Carmelo Anthony has one of the highest scoring averages this season of all NBA players. When Anthony was with the Denver Nuggets, he made numerous game-winning shots and rallied his team to victory. It is another story now that he is with the New York Knicks, as they continue to lose games. After acquiring Anthony, the Knicks fell to 7-10 and are now the seventh place team in the Eastern Conference. Logically the Knicks should not be below the .500 mark because of the talent they have on their team. Both Amar’e Stoudemire and Anthony are great offensive players that demand double teams from the opposition. The problem is that when the Knicks start to play well, they give up in the fourth quarter.
Anthony is explosive on offense and takes and makes tough shots but his defense is subpar. The Knicks are a high offense team that likes to attack the basket and drain 3-pointers, but that does not mean that Anthony is automatically compatible with the Knicks. The team must be adjusted so that they can find the rhythm to win games. Mike D’Antoni wants his players to play fast and aggressive which is substantially different from the way Anthony had to play with the Nuggets. In order to match the intensity of their offense, they must now work on their defense. They must work harder to get back after the fast break to prevent the other team from scoring.
In terms of team chemistry, the Knicks are still trying to adjust to each other. Since the trade came mid-season, they have not found the time to understand how they play individually and how to make it work as a team. It is very understandable that this would happen and only the optimistic fans would expect the Knicks to win every game after acquiring Anthony. There is no argument against the fact that the Knicks can get into the playoffs this year. If they can finish the season strong and focus on their chemistry, the Knicks can be a tough contender for the championship.
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