As it presently stands, Carmelo Anthony is a member of the New York Knicks. What can Anthony realistically achieve with the Knicks in 2017-18?
A mutual interest for a trade has been rumored throughout the 2017 NBA offseason. Carmelo Anthony reportedly wants to become a member of the Houston Rockets, and the New York Knicks share the aspiration to create a new beginning.
As trade talks with the Rockets stall, however, Anthony and the Knicks appear to be coming to terms with the possibility that they may spend the 2017-18 season together.
In recent weeks, head coach Jeff Hornacek and president Steve Mills have attended Anthony’s pickup games. Anthony, meanwhile, has included some of New York’s most recent signees and draftees in those very outings, including Damyean Dotson, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Frank Ntilikina.
Most recently, the recently signed Michael Beasley cited Anthony has been his mentor this offseason—further evidence that Anthony may be warming up to the possibility of remaining in New York.
In the event that Anthony dons the orange and blue in 2017-18, all eyes will be on the Knicks. It could be the 10-time All-Star’s last hurrah in New York, or it could be the season that piques the interest of pending free agents.
The question is: What are the goals that Carmelo Anthony should set for himself if he plays for the New York Knicks in 2017-18?
5. Make History
In no way at all is this insinuating that personal gain is more important than team success. It is, however, acknowledging that Anthony is on the cusp of history, and for everything that he’s endured, he deserves to see it through.
So long as it’s conducive to team success, Anthony should have no qualms about attempting to average at least 20 points per game for a 15th consecutive season.
Only two players in NBA history have averaged at least 20.0 points per game in each of their first 15 seasons: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan. Both Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James will have a chance to join them in 2017-18.
If Anthony achieves that legendary feat, it would put his all-time scoring ability into even greater perspective—and it’s not the only form of history he can achieve.
Anthony, who scored 1,659 points in 2016-17, is 1,036 points behind Jerry West for No. 20 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. If he were to score an identical 1,659 points in 2017-18, he’d pass Alex English to rise as high as No. 18.
If Anthony manages to score at a high level while maintaining a respectable measure of efficiency, that should be enough to help Jeff Hornacek run his new offense.
4. Make An Effort Defensively
The New York Knicks shouldn’t expect Carmelo Anthony to lock opponents down on the defensive end of the floor. As the Knicks embrace an offense that better fits his style of play, however, it’s fair to ask him to exert more energy.
The players on the Knicks follow Anthony’s lead, and if he simply makes a concerted effort on defense, the rest will fall into place.
New York finished the 2016-17 NBA regular season at No. 23 in points allowed per game and No. 25 in points allowed per 100 possessions. Beyond the numbers, the Knicks routinely failed to play with the necessary energy to achieve any measure of consistency on defense.
Anthony himself criticized the Knicks for a lack of effort on defense—an issue that Jeff Hornacek and the Knicks will aim to avoid in 2017-18.
If Anthony rebounds at a high level in 2017-18, that may be enough to lead by example. He’s excelled in that regard in the past, averaging 7.7 rebounds per game as recently as 2015-16, and 8.1 rebounds per game in a not-so-distant 2013-14 campaign.
If Anthony consistently crashes the defensive glass, he’ll help address a glaring weakness and thus set a positive tone on defense.
3. Close Out Close Games
Critics on the outside looking in don’t know this, but the New York Knicks lost a painful number of close games in 2016-17. That wasn’t Carmelo Anthony’s fault, but it’s an outright fact that New York struggled to win games that came down to the wire.
If the Knicks are going to realize their full potential, then Anthony will need to step up and do what he’s done best in the NBA: Close out games.
The Knicks lost 26 games by single digits during the 2016-17 NBA regular season. That includes 10 losses by three points or less, 15 losses by five points or less, and three different losses in overtime—the definition of heartbreak.
It’s not on Anthony alone to ensure that the Knicks win close games, but his role as the closer creates an elevated level of pressure and a heavier burden.
it’s a tall task, especially at 33 years of age, but Anthony can silence his critics by restoring his reputation in the clutch. New York should have enough firepower to keep games close in 2017-18, especially if Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez develop in the manners expected of them.
if that proves to be the case, then Anthony will have a chance to flirt with All-NBA status by closing out victories for a team that has a chance to sneak into the playoffs.
2. Win Most Improved Player
It appears as though NBA analysts have disregarded Carmelo Anthony as a Top 30 player. Anthony’s peers have since come to his defense, but the major media outlets are referring to Anthony as a player whose star-caliber days are behind him.
This might seem like an odd goal for a player of Anthony’s status, but there would be no more fitting a way to silence his critics than to win Most Improved Player.
By winning Most Improved Player, Anthony will have done more than just restore his status as a high-quality player in the eyes of the media. He’d force those who criticized him to effectively admit that they were wrong to write him off.
Anthony called his ranking on ESPN, “Blatant…disrespect,” and he could throw it back in their face by causing those same critics to announce and accept that he’s won Most Improved Player.
Anthony’s two-year scoring average between 2015-16 and 2016-17 was his lowest since his first two seasons in the NBA—as was his two-year field goal percentage. He pulled down his fewest rebounds per game since 2005-06.
If Anthony gets back to scoring, rebounding, and winning in the ways expected of him, he’ll have a powerful claim to the most fitting of awards.
1. Make The Playoffs
If Carmelo Anthony plays the 2017-18 NBA season with the New York Knicks, then intrigue and encouragement would be rational responses. Re-signing with the Knicks in 2017-18 is another topic, but Anthony would have a chance to rewrite his legacy.
For all that’s been said about Anthony over the past four years, one postseason appearance in 2017-18 would silence his critics for years to come.
It’s rare that one could make this case, but Anthony at 33 should be better than Anthony at 32—if only because of his rediscovered joy for the game. Kristaps Porzingis should be better in 2017-18 than he was in 2016-17, which paints a promising picture.
If the top two players on the roster are both better in 2017-18 than they were in 2016-17, then it stands to reason that this goal will become realistic.
New York has its issues to overcome, namely potential inconsistency at the point guard position. With Anthony and Porzingis anchoring an offense that isn’t the triangle, however, the Knicks may be able overcome adversity in a depleted Eastern Conference.
With Jimmy Butler, Paul George, and Paul Millsap all moving to the Western Conference, Anthony and Porzingis will have a realistic opportunity to lead New York back to the playoffs.
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The question is: Will Carmelo Anthony complete the 2017-18 NBA season with the New York Knicks?