New York Knicks: Should The Future Include Carmelo Anthony?
Trade rumors of superstar forward Carmelo Anthony have created a divide amongst the New York Knicks’ rabid and loyal fan base.
After six years of support and enthusiasm, New York Knicks fans are quickly turning their backs on their (once) beloved superstar. The Knicks’ under .500 record has obviously led to fans blaming one factor or another for the team’s recent struggles, and no excuse can be more blatant than the one surrounding Carmelo Anthony’s “subpar” play.
This season, Carmelo Anthony is averaging 22.3 points per game, while shooting 43.3 percent from the field, per Basketball-reference.com. Both numbers are just short of his career average of 24.8 points per game and career field goal percentage of 45.2 percent of his shots.
It’s still important to note, however, that Anthony is sharing the floor with Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick Rose quite a bit this season.
Those two players shoot the ball often, as the two of them attempt 35.3 percent of the Knicks’ shots per game. If you want to add Anthony into that mix, it reaches 55.9 percent.
On another note, Anthony’s rebounds and assists averages have remained around the same this season, too.
The Knicks’ defense in general hasn’t been perfect, and Anthony is no exception to the team’s collective off-ball struggles. This season, Melo has a 110.6 defensive rating, according to NBA.com, which is dreadful for a star of his stature.
And finally, there’s one reason why the Knicks have not been good this season: they are simply not clutch when clutch moments need to happen.
Of their 26 losses, 10 have been by five points or less.
So, should the Knicks trade Carmelo Anthony or not?
For starters, Anthony reportedly told Jackson that he wants to stay with the team, which is something Knicks fans should be proud of. Unlike some players who leave their diehard fan bases in order to join other big names in bigger markets, Anthony has remained loyal.
He hasn’t reneged on the promise he made when he first joined the Knicks, later when he resigned, and throughout almost every pre and postgame interview in his career.
It seems somewhat ironic that fans would want him out of the city. No matter how much they may despise his play on the court, they all respect his work as an individual human being, and they should all appreciate the fact that Anthony wants to stay now and win now.
‘Melo’s impact on the rest of the team is huge. Porzingis has said throughout his rookie year that Anthony’s mentorship and guidance has improved his play on and off the court.
Lithuanian rookie Mindaugas Kuzminskas has also shared Anthony’s impact on him: “Especially for us, for rookies, it’s a big thing because you already feel better.”
Without Anthony’s relationship with his teammates, the state of the franchise from a basketball perspective may be in jeopardy.
Given Carmelo Anthony’s more than capable scoring abilities, his loyalty, his passion for his hometown team, and the impact he has on his young teammates, Knicks fans should remain hopeful—no matter how crazy that might sound.
Must Read: Five mutually beneficial Carmelo Anthony trades
With the right pieces, Carmelo Anthony can definitely fit into a star position on literally every team in the NBA, including the Knicks. Only time can tell which pieces will and will not fit in.