2. Carmelo Anthony Doesn’t Always Need To Score
The New York Knicks shouldn’t make a habit out of trying to win games where Carmelo Anthony struggles to score. No matter how hard he’s working to polish other areas of his game, Anthony’s primary strength is still his scoring proficiency.
Having said that, it’s hard not to be encouraged by the fact that the Knicks aren’t relying entirely upon his scoring to win games in 2016-17.
Good sign for the Knicks: they earned a road win on an off night for Carmelo Anthony (4-for-12). Probably wouldn't have happened last year.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) December 12, 2016
Anthony scored just 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting against the Los Angeles Lakers. He added eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals, however, and those numbers display the well-rounded nature of his game.
Anthony crashed the boards, actively looked for opportunities to facilitate, and played at a high level on the defensive end of the floor.
The Knicks are now 2-2 when Anthony scores less than 15 points and 3-2 when he shoots worse than 40 percent. New York was 8-21 when he shot worse than 40 percent in 2015-16, which is unto itself a sign of how far this team has come.
The Knicks need Anthony to score with both volume and efficiency on a consistent basis, but it’s encouraging to know he’s found ways to contribute in ways other than scoring.