Why New York Knicks Must Trade Carmelo Anthony Immediately
In four games since Carmelo Anthony injured his groin against the Utah Jazz, the New York Knicks have made one thing obvious: Melo needs to be traded as soon as possible.
The Knicks have played almost the entirety of their last four games without Anthony after he pulled up lame six minutes into the opening quarter at the Garden one week ago. They have won every one of those games in impressive fashion.
The thought of dealing Anthony may come across as a knee-jerk reaction brought about by the meteoric rise of Jeremy Lin, but a closer examination of the facts proves otherwise. The absence of the beloved star has allowed the Knicks to play team basketball. For the first time in almost a year, the other 11 players on the squad aren't spectators to the Carmelo Anthony Show. Instead, the neophyte Jeremy Lin has taken over as the star at the Mecca of basketball.
Fans and pundits alike have been criticizing Melo's play this season, which is to be expected of an underperforming star in one of the league's biggest markets. Yes, he's only shooting 40 percent from the field. Yes, he takes almost 19 shots per game. However, he is still one of the most talented and pure scorers in the NBA.
The premise for trading him is not based on the notion that he does not possess the ability to win. It stems from the fact he is not the right player to win with the Knicks. The Mike D'Antoni system requires a point guard who can move the ball, a big man to run the pick-and-roll with that point guard and a collection of role players who supplement the guard/big man duo. The Knicks have all three of those. They also have a fifth wheel, Carmelo Anthony.
When D'Antoni led the Phoenix Suns to a 61-21 record during the 2006-2007 season, he had Steve Nash running the pick-and-roll with Amar'e Stoudemire and a supporting cast made up of Leandro Barbosa, Shawn Marion and Raja Bell, who all averaged between 14 and 18 points per game.
There was no superstar taking 20 shots a night. There was no black hole on the wing, jacking up prayers in order to meet the requirements of the "seven seconds or less" offense. Nobody on that team averaged more than 14 shots a game. They played team basketball in its most sincere form.
Sans Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks have been doing just that.
However, instead of a trio of role players, they have a quartet. Tyson Chandler, Landry Fields, Iman Shumpert and the previously forgotten Steve Novak are evidence of what the Knicks can be without Melo.
Before Anthony got hurt, Novak had scored 41 points the entire season. Since then, he is averaging more than 15 a game. In the last four games, Shumpert's points-per-game total has risen almost four points. Fields has proved he indeed may be the player he showed glimpses of last season. Chandler has been his reliable double-double self.
These four games have been nothing short of spectacular to watch. The Knicks are playing nearly seamless basketball on the heels of Lin (at this point, not much is left to be said about the "Linsanity" phenomenon). If he's running the pick-and-roll well with Chandler, just imagine what’s to come with the return of Stoudemire. A Nash-esque guard playing with STAT on a D'Antoni-coached team is a recipe for instant success.
Now let’s discuss defense. Great defensive play is infectious up and down a team's lineup. Lackadaisical defense can be just as infectious. Melo plays defense when he wants to, which is very sparingly.
Through the first 24 games of the season, the Knicks gave up 95.2 points per game. In the four games without Melo, the Knicks have given up only 91 points per game, albeit it against mostly mediocre teams.
The previous average sets them right in the middle of the league, but allowing only 91 would vault them all the way up to the top five. That's unequivocally a huge difference, too evident to turn a blind eye to.
Once Anthony comes back, the aforementioned members of the Knicks will fall back into the shadows. They won't get as many touches nor as much court time. "Linsanity" will become a distant memory and the Knicks will ride on Melo's shoulders whether it brings them success or not.
In the absence of success, the Knicks will have to deal with media inquiries about the state of the team. While that may not be an issue to veterans, it could negatively impact the critical group of younger players the Knicks have begun to assemble.
It's hard to envision James Dolan trading Anthony, but just imagine what the Knicks could receive in return. Just as the Knickerbockers were forced to do last season, a team would have to send a slew of players or draft picks to New York for Anthony's services. For years (specifically, the Isiah Thomas years) the Knicks mortgaged their future to acquire questionable talent. How refreshing would it be to see that trend reversed with the infusion of more young talent and future draft picks?
If Dolan is concerned about ticket sales without Melo, he need not worry. The enthusiasm generated at the recent games at MSG clearly demonstrates that the Knicks do not need multiple $19-million-a-year superstars to put fannies in the seats. Exciting, winning basketball is all it takes.
D'Antoni said it perfectly when speaking to the New York Post: "People jump to conclusions when Melo and Amar’e come back. They never played with Jeremy. We can’t make that conclusion until we see it. I can’t wait to get those two guys back."
However, statistics suggest that the prospects of the Knicks’ future seem grim when Anthony makes his return to the lineup. Jumping to conclusions suggests a snap judgment without gathering information, but numbers don't lie.
Only time will tell if the Knicks are better off with or without Melo. There is not much time left, though, as judgment day will arrive sometime in the next week or so.
