Carmelo Anthony Agrees With JR Smith That the Knicks Were ‘Walking on Eggshells’

When the New York Knicks traded JR Smith to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a blockbuster deal earlier this month, Smith said that the mood at MSG was tense and that people were “walking on eggshells”.

With a powerful and highly-paid new team president (Phil Jackson), a new head coach (Derek Fisher) and the familiar high-expectations that come with playing in New York, Carmelo Anthony concedes that his former teammate has a point.

Melo is happy that Smith has found success in Cleveland so far.

Per Newsday:

“I’ve heard him say that before in conversations we’ve had,” Anthony said. “I think anytime something is new, something is trying to be incorporated, everybody is trying to do the right thing, so it can be a tense situation or you can feel like you’re walking on eggshells because you don’t want to do the wrong thing.

 

“You want to impress the coaches. You want to impress the front office. You want to impress your teammates and try to do the right thing. So if that’s where he’s coming from, from that standpoint I agree with him.”

 

“He looks like he’s settling in very well,” Anthony said. “I’m actually happy for him. It’s a change of environment for him, new thought process, new mindset. Mentally it looks like he has some clarity right now. I believe LeBron [James] will help him make that adjustment that much better.”