Carmelo Anthony: Franchise Player?
Carmelo Anthony’s contract is big enough that calling him anything but the franchise player would be inaccurate. Whether or not you feel he’s lived up to the hype, Anthony is receiving an average of nearly $25 million per season from the New York Knicks.
No matter how high the salary cap realistically skyrockets, very few players will be paid more than Anthony over the next three seasons.
Anthony has stated that he re-signed with New York because he wants to help it win. Due to the team’s inability to consistently string together victories, many have questioned whether or not ‘Melo is the man for the job.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, Jackson remains intent on building around Anthony as a franchise centerpiece.
Phil Jackson said he talked to Carmelo Anthony recently about the future of the team and said Carmelo is an important part of the future.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 11, 2016
Jackson elaborated:
Phil Jackson says he feels Carmelo is still a cornerstone and important piece of the franchise. pic.twitter.com/PphlcwdXRf
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 11, 2016
That’s a centerpiece, and not necessarily the centerpiece.
We could discuss semantics for days, but what’s clear is that Jackson believes Anthony can help the Knicks contend for a championship. He’s one of the Top 30 scorers in NBA history, is averaging a career-high in assists per game, and has held opponents to 40.0 percent shooting in 2015-16.
All signs point towards Jackson being right about Anthony if a better team can be assembled around him.
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