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Melo’ in the Middle: How the Knicks Should Build Around Their Star

By Tyler Hankins

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The New York Knicks, as constructed, are the definition of a “one-trick pony”.

Carmelo Anthony is the star of this show, and this team will be built around him and the team’s desire to play the Triangle. The team has an opportunity to grab their guy for the future in this year’s upcoming NBA Draft, but Phil Jackson and Knicks management are looking to win now.

Melo is a dominant offensive player, and has been called the hardest guy to guard by multiple players including Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce. Sure there are other guys that make a strong case for that title, like Steph Curry, James Harden, Kevin Durant and LeBron James, but Melo’s combination of strength, quickness, touch and range makes him a match-up nightmare regardless of which forward spot he is lining up at.

With that being said, it takes a certain type of player to excel on the court with Melo. He needs a side-kick. Someone who can go off on any given night and help take some of the pressure off his shoulders. In his best seasons, Melo found his side-kick in J.R Smith.

New York has to find a player who can bring them instant offense, either in the starting lineup or coming off the bench. Preferably one of each. There is hope that Tim Hardaway Jr. could still fill that void for the Knicks, but I think a bench role is where the former Michigan Wolverine fits best.

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The bright spot of the Knicks’ awful season was rookie Langston Galloway. Galloway started 41 games for New York after being called up from the D-League. He is more of a scoring guard, he only averaged three assists per game last season. He showed the ability to score in bunches though, including a 26-point outing against East leading Atlanta Hawks in a rare Knicks’ win.

But the answer isn’t going to be found in-house, Jackson is going to have to go out and find it. There are options to be had on the market this summer though, including Tobias Harris, Wesley Matthews, Louis Williams and Danny Green. Matthews is coming off an Achilles’ injury, but if healthy he gives the Knicks a reliable shooter and defender. Green would fit the same bill, and would bring some championship pedigree to the locker room.

Green comes from a team in San Antonio known for crisp ball movement and unselfish play, and is a smart enough player to pick up the Triangle and really shine. He is having a shaky post-season, but he has shown more than once that he has one of the deadliest shots in the NBA.

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Melo and the Knicks also need a rim protector. If the lottery plays in their favor, Jackson will choose either Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns. Who he chooses, will likely dictate the way he goes in free agency.

Towns is more stout defensively, but needs time to polish his game offensively. Okafor is the exact opposite, strong on the block with soft hands and smooth footwork. His free-throw percentage is troubling and he has shown little promise on the defensive side of the ball.

LaMarcus Aldridge, who seemed eager to stay in Rip City when the season started, has turned sour towards the Blazers and reports keep coming out that make his departure from the team seem more and more likely.

Aldridge would give New York a 6-11 big man capable of scoring on the block or with a deadly mid-range jumper. The relationship seems almost a little too Amar’e Stoudemire-Melo to me, if anything Stat should have been a better fit because his game was originally based on athleticism.

I think Melo’s side-kick is best served to play on the perimeter. Smith fit with Melo because he could space the floor. Melo and Aldridge would take up too much of each other’s space. And neither are exactly defensive aces.

Greg Monroe is another name that has been linked to New York. Monroe is a big that Derek Fisher could run his offense through. The former Georgetown Hoya is one of the league’s premier passing big men, and is capable of creating shots for himself and others. He’s above average on the boards, but not much of a shot blocker. He averaged less than one block per game in each of his first five NBA seasons.

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I see Monroe as a better fit with Melo because of his willingness to defer, a starting front-court featuring Melo and Monroe would be one of the most offensively gifted in the league.

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While signing at least two starters has to be on the top of Jackson’s to-do list this summer, shoring up a bench that is bound to sit half empty is a must. Hardaway and Galloway will come off the bench, but New York will need a backup big capable of holding his own and a shooters are always a commodity.

Kosta Koufos and Glen “Big Baby” Davis will both be free agents this summer. Getting one, preferably Koufos, would do wonders to help the Knicks’ second-unit.

If I was in the war room trying to piece together this messed up puzzle, I’d be focusing on Melo and which pieces fit in with him. He needs a big guy behind him guarding the rim, like Tyson Chandler or Kenyon Martin. He needs a shooting side-kick that can space the floor and give him room to operate, like J.R. Smith. He needs a competent point guard that doesn’t make mistakes and hits big shots when needed, like Jason Kidd or Chauncey Billups.

Melo and the Knicks, more than anything else, need guys who know what it is like to win when it matters most.

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