Carmelo Anthony: 10 Ways He Must Evolve Game To Adapt to Mike D'Antoni's System
New York Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony has been inconsistent since the blockbuster deal that brought him to the big apple.
As a team, the Knicks are 5-3 since the trade, and it is apparent that Anthony is not fully acclimated into coach Mike D'Antoni's system.
If the Knicks are going to gain some ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race and make some noise in the postseason, Anthony is going to have to step it up in all facets of the game.
And do it quickly.
Amar'e Stoudemire may have been able to carry this team alone previously, but with the decimated supporting cast the Knicks now have, there is no time to waste.
Anthony has the potential to thrive in D'Antoni's player-friendly system, but he is going to have to make some adjustments. He is going to have to evolve as a player and become comfortable doing things that may not be in his repertoire.
This may require Anthony to make some sacrifices as well as him attempting to do things outside of his comfort zone, but this is necessary for the greater good of the team.
If Anthony is able to effectively adjust his game to fit into D'Antoni's system, then the Knicks are capable of making some serious noise for the rest of this season and beyond.
Here are the 10 areas that Anthony must evolve in and improve upon the most in order to fully integrate into D'Antoni's system.
No. 10: Anthony Needs To Take Fewer Shots
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Carmelo Anthony is averaging over 20 shots a night as a Knick.
This number needs to decrease.
Anthony is used to putting up roughly the same amount of shots per game in Denver, but here in New York, he is does not need to put up as many shots.
For one thing, Anthony has the superstar partner in Amar'e Stoudemire who he never had with the Nuggets, so this alleviates the pressure on him to shoot that much per game.
But furthermore, Anthony is a very iso-oriented player, which doesn't really fit into Mike D'Antoni's offense. When Anthony shoots the ball, it is usually precluded by eight or more seconds of ball handling.
Although D'Antoni has exempted his new players from the seven seconds or less system, the rest of the offense is not going to be able to fully function if Anthony spends that much time putting up 20 or more shots a game.
If Anthony puts up fewer shots per game, the ball will be moving around the floor more, instead of remaining in his hands for too long.
Additionally, if Anthony is putting up fewer shots per game, there is more pressure on the opposition to cover the rest of the team.
Opposing teams are going to double-team and swarm Anthony, especially if they know he is going to always look to shoot the ball. By Anthony shooting less, it is creating opportunities for the supporting role players to develop their game while keeping opposing defenses on their toes.
Anthony is used to having to put up shots in bunches, but he no longer has that pressure on his shoulders.
He's on a new team with a different role.
And it's time he embraces it.
No. 9: Anthony Needs To Protect the Ball Better
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In Mike D'Antoni's system, the ball is constantly moving. There is not a lot of down time.
So when Anthony has the ball, he needs to make sure to protect it. And when he is moving without it, he needs to be alert because the ball could come his way at any time.
Anthony is averaging just over three turnovers a game for his career, which is pretty much what he has given up in his short stint with New York so far. Although this may not seem like a lot, these numbers need to decrease to the one or two range.
As we saw with Raymond Felton, and still see with Amar'e Stoudemire, D'Antoni's high octane offense has the potential to get the best of you at times.
Felton would sometimes be going so fast that he would just lose control of the ball. Stoudemire gets stripped quite often because he is always trying to think one move ahead.
Anthony has to get used to this type of fast-paced, think-on-your-feet offensive system. When he gets the ball and sees that the lane is open, he needs to maintain control.
In his first few games with New York, Anthony has had the tendency to see the opening in the lane and drive before he has control of the ball, or has even caught the ball. He is simply not used to D'Antoni's fast-paced system yet.
He needs to solve his ball control issues soon though, because the last thing the Knicks want to see is their offensive system give up too many turnovers that result in easy transition points for the opposition.
However, if Anthony can get used to the quick thinking that is required to play in this system, he will be extremely dangerous. New York moves the ball so quickly and efficiently at times that lane openings reveal themselves quite frequently.
Furthermore, the Knicks always have shooters positioned in the corners, which holds the defense's attention and forces them to loosen up in the lane area. If Anthony can control the ball, he may find himself getting a lot of easy points by driving through the openings in the middle.
He is a bit shaky now with his ball control in D'Antoni's system, but Anthony has the potential to substantially hurt opposing defenses if he protects the rock.
