Melee could use Smash 4. Melee does not need Smash 4. Melee isn't where it is now because of Smash 4.

Responding directly to Tafo's points (of which he has only 2):

1. Brawl/Smash 4 players/community figures coming from those games to Melee - It's nice but Melee does not need a funnel to Melee. Did Melee need a Smash 4 based amplifier effect from for EVO 2013/4? The efficiency from combining the overhead is nice but once again, unnecessary. Melee was growing way before Smash 4 became a factor.
2. Nintendo looks more favourably upon the Melee competitive scene with Smash 4 being a factor - This is a more convincing argument because we've seen Nintendo in action. We've seen evidence of Nintendo helping provide setups (directly/indirectly) for tournaments as well as evidence of Nintendo trying to shut down Melee tournaments. Specific factors of each example aside, the point is that Nintendo can have a significant effect on the Melee scene if they so choose to. However, it's like a parent forcing their child to bring along a sibling to be allowed to attend an event. The community's hand is being forced at the end of the day, not held. And for all the talk of "this community wouldn't exist without Nintendo", can it really be said that they haven't benefited from Melee's competitive scene? Has the intensity and passion of the players for the last decade and a half not played a part and elevated Nintendo's reputation from a company who makes games for children to one who is now one of the biggest players in the coming esports revolution? You can thank James Naismith for inventing basketball but it's the NBA who turned it into a cultural phenomenon. At some point the community will recognize that they no longer need the approval from the absentee creator and that the life they created is theirs alone.