If you’re a Knicks fan like I am, then you probably still aren’t completely recovered from their loss in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals to the Pacers. That’s probably because, like me, you still feel as if they should have won that game.
Well, you’re right. They should have. I know it’s painful, but let’s quickly revisit that night: Behind a three-point barrage led by Iman Shumpert and Chris Copeland, New York had roared back from a 12-point third quarter deficit to take an 87-84 lead in the fourth. At that point, I was almost 100 percent sure (foolishly confident, of course) that the Knicks were going to force a series-deciding seventh game.
And then, with just under 10 minutes to play, that’s when Knicks head coach Mike Woodson decided to insert Carmelo Anthony into the game for Shumpert. From there, Anthony went 2-for-7 and made three crucial turnovers as the Knicks watched their lead dissipate and their season come to a brutal ending.
Am I blaming Carmelo for the Knicks’ shortcomings in the series? No. I am, however, giving him most of the blame for that Game 6 loss.
Anthony was in the game for the entirety of the third quarter, and he played nearly flawless basketball. He scored 11 points in the quarter’s first six minutes, and when Shumpert had the hot hand towards the end of the period, ‘Melo got out of his way. In fact, while Iman was busy tallying 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting in the final five minutes, Anthony attempted just one field goal: an easy layup that he made. It was beautiful to witness. Carmelo was forcing absolutely nothing, and New York’s offense was flowing in a way that hadn’t been seen since its 13-game winning streak in March of the regular season.
‘Melo took a quick break to begin the fourth quarter, and the Knicks didn’t miss a beat. Chris Copeland knocked down back-to-back threes, giving New York that very 87-84 advantage that was previously referred to.
From there, you already know what happened. ‘Melo came into the game for Shumpert (what was Woodson thinking????????) and tried to take the fourth quarter over on his own. As I watched it all unfold, I almost got the sense that simply winning wasn’t quite enough for Anthony. He’s always had the reputation as being one of basketball’s best closers, and on that night, he wanted to be the one to closeout the Pacers. So, he went out and tried to play hero ball. He resorted to isolation plays, going one-on-one against Pacer defenders on several possessions and completely disrupting New York’s offensive rhythm. He missed shot after shot, committed several key turnovers, and ultimately ruined what should have been a Knicks’ Game 6 victory.
My point in all of this isn’t to completely bash and crucify Carmelo for one 10-minute stretch of basketball. Instead, it’s to show just how much Carmelo still has to accomplish. For the ninth time in his 10-year career, he failed to advance past the second round of the postseason. And, a mere month after he suffered that Game 6 loss at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, it was LeBron James and Dwyane Wade celebrating yet another championship.
The championship was the third for Wade, the 2006 Finals MVP. For LeBron, it was his second title and his second consecutive Finals MVP. In addition to that, James has also now won the regular season MVP award four times.
Yes, I’m stating the obvious, but I’m doing so for a reason. While LeBron and Wade have spent the last seven years winning championships and different MVP awards, Carmelo has still yet to accomplish anything significant. (No, sorry, one scoring title and six All-Star selections doesn’t fit the criteria for significant, at least not relative to what James and Wade have done.)
And since the 2003 NBA Draft, those three — ‘Melo, Wade and ‘Bron — have always been grouped together. But should they be? I’m not so sure about that.
Don’t get me wrong: Carmelo is one of the most offensively talented players in the game. But, with all things considered, his career to this point has been one huge disappointment. It started out in Denver, where he spent seven full seasons as a Nugget. During his first five seasons, the Nuggets consistently won between 45 and 50 games, but Carmelo failed and failed and failed to get them past the first round of the playoffs. It wasn’t until the team acquired Chauncey Billups that they were able to win a playoff series in 2009, when they ultimately fell to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The following season, Anthony and the Nuggets went backwards and suffered another first round loss, this time to the Utah Jazz.
After that, the entire sports world knew what ‘Melo wanted to do: become a New York Knick. He was going to enter free agency at the conclusion of the 2010-11 season, at which point he would sign with New York. The problem? He didn’t want to wait. Carmelo forced his way out of Denver at the trade deadline, and in doing so forced the Knicks to give up a boatload of assets. Not only did they sacrifice the talents of Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton and Timofey Mozgov to acquire ‘Melo, but they also sent two draft picks and the right to trade 2016 first-round selections to Denver.
It was all for nothing. With Carmelo, the Knicks were just as average for the rest of the 2011 season as they were before acquiring him, and they suffered a first-round sweep to the Boston Celtics.
Keep reading to see what Anthony needs to do this year to get to the next level…
The Knicks lost badly in that trade. Instead of keeping their draft picks and at least Felton and Gallinari, they acquired Carmelo a few months earlier than they otherwise would have and were left with a depleted roster and fewer draft picks. Anthony should have just been patient, but for some reason or another, he couldn’t wait, and it cost the Knicks a great deal.
And unfortunately, the issues didn’t stop when Carmelo arrived in New York. As soon as he became a Knick, it became apparent there were issues between Mike D’Antoni and his star player. Reportedly, Anthony didn’t like playing for D’Antoni. He never bought into the offense, playing iso-ball in a system in which success is predicated upon ball movement. And when the whole Linsanity period came about in 2012, it was the final straw for the on-court relationship between Carmelo and D’Antoni. Anthony wanted to win, but it seemed like he cared more about winning and being the reason the Knicks were winning. With Jeremy Lin in a Mike D’Antoni offense, that was never going to be the case.
The saddest part is that Anthony doesn’t appear to realize it, but he is at his best when he’s taking the majority of his shots in catch-and-shoot situations.
