Carmelo Anthony doesn’t want to shut it down for the season
In the midst of turmoil, a franchise-worst effort to start this season, and some recurring issues with his left knee, Carmelo Anthony has reportedly been considering shutting himself down for the season. Carmelo is ruled out for the Knicks’ game on Wednesday night due to soreness in the knee.
But as Melo iterated on Bleacher Report’s Uninterrupted page, he wants to continue to play this season:
I’m all right, I’m not shutting it down for the season yet, just trying to take some time to get it right. I know there’s a lot of fans out there that are kinda upset, kinda down on the team, kinda down on the players right now, kinda down on the situation, but I will say it will be greater later. Just be patient with the team, with the organization, with the journey, with the plan, with what we’re trying to create, what we’re trying to accomplish. Greatness don’t happen overnight, but that’s what we’re trying to build here.
As far as me, I’m rehabbing. I’m around the clock getting treatment, therapy, trying to do what I got to do so I can be at my greatest.
Phil Jackson started making subtle moves when he became team president in the offseason. The Knicks parted ways with Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler. This week Carmelo Anthony lost two more teammates in J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, who were sent to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade.
Carmelo’s reaction to the trade, via Andrew Keh of The New York Times:
Carmelo Anthony said Iman Shumpert and JR Smith were hurt when they heard the trade news, and he had to calm them down in the locker room.
— Andrew Keh (@andrewkeh) January 7, 2015
“Me and J.R. was rocking with each other since Denver days, almost 10 years,” Carmelo said. “That’s a long time to just—one day it’s over.”
— Andrew Keh (@andrewkeh) January 7, 2015
Carmelo said signing with N.Y. was based partly on trusting Phil: “Here’s an opportunity, with the trust,” he said. “Everything starts now.”
— Andrew Keh (@andrewkeh) January 7, 2015
The Knicks were close to being in contention for Reggie Jackson in the three-team deal, but he remains with Oklahoma City. At the moment the New York Knicks are under the “tanking” radar, dumping contracts and waiving players left and right. Carmelo doesn’t have anything to play for this season, but it looks like he’ll still look to compete at his best as he and the Knicks continue to re-group.
