Carmelo Anthony came to the New York Knicks in 2011 with the mindset of winning a championship in one of the biggest markets in the world. The beginning started off seemingly well. He was able to bring the Knicks their first playoff win since 2001 in 2012, and in 2013, he brought them their first playoff series win since the year 2000. Since then, Carmelo has been doing everything he can to make it back to the playoffs. 2014 was his first season that he missed the playoffs, so that lit a fire in him to get back to the stardom that he is a custom to. Carmelo has had plenty of opportunities to go to a title contender, but he has stayed loyal to New York.
Fast forward to today, and the Knicks are back in a position where they can make some noise in the playoffs again, and it all starts with Carmelo at the helm. This time, he is going to have a good supporting cast around him that is even mixed with young talent.
Carmelo thinks they have a special team on paper. ‘Special’ would probably not be the best term to describe this team. Yes, there is definitely talent there with Derrick Rose, Courtney Lee, Porzingis, Carmelo, Noah, and even a guy like Brandon Jennings off of the bench. A better word to describe this team would be ‘interesting’ because it seems like this team was overturned in one day, and its a whole new team, with a lot of new faces. The ‘interesting’ part about this team will be to see where they fall in the Eastern Conference.
You have to feel for a guy like Carmelo because he never may be able to show his talents in the NBA Finals. For how much that he has been to the playoffs, it is a crazy thought. For now, Carmelo just has to be happy with where the team is now after three seasons of disappointment. This team is definitely a playoff contender with how they are built currently. The one thing that is hampering them is their lack of comradery as teammates. Noah is the perfect center to be matched up with Porzingis because he will hold down the defensive end of the ball while Porizingis can work on his offensive game. Derrick Rose is trying to make a comeback from his two knee injuries and is finally able to team up with Carmelo.
This situation is set up for Carmelo perfectly. It is the teammates he would have gotten if he went to Chicago when he was a free agency a few seasons ago. Except this time, it is in the comfort of New York City.
This Knicks team can make some noise in the Eastern Conference, but it will depend on Carmelo’s leadership, and how the team gels as a whole.
