Monday, January 23rd, 2012 at 9:00 am  |  150 responses

Carmelo Anthony Wondering if the Knicks’ Struggles Are His Fault


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

It was inevitable, really. Here were the Denver Nuggets, a cohesive and unselfish unit, strolling into the Garden to take on the mess that is otherwise known as the New York Knicks.

Denver’s crushing double-overtime victory handed the reeling Knicks their 6th consecutive loss, and created ever more panic for their dejected fanbase and increasingly cynical media. As for the players themselves, Carmelo Anthony finds himself in need of some serious soul-searching.

The former Nugget wondered aloud if he was to blame for the Knicks’ woes, and Anthony says that he would like for his co-workers not to be afraid to tell him if this is the case. From the NY Daily News and Newsday:

“There is a bunch of stuff that goes through my mind,” Anthony said after the Knicks lost their sixth straight, including four at home in six days. “What am I doing? What am I not doing? I have been in this situation before when shots don’t go in. Should I pass it more? I am sitting there thinking. Maybe I should take the blame for the games we are losing … our offensive struggles. I will take it [...] “I am hard-headed at times as far as them telling me to sit down some games,” he added. “I don’t know how to take that but maybe it is time to reevaluate that.”

“We as a team need to do a better job getting Amar’e the ball,” Anthony said Saturday. “I have the ball in my hands. Maybe it’s on me. Maybe I need to get him the ball a little bit more, help him out with that. Me and [Stoudemire] will talk, try to figure it out together. If I’m doing too much, I want him to tell me. I want the guys on my team to tell me if I’m doing too much. We handle it like that.” Anthony said there already have been “team meetings, players meetings.” But this one-to-one seems long overdue.

The blame game in New York has shifted from head coach Mike D’Antoni, to ‘Melo, the lack of a productive point guard and bench, and finally Amar’e Stoudemire. As Anthony points out, STAT hasn’t been aggressive on the offensive end this season (to say nothing of his shortcomings on defense and the boards.)

Carmelo Anthony is right in that needs to take a serious look in the mirror. But he’s certainly not the only Knick who should be taking that crucial step.

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  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    What do you realistically think they can get back for Chandler though? Expiring contracts? An aging vet who may have one all-star game left, at best?

  • Mike Mihalow

    defensive struggles, yes

  • Mike Jones

    Bravo you are a fool, hogging the ball and not passing the rock. Do you know who the top assist guy for the knicks is at the moment. Anthony. Anthony is not to blame it is Amare, most nights he is chucking up the same amount of shots and doesnt look like hitting half of them.
    It is still early people, the knicks will go on a big win streak shortly, and the as long as they make the playoffs which should be easy enough in the east they are a contender in any playoff series.
    Stay Faithful new york.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    When you’re shooting 33% on 26 shots with 4 turnovers a game during the team’s recent struggles, the blame falls squarely on you.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    I would try to get back a draft pick, late lottery or just mid first round. No actual players. Basically, a salary dump.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    If they are going after Dwight, then they don’t need to get anything back. they need the cap space.
    Hell, if they are creative, maybe they get that third team to go with them to talk to Orlando or something.
    No matter what, the first move is moving Melo. He costs too much money and doesn’t make other people better.
    But, if you remember, I wasn’t in favor of the Melo trade in the first place. I thought they were kowtowing to him and making sure he got the most money he could get and letting him play where he wanted to play and gutting their team.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Amare is struggling, but realistically you have to figure that with more ball movement and shots, his game will improve. That’s never happening with Melo on the team.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    How would a Melo/DHow combo work if Melo/Amare aren’t working? Is not like Melo is going to turn into the Big O overnight and start setting up DHow for easy buckets. Constant ball-movement and a decent PG are keys to D’Antoni’s offense not a ball-stopping Forward that thinks every shot is a good shot.

  • http://Www.nba.cOm 2Sikh

    How about sign a humbled Allen Iverson to score 12ppg of the bench!!!

  • charliewinning

    D’Antoni is as much the problem as the players. Actually, it doesn’t matter what players he has. He’ll always be offense only, therefore never a big time winner.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Guys, guys. Calm yo selves. Baron Davis just had his first practice. All problems solved… ehhh, or not, but he will make them considerably more fun to watch that’s for sure.

  • Shiq

    hahah @ LakeShow….

