Carmelo Anthony Comments on Knicks Giving More Minutes to Younger Players

New York Knicks veterans Carmelo Anthony, Robin Lopez and Jose Calderon agreed to sacrifice some of their minutes for the rest of the 2015-16 season to give the team's young players more time on the court, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

“I went to those guys, Jose and RoLo, and asked them what they felt of the idea,’’ Anthony said on Wednesday night. "The whole idea of 35 minutes instead of 30 minutes, give other guys opportunities out there. They were all for it."

Anthony added:

"

Those guys need to play, especially right now. They need to be out there, they need playing time, they need playing experience. You can practice and do drills and one-on-one things all day long, but you only get that experience by playing in an actual game.

I think it’s good for them, I think it’s good for the morale of the team, I think it’s good for their confidence. Because sometimes in a situation like this, you can lose your confidence. And that’s something we don’t want.

"

The team's head coach, Kurt Rambis, told Berman that he was in favor of the idea and brought it to the attention of team president Phil Jackson.

The Knicks have very little to lose by making the adjustment down the stretch, as they are just 30-46 on the season, the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference. 

While rookie standout Kristaps Porzingis was a crucial player for the team this season and Langston Galloway has played solid minutes off the bench, the reduced minutes from Anthony, Lopez and Calderon will allow younger players like Jerian Grant, Derrick Williams, Kyle O'Quinn and Kevin Seraphin additional minutes on the court.

Those players will important for the Knicks going forward, either as depth pieces off the bench as the team continues to build around Anthony and Porzingis or as potential trade chips. In either case, giving them an extended run at the close of the season is a logical move for the team.   

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