Carmelo Anthony: Should He Adapt to Mike D'Antoni's System or Vice Versa?

Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks will be under an enormous amount of pressure to perform next season in order to prove to the basketball world that the trading for the superstar forward was a great move and the best thing for the team.

In the time that Anthony spent in New York last season, he put up his usual solid numbers, averaging 26.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. His three-point shooting also dramatically improved. He shot over 42 percent from beyond the arc with the Knicks.

While Anthony's individual statistics were great, the team struggled to mesh together. Anthony in particular had a tough time acclimating himself to coach Mike D'Antoni's seven-seconds-or-less system.

D'Antoni gave Anthony and the rest of the incoming players a reprieve from abiding by his normal system. However, Chauncey Billups made an effort to familiarize himself with New York's system, and he did so quite well. His execution, when healthy, within the system was more than adequate.

Anthony, on the other hand, was a different story. He didn't seem to make a true effort to develop his game within the system until just before the postseason. Toward the end of the year he was making quicker decisions and trying to pass the ball off more on offense, but even then he was struggling to find his place.

And this leads to the question, should Anthony even have to adapt to D'Antoni's system or should D'Antoni evolve his system to fit Anthony's game?

As respected and great a player as Anthony is, the answer to said question is obvious: Anthony needs to adapt to D'Antoni's system.

D'Antoni may not be a defensive genius, but he is an offensive guru, which is why the Knicks hired him. For him to change his system to fit one player's needs is outrageous. He can, and is probably more than willing to change a few minor things, but Anthony's normal offensive style goes against everything D'Antoni's stands for.

Anthony's bread and butter has always been isolating his man on offense and going one-on-one. This takes time, and while his execution of such a style is great, it does subtract from his team's overall possessions.

New York's seven-seconds-or-less system allows them to maximize the number of offensive possessions they receive, as well as keep the opposing team on the run for the game's duration. For D'Antoni to completely adapt his system to Anthony, he would have to change everything.

D'Antoni's system did not change when Amar'e Stoudemire arrived, so why should Anthony be different? Sure, Stoudemire fit perfectly in the Knicks' system to begin with, but what does that say about an organization's priority when they put a star's needs above not only the rest of the team, but the coach's philosophy as well as the team's true leader, in Stoudemire.

It doesn't say anything good.

Yes, many teams' offensive systems are made to accommodate their bona-fide stars' strengths, but in the Knicks case, they would be accommodating one star's strength over the other. Stoudemire is great in this system, and if it changes, he will be the one to adapt.

Is that right? 

Absolutely not, especially considering the system fits in well with the rest of the team. Players like Toney Douglas and Landry Fields, and even the incoming Iman Shumpert can thrive in D'Antoni's system.

And Anthony can too. He is a versatile enough player to adapt his game to D'Antoni's philosophy. When Anthony actually put in an active effort to adapt to this system, his three-point shooting percentage went up, and so did his scoring.

Anthony has the potential to thrive in this system. His main weakness is his conditioning, which must improve. Stoudemire is a fitness juggernaut, and Anthony must become one as well.

Even though the NBA is in a lockout, Anthony needs to be working hard to stay in shape and learn this system inside and out. The Knicks have the potential to run over even the best defensive teams if Anthony is on board.

Defense may be a different story, but we cannot question D'Antoni's offense and ask him to change his philosophy. So we must ask, rather tell, Anthony that he has to be the one to change.

And Anthonhy better do it now, because as soon as the Knicks hire a defensive assistant, he is going to have adapt to a new defensive philosophy as well.

Being a part of a team is all about sacrifice and instituting a philosophy that is best for the entire group and not only the individual. 

And if Anthony has an issue with adapting his game to fit the Knicks concept, maybe someone should remind him of that.