No. 8: Anthony Has To Move Without the Ball More
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In Denver, Anthony was used to creating his own shot.
This is not going to be the case in Mike D'Antoni's system.
Anthony has to learn to move without the ball more and let the shots come to him. D'Antoni's offense has little room for a player that strictly posts up.
George Karl's half court offense dictated that Anthony come to the ball and call for it, and create on his own. In D'Antoni's system, Anthony has to constantly cut to the basket, move in and out of the paint and run the pick and roll with Amar'e Stoudemire or Chauncey Billups.
If Anthony learns to be effective without the ball in his hands, he will become an even better player. He will be able to post you up, take you off the dribble or curl around a pick.
He can no longer be just a one dimensional player. Although he was and is still capable of doing many things with or without the ball, he was kind of in a comfort zone back in Denver.
Anthony is so used to calling for the ball and taking his guy one on one that D'Antoni's system is a big change for him. He can no longer be an iso-oriented player, and he needs to be able to create with or without the ball.
This is the only way that Stoudemire and Anthony can be effective playing together. It cannot always be a one-on-one game. These two are going to have to have a give and take relationship and play off of each other.
If Anthony can learn to move without the ball and let the play come to him, as opposed to forcing the issue himself, his shooting skills will take care of the rest.
And this will make him a very dangerous player.
No. 7: Anthony Has To Improve His Free-Throw Shooting
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Many people may think that free-throw shooting is not an essential part of being in Mike D'Antoni's system.
Well, think again.
When you run the floor that quickly, there are a lot of fast break opportunities, resulting in a lot of fouls from the opposition.
Furthermore, when you are encouraged to move the ball, which translates into quick, open shots, you can expect more fouls of desperation from opponents.
This means a lot more foul shots for Carmelo Anthony.
And while many would love to see a load of "And-1" scenarios, the reality is that when players foul, they usually make sure that the ball doesn't go in. Not all the time, but most of the time.
Anthony is 80 percent from the foul line for his career and only 78 percent since he has joined the Knicks. He needs to boost those numbers into the high eighties range.
No one wants to see a potential guaranteed field-goal turn into only one or even no points after a foul because Anthony can not make his foul shots.
Free-throw shooting can give a team the advantage, but it can also put them at a disadvantage.
Anthony needs to improve his foul shooting and make sure that he is money from the line in order to get the most of out playing in D'Antoni's system.
Additionally, Anthony may be an upgrade over Danilo Gallinari at the three, but he is replacing a guy that shot over 90 percent from the foul line.
Those are some big shoes to fill and as of right now, Anthony is stumbling in that department.
He needs to buckle down and focus harder than ever at the foul line. He needs to get outside of his head and block out all of the surrounding distractions.
Anthony needs to prove he will put points on the board not just from the field, but from the foul line as well.
When the game heads into crunch time, he needs to make sure he is prepared.
Anthony isn't going to want to explain why he couldn't seal the deal and lock down a victory for New York.
No. 6: Anthony Needs To Run the Pick and Roll with Billups and Stoudemire Often
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Anthony has two great pick and roll partners in Chauncey Billups and Amar'e Stoudemire.
This season, once Raymond Felton and Stoudemire got their chemistry going, they were extremely lethal when running the pick and roll. And Anthony needs to get to this point with Stoudemire and Billups.
Anthony is already used to playing with Billups, but he and Billups rarely ran the pick and roll back in Denver. I may sound like a broken record, but Anthony was used to creating for himself on the offensive end while with the Nuggets.
The pick and roll is an art, and if perfected by Anthony and company, it would make them that much more dangerous. Although Anthony prefers to take guys of the dribble, he is more than effective at taking the quick mid-range jump shot.
Executing the pick and roll would give him more open looks from this range, as well as drive up his assist average when he doesn't have the open look.
The pick and roll is an essential part of Mike D'Antoni's system. Back in Phoenix, Stoudemire and Steve Nash were simply unstoppable pick and roll partners. Anthony has the ability to be just as effective off the pick and roll.
He is versatile enough to be the guy cutting down to the inside, yet has the finesse and accuracy to also be the guy rolling off to the outside. This means he can run the pick and roll with either Billups or Stoudemire.
