This past summer, superstar Carmelo Anthony hit the free agent market. Teams such as the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls were very interested in acquiring Anthony. Many people, myself included, felt that it was destined for Anthony to leave the Big Apple.
With an offer on the table from the Chicago Bulls, this seemed to be one that could not be passed up. While the NBA’s CBA meant this offer was for less money than what the Knicks could offer, the Bulls also offered something that would happen immediately; a chance to compete for an NBA championship. The Knicks seemed to be entering the rebuilding process, while the Bulls were preparing to compete for the title. The Knicks were able to make some off-season moves, but they weren’t moves that could move them into title contention.
Just two years ago, this Knicks team was one of the best in the Eastern Conference. But with coaching problems and players not quite being on the same page, things took a turn quickly. With the Knicks being able to offer Anthony the max contract, money became a big factor in the decision. Also, let’s not forget that its New York were talking about. Having the chance to player under the lights of Madison Square Garden is a dream come true. When it was all said and done, Anthony decided to keep his talents in the Big Apple.
Many very surprised by this move. Anthony had the perfect chance to leave a rebuilding team. They didn’t make the playoffs last year, and expectations weren’t that much higher for this season. If he had gone to Chicago, the Bulls would’ve had that go-to scorer that was oh so needed. And with Derrick Rose coming back and Joakim Noah coming off a great season, a new Big Three could’ve been formed in the NBA. Instead, Anthony decided to stay in New York, and that was an awful decision. The Knicks are now in 13th place in the Eastern Conference with a 4-20 record and are currently on a 10-game losing streak.
The problem with the Knicks is that they simply don’t have the talent to win around Carmelo Anthony. Jose Calderon is a great shooter, but that’s all he really brings to the table for the Knicks. Iman Shumpert is a great defender and very athletic, but his offensive game is sub-par. Amare Stoudemire is injury prone, and his best days seem to be behind him. Tim Hardaway has a bright future, but it’s going to take time for him to be a solid role player. And with rumors surfacing about Hardaway and Anthony not getting along, it just makes things worse. This is not a playoff time, its really just that simple.
Before making his decision, Anthony really should’ve thought long and hard about the team he had with the Knicks. No one was exactly sure how long it would take for this team to mesh together and actually play solid basketball. In Chicago, they had their pieces together from the players all the way to the coaching staff. Anthony is now in his 11th season, and he has only reached the Conference Finals once, which was with the Denver Nuggets. If he had gone to Chicago, he very quite possibly could’ve gone to his second Conference Finals in his first year with the team.
When Anthony singed his new contract with the Knicks, there was a no-trade clause involved. But in the past few days, rumors have surfaced about Anthony possibly waiving his no-trade clause if the right offer came about. Although Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher would try their hardest to keep Anthony in this situation, this is something that could actually happen. Jackson promised to give Anthony the best team possible, and it’s still an awful team. At this point, I would say the Knicks should really consider trading Anthony. Carmelo Anthony wants to win now, and he simply isn’t going to with the team he has now. The Knicks should focus on acquiring draft picks and pieces that could help them build for the future.
From the start, Anthony deciding to stay in New York wasn’t the best basketball decision. But of course, money always seems to win in this situation.
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