Knicks: Carmelo Anthony Craves Roster Stability
One of the many keys to building a perennial contender is roster stability. That’s exactly what New York Knicks franchise player Carmelo Anthony is asking for.
The New York Knicks are attempting to build a winning culture. Moreover, the Knicks are hoping to utilize the Triangle Offense to achieve the success experienced by the Chicago Bulls—six championships between 1991 and 1998—and Los Angeles Lakers—five titles between 2000 and 2010—while running the same system.
Teaching players a system may seem easy enough, but without roster stability, it flirts with becoming a lost cause.
Franchise player Carmelo Anthony acknowledged as much during a recent interview. He spoke about how a constantly changing rotation can impede the process of learning a new system, as roles become more and more difficult to define with every change.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN, Anthony is hoping New York can build a roster that creates a stronger sense of stability in 2016-17 and beyond.
"“That’s the most important part,” Anthony said Friday. “Having … a group of guys together for a period of time and not just rotating everybody in and out each year. I think if we can establish that as a team and as an organization, you’ll start seeing us start taking steps forward…. I don’t think guys can learn the (triangle) system right away being here for only a couple of months and then we rotate guys in and out. Guys need to be together for a long period of time in order for us to learn the system, master the system.”"
There’s no rational way to disagree with what Anthony is saying.
Every team experiences some measure of turnover from one season to the next, but few have done so in as drastic a manner as New York. Anthony is the only player remaining from the 2013-14 roster, and only six players returned in 2015-16 from the 2014-15 group.
Only six players who are currently on the 2015-16 roster are under guaranteed contracts for 2016-17.
This summer projects to provide New York with yet another massive roster overhaul. Re-signing the likes of Langston Galloway, Lance Thomas, and Derrick Williams could help, but New York needs help in the backcourt—and that will cost money.
If the disgruntled Arron Afflalo, $8 million, and the promising Williams, $4.4 million, decline their respective player options, New York could have roughly $30 million in cap space.
In other words, New York may end up having the money to offer a max contract. Moreover, the Knicks could have the necessary cap space to make multiple impact signings, thus finding stability at point guard and shooting guard—two major issues in 2015-16.
Regardless of what is done, the general belief is that New York will have a new-look roster surrounding Anthony, Robin Lopez, and Kristaps Porzingis in 2016-17.
More knicks: Phil Jackson reportedly wants out of New York. Do you believe the story?
The hope is that the players acquired can stick around for the long-haul, thus creating roster stability and developing the Triangle Offense in the way Phil Jackson envisioned.