Carmelo Anthony understands the pitfalls of playing in New York City.
It was barely two years ago that he was the Big Apple’s darling, leading the resurgent New York Knicks to a 54-28 record and appearance in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. But a subsequent pair of losing seasons combined with a new $124 million contract and substandard individual play has caused Anthony to lose his luster. He’s no longer the shining star of the Knicks’ imminent rise to consistent contention, but just the latest example of this organization’s longstanding mediocrity – to pessimistic basketball fans, at least.
That’s how quickly reputations can be built and shattered. Anthony knows that first-hand, of course, and says he wants to help rookie teammate Kristaps Porzingis deal with the expectations that aren’t just inevitable in professional basketball, but magnified to an even greater extent in New York City.
Here’s ‘Melo at Knicks media day on his plans to mentor Porzingis, courtesy of ESPN’s Ian Begley.
“I kind of feel bad for him because there’s so much pressure on him at this point and this guy hasn’t played not even one minute in the NBA,” Anthony said during the Knicks’ media day Monday. “I’m going to try to be a big brother to him and kind of take the pressure off of him a little bit.
“It’s something that he never experienced before … so this is new to him. To be a newcomer to this game, to this league, in New York, that’s tough. I don’t know if he knows what he’s about to get himself into, so I kind of have to be that wall for him.”
Anthony also dismissed talk of his initial displeasure with New York using the No. 4 pick in June’s draft on the Latvian teenager, insisting that “all that really matters” is he and Porzingis understanding the true nature of their relationship.
The 31-year-old is in a unique position as his career enters its latter stages. Coming off knee surgery and primed to play a majority of his minutes at power forward, Anthony believes he’s ready to regain his status as one of the league’s truly elite players. It seems unlikely, however, that even that possibility would coincide with legitimate contention for the Knicks.
Phil Jackson struck out on landing free agency’s biggest fish in July, but nevertheless enjoyed a productive summer in his role as New York’s decision-maker. Robin Lopez and Arron Afflalo will help lift the Knicks above the league’s cellar-dwellers, and reserve big man Kyle O’Quinn should prove a solid addition at the very least. But even if New York’s offseason acquisitions play near their peak, there would surely remain a ceiling on the Knicks that puts them firmly behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, and Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference hierarchy.
What Knicks fans must remember, then, is that there’s a much bigger long-term picture in place for their team – and by taking Porzingis under his wing, it’s clear that Anthony already sees it.
[Via ESPN]
