Was Carmelo Worth It?

Since Carmelo Anthony showed up at the doorstep of The World’s Most Famous Arena on February 21st, the Knicks have been as mediocre as it gets; they are 12-12 since his arrival. To most Knick fans, a .500 record is something to brag about, as there hasn’t been good basketball in The City since Jeff Van Gundy left as head coach 10 years ago.

However, if we take a look at how the Knicks were doing before they acquired Anthony, we see they were doing no worse. New York, which currently has a record of 40-38, was 28-26 before the trade. And that was with a team led by Amar’e Stoudemire followed by a group of young, competent, blossoming, and largely homegrown youngsters.

Nate Robinson, 26, three time dunk contest champion and fan favorite, brought the ball up for the Knicks. In the front court were Knicks born and bred Wilson Chandler, 23, and Danilo Gallinari, 22.

Gallinari was my favorite Knick of the current era. He is 6’10”, but has a beautiful jumper. He can hit from anywhere on the floor, even from 30 feet back off the dribble with a man in his face. I’ve always seen him as a younger Dirk. He’s certainly not that good, yet, but 6’ 10” shooters are hard to come by, and they always have huge potential.

Also, some time spent in the weight room could yield an Italian meatball down low. Imagine that—a 6’ 10”, 275 jump shooter who can also take it to you in the paint.

Dangerous.

The Knicks had a groove going. I saw them as something similar to the Lakers. Stoudemire, like Kobe, ran the show. He had the support of great talent who were only going to get better as they matured and the team gelled. They were above .500 without Anthony in their first season as a team. They had a future together.

That is not to say the New York Knicks should have passed on the opportunity to acquire one of the best players of the millennium. Any team would be crazy to push away a player as good and young as Anthony—who is only 26, which means he could have a dozen hall of fame years with the team—and who had such a strong desire to play there.

What I am discouraging is calling Anthony’s presence a saving grace. The Knicks are doing no better than they were without him. While he will certainly be an asset in the future, the team’s performance in the present doesn’t live up to expectations. The question of whether he was worth all the young talent the Knicks gave up is certainly one worth asking.

Related posts:

1. Carmelo Anthony Finally Home
2. David Lee Returns – Same Old Knicks
3. The Caged Rooster
4. Knicks Keep Rollin’
5. California Dreamin’

Tags: Anthony, Carmelo, Gallinari, Knicks, New York, Robinson