  • nic h

    The problem is in no way Carmeloa fault, he needs to feel 100% confident that the whole team is on the same page as far as him being the leader and the take of the majoritry of the shots.Dantoni should be fired and the majority of the offence should involve Isolations for melo.Then Amare making his easy shots

  • nic h

    carmelos*

  • http://www.aol.com wagers

    Melo/Shumpert for D Will/Marshon??

  • meloman@2.0

    Melo ain’t going anywhere… even though he’s played bad as of late (remember, he has an injured wrist) doesn’t mean he’s not a keeper. Amare is the one playing horrible. Melo leads them in points and assist. Watch a few months from now, when Melo is cruising… you haters now will be praising him. This is clearly just a phase

  • JTaylor21

    The knicks are off to a slow start but their still the favorites to win the championship. Tony Douglas is turning into one of the best guards in the league and Ronaldo Blackman took his game to another level during the lockout.
    Top four small fowards:
    1. Big Bron James
    2. KD
    3. Ronaldo Blackman
    4. Melo

  • FoCo

    Come on Nic. The problem here is definitely Melo. You think Karl never wanted him to play defense? Think Diantoni doesn’t believe in defense at all? Dude has always been a chucker who was lazy on D and now for the first time he doesn’t have the team to make him look good.

    Meloman this isn’t a phase. This is Melo’s first time without a strong guard running the show up top and his constant need to play 1 on 5 is catching up with him. His wrist may heal but he’s not gonna stop chuckin. Amare is looking bad because Melo’s 100% iso game doesn’t mesh at all with Amare’s strengths and has turned him into a jump shooter which isn’t what he should be doing (when Melo lets him shoot at all)

  • http://slamonline.com cold as ice

    yes its melo’s fault….yes its stat’s fault….of course it no d’antoni fault u damn right its dolan’s fault. and for the 1st time it aint isiah’s fault(lol)!!! can it work??? i still believe so. obviously u have 2 ego driven players on this team. fightin for the alpha dog spot. only difference is melo’s chucking and stat’s well…he’s ducking.does melo need to shoot less. YES!!!does stat need to learn to post up more YES!!!why is it that i say post. because amare is in lovewit 3pter’s and 15 to 20fter’s. nooooo. it takes 2. so if melo is to change his game to play stat then stat should do the same.both needs to play better defense and stat needs to help tyson and crash the boards more.while team usa takes off to london amare needs to take off to texas and see the “dream”!! hakeem that is. same way bron,kobe and dwight can better their post game. stat should do the same. if u want to chuck 3′s ok. post up more. then ur gm will be complete. inside,mid,and outside. melo u can be lebron2.0 if not pierce. facilitating,scoring,gettin boards and makin ur teammates better. us newyorker’s would love u a million lifetimes over.not this half ass effort we’re getting now. not 2 players bickering like 2kids in the playground.over who wants to lead and who doesnt want to follow. obviously the miami big3 got their act 2gether so why cant ya???? team work leads to success. not selfishness and me 1st attitude.IN THE WORDS OF ED LOVER C’MON SON!!!! ya no worse then the captain who abandoned ship. go down wit the ship. at least do it in the playoffs playing as a TEAM!!! not sounding like mya and sisqo”it’s all about me”. melo and stat is the best thing to happen to NY basketball since ewing and sprewel. dont let us fans down. thats already happened multiple times already. ish i’ll run the point for ya.and ya’ll get all the touches ya need. plus the TEAM!!!!

  • dazzy

    No way cold as ice is a real New Yorker.

  • http://slamonline.com tealish

    I like his self-awareness.

    I also like the second funniest thing of this post: Meloman2.0 diminishing how well the Nuggets are doing by saying they can’t win in the playoffs with that roster, and that Carmelo Anthony (he of the lone second round appearance in 7 seasons) is the type of guy you advance in the playoffs with.

  • http://slamonline.com The Philosopher

    D’Antoni’s fault…
    And Steve Nash moves up yet another notch on the “make the coach look good” list.

  • Shiq

    @ Tealish…hysterical isn’t it???

  • meloman@2.0

    Ok, I’m actually convinced everyone on this post is slightly retarded. @Foco Melo before Iverson, Melo lead that sorry denver squad (ok they weren’t that sorry but still, he was their leader) to the playoffs for 3 years. Second, it appears that Amare and Melo don’t work because they are both ball stoppers. Dwight isn’t. He functions as a pimped out version of Tyson Chandler, scoring off rebounds, the occasional pick and roll and post ups. Dwight is also the best defensive player in the league, and when you have the best defensive player and the best scorer on the same team, your chances of winning are very high

  • B

    All this melo hate is ridiculous… When amare does get the ball it’s never on the block… He running around close to the three point line… Everybody he plays has a career night… He shoots long j’s like he is a sg… If he would play around the low post area he would do damage… Melo leads the team in assists… But he’s not passing the ball… He rebounds decently, I say trade amare for some pieces n maybe a 1st rounder n call it a day… And fire d’antoni just because….

