Carmelo Anthony: A Look Inside His Return to the New-Look New York Knicks

Everybody has been wondering what would happen to Linsanity once Carmelo Anthony returned to the New York Knicks' lineup. While one game isn't enough to judge the long-term effects of Anthony on Jeremy Lin, losing to the lowly New Jersey Nets doesn't paint a good first picture.

Lin's statline was actually pretty much on par with what fans have come to expect from him. He totaled 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. His three turnovers were manageable, especially since they were basically offset by his four steals.

The former Harvard star did have a poor shooting night, knocking down just 39 percent of his 18 attempts, which could be a product of forcing more shots.

But Anthony's performance was the real problem.

The dynamic forward was averaging nearly 20 shots per game before going down with a groin injury prior to the start of Linsanity. He only jacked up 11 in his return, making just four. Anthony finished the night with 11 points, six assists and a Lin-esque six turnovers.

As illustrated by the highlights above, it's almost like Anthony was so worried about disrupting Lin's rhythm that he became overly passive with the ball in his hands. He looked to pass in situations where he would normally rise and fire without thinking twice.

There's no way Anthony could have avoided all of the talk about his ruining Linsanity by coming back, and it clearly played a role on Monday night.

If the Knicks are going to succeed moving forward, Anthony needs to be the player he was before the groin injury. Yes, that means he's going to take more shots and some of them will be taken from Lin, but he's the team's best pure scorer and they need him to produce.

With Baron Davis making his Knicks debut last night and the recent signing of J.R. Smith, there are suddenly a lot of players who will be looking for minutes and shots. It means Lin will need to be more of a distributor and playmaker while being more selective with his shots.

There's simply no way the Knicks will reach their maximum potential if Anthony is forced to play second fiddle. It was obvious last night he isn't comfortable in that role, and it would be crazy to cast off somebody with a track record like his in favor of a point guard with 10 good games under his belt.

It's going to take some time before everybody on the roster settles into his new role, but the Knicks now have enough talent to become legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference.

A rough patch might be on the horizon while chemistry develops, but they will emerge as a stronger unit. With Anthony as the main scorer, Lin as a dynamic point guard and a dominant post presence with Tyson Chandler and Amar'e Stoudemire, the Knicks have all the pieces to be a big-time threat.

Even though it will take some time to develop the perfect balance, as proven painfully last night, the Knicks are on the right track. Anthony's return certainly won't spell an end to Linsanity.