Carmelo Anthony Says He Second-Guessed Decision to Re-Sign with Knicks
It was a rough season for Carmelo Anthony. He played in just 40 games this season and watched as the New York Knicks earned just 17 wins after he signed a five-year, $124 million contract to remain with the team last offseason.
And when Ian Begley of ESPN New York asked him if he ever second-guessed that decision, Anthony was honest:
"I try to keep myself from thinking like that. But as a human being, those thoughts definitely come into play. You sit down at night and you're thinking, 'Did I really make the right decision?' and just things like that. Not often did I think about that. There was one point in time this season where it was just cloudy and I didn't really have any clarity; I was second-guessing what I did and the decision I made. But after that, I was smooth sailing.
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But Anthony is also looking forward and putting his trust in team president Phil Jackson to turn things around this offseason:
"That was one of the reasons I decided to come back. For me to have faith in [Jackson] and believe in his capabilities. [This is] kind of like a clean slate for us and for him. Now we really get a chance and he really gets a chance to put a stamp on what we want this organization to be about, what he wants this team to be about, what players he wants in here.
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The Knicks, who finished with the league's second-worst record at 17-65, are hoping to have a top-two pick, for starters, so they can draft either Duke's Jahlil Okafor or Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns. They'll also have some money to play around with in free agency and can go out and get Anthony some veteran help before potentially pursuing a major free agent in the summer of 2016.
Anthony could use the help. He still averaged 24.2 points and 6.6 rebounds in his 40 games this season, but it's clear the roster surrounding him was suspect, and the Knicks didn't hesitate to blow up the rotation by trading away several players during the season.
With Anthony's return, a top draft selection and a quality free-agent addition or two, the Knicks could easily compete for a playoff spot next season in the weak Eastern Conference. Of course, Anthony didn't re-sign with New York simply to reach the postseason. But after the 2014-15 debacle, it will be a start.
