New York Knicks: Is It Too Soon To Call the Carmelo Anthony Trade a Failure?

Last night, the New York Knicks extended their losing streak to three games.  In a match where they led 51-37 at halftime, the newly acquired Carmelo Anthony and his teammates only scored 35 points in the second half as they lost 96-86 to the Boston Celtics.  This put the Knicks' record at an even .500, 35-35.  Since trading for Anthony, their record has been 7-9.

To add insult to injury, the recent losses have caused the Knicks to drop from the No. 6 spot in the playoffs to the No. 7 seed.  Naturally, the fans are concerned and with a dozen games remaining, including two against the dangerous Orlando Magic. Things are not going to get easier.

That all being said, is it safe to say that trading for Carmelo Anthony was a bad idea?  Well, let's analyze that very trade.

Before the trade, the Knicks' starting lineup looked like this:

PG: Raymond Felton

SG: Landry Fields

SF: Wilson Chandler

PF: Danilo Gallinari

C: Amare Stoudemire

Now, down the road, Chandler was relegated to a sixth-man role.  Gallinari moved back to his natural small forward position, and the 4-5 spots were held by Stoudemire, Ronny Turiaf and sometimes Russian rookie Timofey Mozgov.  Yet, as the trade deadline drew closer, Denver Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri decided to play hardball.  Desperate to land Anthony, the Knicks agreed to a trade and now the starting lineup looks like this:

PG: Chauncey Billups

SG: Landry Fields

SF: Carmelo Anthony

PF: Amare Stoudemire

C: Ronny Turiaf.

In a sense, the Knicks traded away more than half of their regulars just to land Anthony.  At long last, they had their own "Big Three."  Then again, did they really?  Let's look at the men they acquired from Denver.

Of course, there's Anthony.  All-in-all, he has been just what the Knicks and their fans hoped he would be.  He has averaged 24 points a game to go with six rebounds, and has overall gelled well with Stoudemire.  The only mark against him could be his shot selection, but it's hard to argue that when his field goal is a respectable 44 percent as a Knick.

Now, let's have a look at Billups.  Over the years, he has established himself as one of the best offensive point guards in the NBA, earning the nickname "Mr. Big Shot."  He has averaged 18.8 points a game as a Knick, but only five assists.  Call me crazy, but am I the only one who sees something doesn't add up here?

Given how he was the top dog in the trade, of course Carmelo Anthony is going to feel most of the pressure if the Knicks underperform.  Yet, doesn't Billups deserve his share of lumps too?

To acquire both Anthony and Billups, the Knicks gave up Raymond Felton.  In his first (and as of now only) season with the Knicks, Felton was finally reaching his potential.  He was averaging 17 points a game, but also nine assists!

As I just mentioned, Billups is averaging close to 19 points a game, but only five assists.  To add insult to injury, his three-point percentage is a less than average 32 percent.  Given, he missed six games with a bruised quadriceps muscle and could still be hurting, but that doesn't mean the statistics can be ignored.

So, that all being said, has enough time passed that this trade can be called a failure?  The answer to that question is simple.  It is too soon to call it a failure, but at the same time it is not a complete success just yet.

Anthony and Billups have done just what the fans expected they would do, and that is be effective as Knicks.  Yet, as Anthony said just last week, "It will just take time."

Anthony's words could not be more true, especially in regards to the play of Billups.  The veteran is 34 years old and a great point guard, but has never really been a pass-first point guard at any point in his career.  He averaged about eight assists a game with the Detroit Pistons during the 2005-2006 season, but he has always been used to being a shoot-first player.

If the Knicks are to be effective, that has to change.  Head coach Mike D'Antoni's offense calls for a point guard that can both score points and run the offense, and Billups just seems to be having a hard time adjusting to it.

In order for this trade to move out of the gray area and into success territory, Billups must learn to share the ball with the two superstars he has at his disposal.  If he doesn't do that, then this trade will truly become a failure or something close to it.