How Jeremy Lin Has Ruined Carmelo Anthony's Public Perception

It's been a rough go for the New York Knicks as of late.

The Knicks have lost five of their past seven games, after Jeremy Lin and "Linsanity" had come in and turned the season around.

Coincidentally, the Knicks' latest slump comes with the return of forward Carmelo Anthony to the lineup.

New York is only 2-6 with both Anthony and Lin in the lineup together, and 7-1 with Lin in the lineup and Anthony out.

Therefore it's simple:

Everything is Melo's fault.

Not exactly, but that's the way the public perception is going to be, and remember, this is New York we are talking about.

I can get into stats all day long, but the one the public cares about the most is wins and losses.

The Knicks were winning after Lin burst onto the scene while Anthony was out of the lineup with an injury. They have had problems winning with Anthony in the lineup ever since they acquired him from the Denver Nuggets last season.

There were questions upon his return if Anthony could come back and simply fit into the mix, since things were going so well without him.

Whether or not you feel like he has or hasn't fit in, it's hard to ignore the Knicks' record since his return.

It's not exactly fair to point the finger solely at Melo, but that's what's going to happen.

Lin's early success has made Melo the goat in the public eye, and he's going to have to be big enough to shoulder the blame until the Knicks can get things figured out.

The city's love affair with Lin won't stop anytime soon, so Melo is unfortunately going to feel a ton of heat while the Knicks are struggling.

Whether or not things are Melo's fault or not—and there are plenty of other problems in New York right now—one thing is clear: Mike D'Antoni's system is not good for Melo's game.

No one gave that much thought before making the deal for Anthony last season.

It doesn't matter if the Knicks are turning the ball over at a record clip, or that the effort on the defensive end disappears for stretches at a time. Melo's going to get a large share of the blame.

The losing was supposed to stop when the Knicks traded for Melo, and it hasn't.

He's one of the most scrutinized players in the NBA today and that, unfortunately, comes with the territory.

At the end of the day, the Knicks have the talent and the depth to be a factor in the Eastern Conference.

If they don't get things turned around, the public has only one man to blame.

Fair or not fair, the finger is going to be pointed at Anthony.