Once Anthony has this down, look for his scoring and assist average to sky rocket. Believe me, he will learn to thrive off the pick and roll.
It is a necessity when playing in D'Antoni's system.
No. 5: Anthony Needs To Run the Floor Much Better
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Carmelo Anthony is no longer in Denver playing in George Karl's half court offensive system.
He is in now in Mike D'Antoni's run and gun, full court offensive system.
When the opposition misses a shot or even after they drain one, Anthony needs to get back on offense quicker.
It's odd hearing that phrase without the word defense, right?
The effort has clearly been there on Anthony's part to get back on both offense and defense since joining the Knicks. However, more than a few times, Anthony has been seen meandering his way up the floor in a manner that Walt "Clyde" Frazier would describe as "lackadaisical" in nature.
Anthony needs to hustle up and down the floor in this system. If he takes too long to get up the floor, his team will have already run an offensive series without him.
Yes, it happens that quick in D'Antoni's system.
It has to be exhausting switching from a half court to a full court offense, but if the 35-year-old Chauncey Billups can do it, then so can Anthony.
Also, when Anthony gets the rebound on the defensive end, he needs to push up the floor with the ball. Players have that kind of freedom in D'Antoni's system. Anthony is not required to hold the ball above his head for three to five seconds while looking for Billups.
Obviously this is a major adjustment, but it is imperative that Anthony make it. New York can ill afford to not have Anthony fully present during an offensive series. He is too valuable on that side of the ball.
If Anthony can evolve, and boost his endurance to allow him to run the floor quickly and effectively, then the Knicks will be that much scarier.
And their offense will run that much more smoothly.
No. 4: Anthony Needs To Improve His Three-Point Accuracy
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In Mike D'Antoni's system, you live and die by the three-ball.
Throughout his career, three-point shooting has been anything but Carmelo Anthony's strong suit.
He has shot a meager 30 percent from beyond the arc since joining the Knicks and is only 31 percent from downtown for his career.
Anthony is going to get a lot more open looks in New York than he did in Denver. And D'Antoni's system dictates that if you are open from three-point range, you shoot the ball.
Now, as previously noted, we know that D'Antoni has exempted the Knicks' new players from the seven seconds or less rule, so in theory Anthony could pass up the three and try to drive the ball to the basket.
However, in order to develop chemistry with the rest of the team, it is Anthony's responsibility to try and do his best to get acclimated into D'Antoni's offensive system.
And this means taking the open three if he has it.
Since Anthony will be getting many more open looks from downtown, he needs to improve his three-point shooting abilities. He is not going to effectively adapt by shooting 30 percent or less from there.
It may sound crazy, but he needs to follow in Amar'e Stoudemire's footsteps.
Stoudemire may not shoot the three often, but when he has this season he has been extremely effective shooting almost 48 percent. When he has been open from beyond the arc, he has not hesitated to take the shot.
And he clearly has worked on his outside skills from the efficiency he has shown when he shoots from downtown.
Anthony will be shooting a lot more from behind the line than Stoudemire will though, which means he will have more practice, but it also means that he can have more of an impact from that distance.
If Anthony wants to prove his teammates, fans and the rest of the NBA that he can help the Knicks turn things around, then he needs to improve his three-point shooting in order to fully assimilate into D'Antoni's system.
In other words, this is not an option.
It is a necessity for Anthony.
No. 3: Carmelo Anthony Needs To Pass the Ball More
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Carmelo Anthony is not known as an efficient passer.
When he gets the ball, he is looking to score.
But in Mike D'Antoni's system, this must change. Ball movement is key in this system and Anthony cannot slow that down.
If he gets the ball and the lane isn't open or the shot isn't there, he needs to pass the rock to someone else. He has plenty of sharpshooters around him in Landry Fields, Shawne Williams and Chauncey Billups, so he has no reason to slow down the ball movement and try to post up his man constantly.
In Denver, George Karl wanted Anthony to isolate his man and post up, but his offensive system was more of a half court game and D'Antoni's is a full court game.
Anthony is averaging three assists in his short span with New York, but he is more than capable of dishing out the ball more than that. In Sunday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks, he had seven assists, so we know that he has it in him.
This may take some time to get used to, because with the Nuggets, Anthony was not expected to pass the ball. But now he plays with Amar'e Stoudemire, with whom he can run the pick and roll with or just straight up lob it to him in the inside.