  • meloman@2.0

    just watch how far the nuggets go without melo… and see how the knicks do (even though they traded half a team for melo) do when it comes playoff time.

  • SportsAddict

    The Knicks have great players, Amare, Melo, Shumpert,Fields, Chandler, etc. They just can’t seem to win. I think they need another great point guard who can take pressure off of Anthony. Someone who can set up Amare, and run pick and rolls with Tyson. Melo is being vocal about it, and this might can uplift the team in the long run. I think what Melo is doing is very positive.

  • http://www.facebook.com/P.Y.Y.B.L Gametimeweezy

    its not your fault Melo theres no I in team…
    one person is not the reason a team wins and one person is not the reason a team loses
    all these people are idiots…

  • http://www.huwlhopkins.com #6marjon

    it isn’t iman shumpert’s fault

  • Justin G.

    I don’t see D’Antoni getting fired this year. Once again he has a newish team and no time to work with them in practice. Someone said it’s on the coach to work with the guys and figure how to get them their shots in their best spots? When does he do that exactly? There is simply no time for practice. It’s why Dirk is taking some games off. All the players do is play games, travel that night to the next city and play another game the next day. I think coaches are going to get a free pass for this year for that simple reason but D’Antoni in particular will probably have a short time next year. The Knicks are also waiting for Davis to come back and see what kind of impact he can have. Maybe if he comes back healthy and playing like he can this team can turn it around but it needs to start on the defensive end for sure

  • charliewinning

    D’Antoni needs to be fired. Period. He’s not a good coach. Not only is his style not conducive to winning a championshipn but any coach who can’t get his team to @ least .500 with that amount of talent shouldn’t be coaching.

  • Justin G.

    @charliewinning…Talent doesn’t always equal chemistry either. Teams have to be able to play with each other and learn each other’s tendencies to be a contender. And you do that in practice, not in games. Teams like Miami and Chicago have an advantage not just because of talent but also because they’ve been playing together before. You guys aren’t understanding that the coaches are not being allowed to coach because of the schedules. They’re not going to run extensive practices on the rare off days everyone gets because they also understand that the players need to rest.

  • charliewinning

    Exactly my point. One of the biggest parts of a coaches job is to manage the players so that they can play cohesively. D’Antoni cannot do it because he’s incompetent. No excuse for being so many games below .500. He is not a good coach. They don’t lack talent, they lack a coach to motivate them. They lack a coach who cares about defense. They lack a coach with the wisdom to utilize his talent.

  • bigdoggchad

    @ JTaylor21 Dwight doesn’t need the ball to be effective. He rebounds and plays defense. He only shoots 13 shots a game and goes to the line 12 times a game. He is also use to not taking the last shot or being the focal point on offense unlike Amare. Amare is shooting 15 shots a game which low and only gets to the line 6 times a game. Melo/D-12 > Melo/Stat.
    Hopefully the Howard for Amare and Chandler rumors are true.

  • hushabomb

    If the Knicks get Iverson to play PG that would be great. He’s willing to help a team play and whilst I’m not a AI fan, he deserves to be on a NBA team to finish out his career. Just as long as he doesn’t need to practice……

  • bigdoggchad

    ^ ^ ^
    Amare is shooting 15 shots a game which is low for him

  • D

    LMAO bet they regret trading Billups LMAO

  • G-Ryder

    All of this Melo hate is non sense. Its a team game. Hey Denver fans, how quickly you guys forget that yall couldnt make the playoffs until he got there nd brought yall thete 7 yrs straight. THeres a cople of problems the knicks have. First is coaching!D’Antoni doesnt believe in defense and is too stubborn to adjust. 2nd is that we need a PG badly! Amare has been mainly successful in his career in motion and Pick/Roll Offense (ie.Nash and Felton). Last is just effort.

