New York Knicks: Players Who Stepped Up Against Boston Celtics

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony knows just how important he is to the success and failure of the New York Knicks. He said as much during a recent interview with Al Iannazzone of Newsday.

For those who missed it, Anthony said the following about his embracing a leadership role:

"Let’s just be quite frank, at the end of the day it’s going to take me being the best that I can be on the basketball court to make this successful alongside everybody doing their job and playing their role and being the best that they can be, Anthony said."

That’s exactly what Anthony has done during the 2016 preseason.

It wasn’t Anthony’s best performance, but he posted 15 points, two rebounds, and an offensive rebound in 23 minutes. Jae Crowder created a tough matchup, but Anthony still looked good as he continues to develop confidence in his shot and athleticism.

Shooting 5-of-14 may not look pretty, but Anthony played a solid game as far as scoring is concerned.

Considering this is the preseason, it’d be silly to focus on nothing more than statistics. What this game established was the fact that Anthony is committed to being aggressive as a scorer when the Knicks need him to do so.

This wasn’t Anthony’s best performance of the 2016 NBA preseason, but he flashed the critical aggressiveness that could lead New York to success.