As I said previously, ball movement is the key to success in D'Antoni's system, and in Anthony's first few games, it has been noticeable that he has slowed that down quite a bit. And this needs to change.
If Anthony adjusts his game to fit the style of play that is most effective in D'Antoni's system, then he should be able to average at least five or more assists per game.
He has it him.
And it's essential to the Knicks success that he lets it out.
No. 2: Anthony Needs To Improve on Defense To Allow Himself To Thrive on Offense
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Carmelo Anthony is only eight games in with the New York Knicks and has already fouled out once.
The effort on defense has been evident on his part though. He is communicating with his teammates more and keeping his hands up while also staying on his feet. But he has a long way to go.
Anthony is going to be tasked at times with guarding some of the biggest names in the game like LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Although he has shown some improvement on that side of the ball, it is imperative he improve more.
Why?
Defense may not be a main focus in Mike D'Antoni's system, but believe me, it is getting to be more of a priority nowadays. New York's lack of defensive effort at times has been simply alarming and cost the Knicks more than their fair share of games.
However, it is also important Anthony improve on defense so that he can thrive on offense.
If he gets into foul trouble and has to sit on the bench, he is of no use to the Knicks. The Knicks are a much more vulnerable team without Anthony on the floor to be a catalyst on the offensive end.
Furthermore, if Anthony doesn't improve on defense, he will be lit up night in and night out by the opposition. Teams know that defense is not Anthony's strong suit, and they will exploit this weakness.
And if Anthony gets frustrated enough on the defensive end, it will start to effect his focus and execution on the offensive side of the ball as well. This is something the Knicks cannot have.
Anthony needs to take a page out of James' book and realize that good defensive play can lead to great offensive play. If Anthony can get some steals and block some shots, he can be on the receiving end of some easy transition baskets.
At 6'8", Anthony is more than capable of blocking some shots and becoming a more aggressive defender. Amar'e Stoudemire has shown a great improvement defensively both in execution and intensity. And now Anthony needs to do the same.
He needs to lead by example. If the rest of the team sees their star working hard on defense and translating it into offensive success, then they will do the same.
Offense is the key to any success in D'Antoni's system. But defense is the key to staying focused on offense.
And if Anthony cannot focus on offense, he will fail to effectively adjust to this new system.
Which makes Anthony's defensive intensity all the more important to him adapting to D'Antoni's system.
No. 1: Carmelo Needs To "Melo" out
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Carmelo Anthony is no longer in Denver, where he was the only bonafide star.
He has Amar'e Stoudemire with him in New York, and it is important that he at all times remember this, which makes this the number one area in which Anthony must evolve and improve.
The scoring burden no longer has to fall solely on his shoulders. If he is having an off-night, he now has someone he can completely lean on.
Since Anthony has joined the Knicks, it has become apparent that at times, he tries to do too much, too soon on the offensive end. He has been rushing his shot as of late and trying to score while being double and triple teamed.
With Stoudemire at his side, Anthony no longer has to resort to such antics. He has a guy that is just as much of an offensive threat as he is, and the sooner he fully realizes this, the sooner he will be able to adapt to Mike D'Antoni's system.
If Anthony still has the mentality that the scoring burden is solely on his shoulders, he will not experience all the benefits of playing in D'Antoni's player friendly system.
The beauty of this system is that any player, on any given night can drop 30 or more points. So while Anthony needs to realize he has Stoudemire to rely on, he also needs to realize that in D'Antoni's system, anyone is capable of taking over the scoring burden at any given time.
Once Anthony adapts and embraces this concept, he will be able to relax and cease to try and do too many things on the offensive side. And when he does this, the rest of his game will just start to flow and he will almost effortlessly be able to fully assimilate into this system.
With the Knicks, the burden of winning no longer falls on Anthony's shoulders. He gets to share it will Stoudemire, Chauncey Billups and every other New York player that steps foot on the court.
D'Antoni's system is only effective when you trust your teammates, but the beauty of the system is that it is so player friendly, it makes it easy to trust your teammates.
The sooner Anthony realizes this, the better.
At that point, the chemistry between him and the rest of his teammates in this system will work itself out.
And it will be time for Anthony and company to reap the benefits.