For example, take a look at his best performance from the 2012-13 season, when he scored 50 points against the Heat:
Most of his points in that game were scored on catch-and-shoot shots. In a Mike Woodson offense, depressingly, having so many catch-and-shoot opportunities doesn’t happen often for ‘Melo. Let’s also look at the highlights from Carmelo’s sensational 2012 Olympic performance against Nigeria, when he scored a record 37 points in 14 minutes:
Whose offense was Team USA running in that game and throughout the Olympics? You guessed it: Mike D’Antoni’s. Simply put: that first year and a half in New York was a disaster for Anthony. New York gave up valuable players and several draft picks to get him early; D’Antoni and Jeremy Lin left town, and New York won just one playoff game (Game 4 in the first round against the Heat in 2012). But, when the 2012-13 season rolled around, everything was set up as perfectly as it could have been for ‘Melo.
Keep reading to see what’s next for the Knicks…
Anthony had a coach he liked, and an offense that was running through him. He also had a roster where he was the clear superstar and he had the supporting cast. There was the above-average point guard Raymond Felton, the 2012 Defensive Player of the Year in Tyson Chandler, best buddy J.R. Smith, the veteran Jason Kidd, and the up-and-coming Iman Shumpert.
The season started out even better than any Knicks fan could have imagined; they went 18-5 to begin the year and blew out the Heat twice during that stretch. They were moving the ball, playing great defense, and having fun, all while winning.
But in the middle of the season, the Knicks struggled. From December 17 to March 17, they were a .500 basketball team, compiling a record of 20 wins and 20 losses over those three months. Instead of Raymond Felton or Pablo Prigioni playing as a true point guard, Anthony started to play point-forward and opted for the dreaded isolation basketball on far too many offensive possessions. The ball wasn’t moving, and as ‘Melo became less interested in playing defense, the rest of the team followed suit.
It was a completely different team, and it was also a completely different Carmelo Anthony. It all hit a boiling point on January 7. The Knicks played host to the Boston Celtics, and… yep, you remember what happened. Anthony shot 6-of-26 from the field and spent the entire second half exchanging verbal jabs with Kevin Garnett. KG was clearly under ‘Melo’s skin, so much so that Anthony decided it was necessary to wait for the Celtics power forward by Boston’s team bus after the game. Not only did he probably cost the Knicks that game by letting Garnett bother him, but he also cost them the following game against the Pacers after he was punished with a one-game suspension for the bus incident.
Those are the sort of things that just can’t happen if Anthony wants to truly reach that next level. He has to mature. Of course, he also needs to learn how to win. He needs to realize that isolation basketball doesn’t work and that a defensive effort on a nightly basis is necessary.
If you’re reading this, ‘Melo, please listen to this challenge: During the 2013-14 season, I hope to see these specific things:
– I want to see a Carmelo Anthony that cares only about winning: Do whatever it takes, Carmelo. At the beginning of last season, I saw you diving for every loose ball. I saw you fight and scrap on every play. Don’t worry about your statistics or how many points you score. Instead, just do what’s best for the team’s success on every single possession. At the end of the day, your individual stats will still be there.
– I want to see a Carmelo Anthony that allows the offense to be run through Raymond Felton: Like I keep saying, you are at your best when your shots come off of catch-and-shoot opportunities. Ray Felton is very good at orchestrating an offense, penetrating the defense, and creating open shot opportunities for you and the other scorers. If you let Felton play a true point guard position, you will be rewarded with easy scoring opportunities, as will the rest of your teammates.
– I want to see a Carmelo Anthony that gives a maximum effort on defense each and every game: Defense wins championships. It really does. If you go out every night and play your heart out on the defensive side of the ball, it will inspire your teammates and it will result in your Knicks being a top-flight defensive team. In an 82-game regular season, it’s understandably difficult to not ever take a night off, but it’s something that you have to do.
– I want to see a Carmelo Anthony that works as hard as LeBron James: Nobody works harder than LeBron does. You can’t possibly work harder than him, but you can work as hard as him. Be the first one on the court before practice and be the last one to leave. Spend the extra time in the weight room. Spend the extra time watching film. If you want to be as good as LeBron, you need to put in the time and effort.
– I want to see a Carmelo Anthony that leads like Kobe: Carmelo, you have to start holding your teammates accountable — specifically J.R. Smith. I know Smith is a longtime friend of yours, but you need to get on him when he screws up. He might have the worst shot selection in the NBA, and that can’t continue. The minute he takes a shot that he has no business taking, get in his ear. Tell Mike Woodson to bench him. Do something, because Smith’s antics — both on the court and off of it — only hurt the Knicks.
– I want to see an efficient Carmelo Anthony: I just suggested being a better leader by reprimanding J.R. Smith when his poor shot selection presents itself. Well, in order to be a great leader, you need to set an example. What I’m getting at is this: Your shot selection, though not nearly as brutal as Smith’s, also needs some work. The 11-of-28 shooting nights need to stop. Last season, you converted on just under 45 percent of your shots — not an awful mark, but it could be better. Because, while you were shooting 45 percent, LeBron was shooting 57 percent. You can’t be the same type of player as LeBron, but you can try to replicate his efficiency by driving to the basket more and settling for less jumpers. From Shumpert to Felton to Andrea Bargnani to Amar’e Stoudemire (hopefully), you have plenty of capable teammates. You don’t need to be shooting 30 times in a single game, ever.
I’ll be honest: I’m not sure Carmelo can do it. But I hope he proves me wrong. There is absolutely nothing I would love to see more. If he can come out this season and completely revamp his style of play and approach to the game, it would make a world of difference. Not only would Anthony have the potential to cement himself as one of the great players from this generation, but the Knicks would be a much better team. Maybe — just maybe — Carmelo Anthony could be holding a couple of trophies next June. You never know.
What can Carmelo do this year to take his game to the next level?
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