New York Knicks: Earl Monroe Weighs In On Phil Jackson, Carmelo Anthony
New York Knicks legend Earl Monroe weighed in on the Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony fiasco. The Pearl’s take: Anthony did what he was brought in to do.
Team president Phil Jackson and franchise player Carmelo Anthony were supposed to work together to save the New York Knicks. Instead, two men who will one day share space in the Hall of Fame have become embroiled in a bitter feud.
As rumors swirl that Anthony could soon be traded, one of Jackson’s most prominent ex-teammates is weighing in on the matter at hand.
When Jackson and the Knicks won the 1973 NBA championship, Earl Monroe taught a masterclass on how to check one’s ego and dispel misconceptions. Thus, if anyone can weigh in on the current feud, it’s the superstar scorer who checked his ego in pursuit of a championship.
According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, Monroe praised Anthony for doing what he was brought to New York to do.
"“I thought this team was going to be pretty good with Derrick Rose coming in and Courtney Lee, though I’m not sure he’s a starting guard,’’ Monroe told The Post. “But there was no chemistry, not even in the locker room. And Melo, he has done what he was brought here to do.“Phil needed to put people around him that do what he doesn’t do. That’s up to management. Melo played up to his strengths and he played up to his weaknesses. He’s always been that player. You need to augment him with the right other pieces.”"
Jackson was building as though he had another Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan on his hands, only to come to the late realization that Anthony is a different type of player.
If you’re searching for a positive spin on the Jackson and Anthony fiasco, then this might be it. Over the course of the past three years, Jackson learned an invaluable lesson: you can’t change the spot on a leopard.
In the paraphrased words of Charles Darwin, however, you adapt or you die, and the Knicks have failed to adapt during Jackson’s tenure as team president.
Three consecutive years without a postseason appearance proves as much, albeit with a fourth year that preceded Jackson’s arrival.
The reality with Anthony is that he’s been an elite scorer throughout his career, averaging at least 20.8 points per game in 14 consecutive seasons. His shortcomings have been well-documented, however, and Jackson built a team that required ‘Melo to play out of his element.
Whether you believe it’s on Anthony to rise to the occasion or Jackson to build around his franchise player’s strengths, the current formula hasn’t worked.
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One can only hope that lessons were learned on all sides of what’s been a disastrous stretch for the New York Knicks.