Was Charles Oakley Right to Call out Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire?

Charles Oakley wouldn't be the first person to level criticisms at Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, and he certainly wouldn't be the last.

But, there's still something noteworthy about a former New York Knick making this kind of statement (via the New York Post's Anthony Sulla-Heffinger):

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“I think the problem with the Knicks is that their best two guys don’t make the people around them better. You see it with the Miami’s, the Oklahoma City’s, the Bulls, their top guys make others better. If that’s the case, I’m going to make sure that my top two guys have the ball at all times.”

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Oakley went on to give Stoudemire credit for attempting to improve his game at this stage of his career, so his comments shouldn't be interpreted as all-out character assassination.

The 29-year-old is spending time this summer working on his post-game with all-time great Hakeem Olajuwon down in Texas, hoping to improve his skills in the paint, especially with his back to the basket. That's a good thing for a guy who won't be able to rely on his quickness and explosiveness forever.

But, Oakley's concerns about Stoudemire and his shoot-first cohort remain legitimate.

Even if Amar'e succeeds in expanding his game beyond his penchant for facing up from the high-post, he'll still need to cultivate his skills as a passer. So will Anthony.

Both of these guys are phenomenal scorers, but Oakley is ultimately correct in his assessment. They've never been the kind of playmakers who also make the rest of their teams better.

That wasn't as obvious when Stoudemire played in Phoenix. Guys like Steve Nash tend to pick up the slack. But, the rap has always stuck to Anthony, whether he was helping the Denver Nuggets almost contend or sending the Knicks along the very same path.

It's a difficult charge to stomach in some ways. 

When you have scorers this good, you ultimately want them taking the lion's share of the shots. You don't hear nearly as much criticism about similarly trigger-happy stars like Kobe Bryant, nor would you expect to after five rings.

The criticism may also be somewhat premature given that Anthony and Stoudemire are both still adjusting to life with one another on a roster that's undergone significant change in the last two years.

They're also still working to transition from Mike D'Antoni's system to the schemes head coach Mike Woodson is implementing.

Perhaps it's a bit too soon to say these guys "don't make the people around them better." There's still enough time left for them to turn over new leaves in their respective careers.

By that same token, though, Oakley is absolutely right about what's going wrong in the status quo. Stoudemire averaged just 1.1 assist per game last season while taking nearly 14 field-goal attempts per game and shooting over five free throws.

Anthony was a bit better off with 3.6 assists per game, but you might like to see more from a guy who has the ball in his hands so frequently. 

That doesn't mean he needs to pattern his game after elite, do-it-all players like LeBron James, but it does mean he still has a few things to work on. Such is life when pursuing a championship in the NBA.

Regardless of whether Oakley was correct, you're welcome to take issue with the need to comment on the issue. Anthony and Stoudemire have both taken more than their fair of shots lately, so the most recent sentiments could be construed as piling on to some extent.

If Anthony and Stoudemire do what Knicks fans are hoping for them to do this season, there may no longer be anything to pile on this time next year.