with no star power.

I think Melo is a way better scorer than Durant any day. Just listen to what all the players in the league have to say about Melo compare to Durant. Kobe even said it himself, Melo is a beast, that’s why Lakers made a push for Artest this year to try and slow down Melo. When a team is making off season moves to try to find a player to slow you down, that means a lot. Do you see any team currently scared enough of Durant to get someone to stop Durant?

Don’t get me wrong though, Durant is a beast as well, I just don’t see him as an effective enough offensive player to do damage because he has not back to the rim game.

Best scores in the league will have to be a toss up between Kobe and Melo. Melo makes scoring look so easy while Kobe just amazes you with how hard of a shot he just made.

[Jlv2010]

I think we all know what Melo is capable of. Just look at what he’s done in Denver. I like Durant’s future much more.

[SupParticipant]

Great question, most people liked to ask the Nike driven question Kobe vs. Lebron (glad that’s over with.)

Now for your answer…Carmelo is the better talent but at the pace they are moving at Durant will undoubtedly pass him. It’s a shame too. Melo could’ve been a great. He has underachieved and been mispositioned. Just as Durant is playing the 2 guard so should Carmelo be. Now he has to lose the gut.

[JBickart14Participant]

durant and melo play the 3 not 2

[Jlv2010]

Can Kobe be switched for Durant in this question?

[apb540Participant]

These are my two favorite players in the league and it’s incredibly tuff to pick which one is better. If I had to say, I guess I would go Melo now and Durant in the future? Idk though, I will take either one haha

[OhCanada-Participant]

Talent wise, accomplishment wise, everything outside of attitude the truth is the better player is Carmelo Anthony. If Melo was on the Championship team this year he would get consideration for best in the League. The fact remains that he isnt. He doesn’t have the great leadership and mentality you want from a Top Star. Billups is the leader of the Nuggets team and before Billups, Coach Karl is the leader of the Nuggets not Carmelo.

Durant is a natural leader. He is the leader of the Team USA crew and even asked for the media to not talk about the fact. he is a leader to his Franchise and community and brought that team from one of the worst teams in the history of the NBA to scaring the LA Lakers and really showing that they will be a threat do to their superior athleticism and youth led by Durant. Durant is only going to get better, and I cant say the same about Carmelo. Carmelo threw his USA Bronze medal into a Lake..I would never be able to say someone who did that is a better NBA investment than Durant.

[Michael.S.Participant]

I think Carmelo is better right now, that could change though.

[SteroidParticipant]

I think people are underestimating KD’s toughness. He did get to the line as much as LeBron last year which was like 9-10 times. He may not post up much, but he gets in the paint and get fouls. With that being said, he is limited as a post scorer, and he isn’t a clutch player. He is only 21 years old and that was his first time in the playoffs. Players just don’t become clutch over night especially with limited experience and chances. I would still take Melo though just because he is more versatile as a scorer right now in his career and he can actually play some good defense went the competition warrants it. KD does have a higher ceiling though with his length.

[NYK2010Participant]

I agree with llperez for once, Durant gets too much love.
Ppl act like he’s the face of the league now or something.
Got a long way to go, take Mello he can score better than anyone.
Mello at 6’8″ a SG no way, he’s a SF and in a fast pace can play PF too.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

bastardinbasketball ..everyone knows that lebron is a better player then durant..i said durant has a better offensive game than lebron…

u might be a teen that started watching basketball a few years ago..but u know nothing about the game

[SupParticipant]

JBickart:

Check NBA.com

Durant plays guard and forward “2 and 3”

Melo plays forward “3 and 4”

[FDAPO]

Durant….

I don’t know why you guys say Melo because of his size and strength….. Who cares. There are plenty of guys bigger and stronger than Kevin Durant that play SF but they clearly can’t stop him. Like another poster said, Durant is the best pure scorer in the NBA and the most efficient. Who really cares if Melo can post up better, Durant will easily make up for that with his overall scoring abilities.

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