  • ShiQ

    I can’t believe Meloman@2.0 you think this team will go further than the Nuggets in the playoffs..Forget where the Nuggs land in post season…i don’t even think the Knicks will SEE a post season…and please refrain from calling me retarded just because of your love affair with Melo…i get it he is a GREAT offensive bball palyer. Great to watch score and one of the easiest facilitating scorers in the game..( many will say KD is waaay better, but) there’s no argument that he’s great.. and that Amar’e has the star power greatness, AND that Chandler is a Champ..HOWEVER, something is not meshing…and it is APPARENT that Melo is stopping the flow of the offense. Melo stops offesive flows…unless he has someone into punking him to NOT stop it..i.e the Olympic team…all those egos and talent and the ball is shared pretty well and Melo can’t think about shooting everytime he gets the ball..on the Nuggets team he did it..and on a struggling Knicks team he feels he has to. The Nuggets were never a bad team that surrounded him…They certainly weren’t a bad team when he left and they are better team now that he’s gone.. No one ( well i’m not ) is insinuating in the SLIGHTEST that Melo is NOT a great offensive bball player..its just that his shortcomings are now causing a whole franchise to doubt his ability to make basketball decisions. If that triple team wasn’t prooof of that on Sat where he STILL shot the ball..then nothing wil convince you… DUDE I was/am a MELO fan all the way..i had a freaking MELO PURSE..YES a MELO JERSEY PURSE! so i’m a fan..i jsut see the downfall and it’s not working in Ny.

  • http://slamonline.com Harlem_world

    Fire d’antoni, get a proper pg, move chandler off the pick and rolls and run them with amare. We don’t need chandler to score. Just rebound play d and get yours off of scraps. It’s funny to hear people say this team can’t work with melo and amare. When chauncy was healthy, we were on track to rise back up in the east and y’all know it. Without chauncey and with d’antoni in charge – we in trouble. Fire the coach and get a real pg. Melo ain’t goin anywhere and if any team is serious about winning it all, you need superstars to get a ring. No team has ever won one without one. Much as I respect Gallo and Chandler, they are not taking you over the hump in the playoffs. Eff respectable, you got to build to win it all or not at all.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    No when you had Chauncey you were still worse then before you got Melo. New York fans are delusional. Like it’s a disease.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    And Detroit won without a superstar in 04.

  • http://slamonline.com Harlem_world

    Ask around the league about Chancey and Rasheed in 04 – they were both top 5 at their position and Wallace was an all-star. Rip was no joke back then either.

  • http://slamonline.com Harlem_world

    Delusional how? If we could get Howard and Deron like you speculated, let’s do it – but it ain’t gonna happen. This current team is incomplete and we need to get a new coach to change the culture. We have talent, but no direction. This is achieved with a new coach and new pg. Also, talk was about moving chancey to have a run at signing CP3. Things didn’t work out with that, but if we had a shot at getting him, then it was worth it. A new coach and even semi-decent pg improve this team dramatically

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Chauncey and Rasheed were not superstars. That’s absurd.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Rasheed wasn’t top five at power forward in 2004. Check that list again.
    He was a beast still, but top five seems like a stretch given his rebounding.
    And there is no reason the Knicks can’t talk to Jersey about a straight up trade of Melo for Deron.
    Jersey would have to be interested because the Knicks already have MElo locked up for four years.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    You can’t get Howard and Deron. I also didn’t speculate that you could. And your coach is not the issue. That guy has won at every level, infact, he’s been elite at every level. And until he started coaching this piss poor excuse for a roster he was elite in the NBA too. The only person New York fans should be mad at is James Dolan. You can’t create a roster with more holes then a wiffle-ball and blame the coach for not filling them with some magical fix-all. The teams needs depth, playmaking, and defense outside of Chandler and Shumpert. Then you can talk about winning a playoff series, or if the coach is a good fit.

  • http://slamonline.com Harlem_world

    nbk what is your definition of superstar? and allen, name 5 pf’s from 2004 better than sheed back then? KG, Dirk, Timmy (if we call him a PF), maybe Webb – that’s it. If you have multiple top 5 players on your squad, you are likely to win.

  • http://slamonline.com Harlem_world

    nbk, the dantoni does not fit in NYC. He has no desire to play or preach defense. Follow his past. None of his teams have defensive respect. Yes he IS the issue. We need a culture change on this team. I’m not saying the roster isn’t flawed, but we are were we are. To fix it, we need to look at what we need to do going forward and firing the coach is definitely needed. Coaches who coach elite rosters to less than elite results shouldn’t be praised above there station. He’s an assistant coach who you bring in to coach the fast break. Not a head coach who dictates the culture and philosophy of the team.

  • charliewinning

    I do not respect the opinion of anyone who thinks D’Antoni is a good coach.

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