Carmelo Anthony Comments on Knicks' Offseason Moves, 2016-17 Outlook

On Monday, New York Knicks All-Star Carmelo Anthony spoke about his NBA squad's offseason moves while practicing for Team USA in the lead-up to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

"We have a very special group. Pieces are there," Anthony said, per the New York Post's Marc Berman. "The front office stepped up. It was a collective effort. They did their job."

The Knicks made an effort to upgrade the supporting cast flanking Anthony. They appeared to have nailed the No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 draft by selecting Kristaps Porzingis, but they needed more veterans to contend for a playoff spot in 2016-17.

In a buzzworthy trade with the Chicago Bulls, the Knicks landed 2010-11 MVP Derrick Rose to run their offense. They also helped Rose reunite with his former Chicago teammate, big man Joakim Noah, who signed with New York as a free agent.

The Knicks' backcourt depth further improved when they acquired Brandon Jennings and Courtney Lee on the open market.

Team president Phil Jackson and general manager Steve Mills have infused the roster with a plethora of talented, proven players.

"As a coaching staff, we are all excited to fill out our roster with this caliber of player," new head coach Jeff Hornacek said after the free-agent trio signed, per the team's news release. "We believe that the players we have will give us a good mix of versatility and flexibility on both sides of the ball. This will help us get to the level we want to achieve."

Although Rose and Noah may have played their best basketball already, Anthony likely has enough of his prime left to take the burden off of them. Then there's Porzingis, who flashed huge upside as a rookie and figures to make major strides in his second year.

The question is whether Anthony, who requires a high usage rate to be successful, can coexist with ball-dominant lead guards such as Rose and Jennings. Porzingis is a 7-footer whose range extends to the three-point line, so he'll need his share of touches to develop as much as possible.

It's a lot for Hornacek to handle. The good news is that Anthony and Porzingis already have one season of experience playing with each other, while Rose and Noah have built-in chemistry from their time in the Windy City.

Since the start of 2012-13, both Jennings and Lee have played on three different teams before joining the Knicks, so they should have little trouble rapidly adjusting to a new environment in the Big Apple.

The Knicks may not be a championship contender or a top-tier team in the Eastern Conference, but Anthony still has reason to be thankful for the marked improvement in personnel ahead of the 2016-17 campaign.