A professional athlete is bound to take some harsh criticism throughout his/her career. They play on the biggest of stages, in front of thousands of people day in and day out. New York Knicks small forward, Carmelo Anthony, became the latest victim last week when the Knicks talked about trading the veteran to the Los Angeles Clippers or the Boston Celtics. It doesn’t stop there either. On January 12, Melo air-balled a three-pointer against the Bulls…and he heard about it from the fans as a loud boo filled all of Madison Square Garden. Over the past few weeks, the Knicks organization along with the fans have questioned the 32-year-old’s production.
Needless to say, it has been a rough month for the nine-time all-star.
But Anthony is a veteran. And what do veterans do? They respond. The small forward dropped a game high 45 points against the Atlanta Hawks; however, the Knicks came up short in the 4OT thriller 142-139. Melo went 18-36 from the field, and hit numerous clutch shots to keep his team in the game.
Perhaps the loud boos and trade rumors sparked a fire in Anthony.
Just today, the New York Knicks have shown interest in trading Melo for the Cleveland Cavalier’s Kevin Love. Since, it has been reported that the Cavs denied the trade, and I do not blame them. Why would Cleveland want another small forward? They just acquired Kyle Korver from the Hawks. What the Cavs really need is a true point guard; that being said, Kyrie Irving is more of a two-guard. The bottom line is they do not need nor want someone like Carmelo Anthony.
Knick’s President, Phil Jackson, has made it clear that he wants Anthony gone, and he wants him gone quickly. Not so fast, Mr. Jackson. Getting rid of Melo right now is not going to solve all of your problems. Right now, the Knicks are in 3rd place in the Atlantic Division, and are 8.5 games behind the 2nd place Toronto Raptors, and only 2 games ahead of the miraculously hot 76ers. Looking at the Eastern Conference as a whole, New York is only 2.5 games behind the 8th place Charlotte Hornets. Trading your leading scorer at this point in the season does not seem logical if the Knicks want any chance in making a run for the 7th or 8th spots in the Eastern Conference.
And it’s not just about the numbers. Carmelo Anthony is the glue to the Knicks, whether Jackson wants to admit it or not. The veteran possesses all of the intangibles a team needs to be successful. Most importantly, the 6’8″ forward is a leader. I think people seem to forget that Melo has done wonders for the Knicks over the past 6-7 seasons. He has built a legacy that will never be forgotten. So go ahead Phil Jackson. Blame all of your poor decisions as the team owner on Anthony. Maybe if you knew how to build a team with a good roster and a good coaching staff, you would see some progress rather than the Knick’s stagnant, poor play.
The problem is not Carmelo Anthony. The problem is you, sir.
If I was Melo, I would be gone in a heartbeat. Who wants to play for an owner like Jackson anyway? I think it is in Anthony’s best interest to get out of New York as soon as he can. Playing for a city and organization that disregards the legacy he has built since 2010 is not a place where he belongs. Where he goes is another question that I am sure will be answered soon enough. For now, all I can say is go go go Melo. Get as far away from Jackson and the Knicks as you can. I don’t blame you at all. In fact, I don’t think anyone will.
So sure, maybe it is time the Knicks rebuild. Kristaps Porzingis has proven that he is the new franchise centerpiece. With guys like Derrick Rose, Brandon Jennings, Courtney Lee, and Joakim Noah, the possibilities are endless for New York (that is if Phil Jackson learns how to manage a team). Letting go of Carmelo Anthony could prove to be a good decision for the future of the Knicks. But there is a certain way to do it. Melo deserves the utmost respect from all of those within the Knicks organization, as well as the fans.
I agree with your statement that Caremelo should leave the Knicks for his best interests, but I don't agree that him leaving won't solve their problems. He is an aging forward that they are holding onto while also trying to rebuild with young players such as Porzingis. In fact they should have traded Anthony, Rose, and Noah and in return asked for draft picks because of the talent in this years draft. We have seen Boston reap the benefits of trading your aging stars for assets and now they are almost ready to contend for the eastern conference title. I think getting rid of those three would help out the Knicks a lot.
ReplyDeleteBeing a New York Knicks fan myself I can say that I want nothing more than for Carmelo to be traded. For the big name he is he doesn't produce even close to what he should. You see big name superstars around the league playing fantastic with not even close to as many players around them as Carmelo has had. For years he has been a selfish player who hogs shots and does more bad for the team than he does good. If Carmelo was to be traded after the season it would be the best thing for the Knicks
ReplyDeleteMelo needs to leave. I have never liked his game. He has always been a ball hog and having a ball hog in the system that the Knicks are running does not work. They need to dump Melo and start building around the Unicorn.
ReplyDeleteI really thought that he would end up in Cleveland. It is alright though because Melo and Wade will both be there in the next 2 years.
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