The New York Knicks clinched the Atlantic Division last year, but look like a completely different team this season. They are currently 18-27 and out of playoff contention. Fortunately, the Knicks do not look completely dead; in the last five games, they are 5-5.
Courtesy: NY Daily News
In one of those wins, Carmelo Anthony put on one of the greatest scoring performances in history at Madison Square Garden. He scored a franchise record 62-points, as New York beat the Charlotte Bobcats. Melo is allowed to become a free agent this summer and he stated that he would like to test free agency. Bad news for the Knicks; right now, they look like a mess. It might take years for them to get to the NBA Finals (let alone atop the Eastern Conference), even with Carmelo.
New York’s roster is currently suffering from a lot of injuries between Andrea Bargnani, Pablo Prigioni and Amar’e Stoudemire. Since the Carmelo trade, the Knicks have never made it over the hump and past the Heat. It’s been a rough ride in New York for Melo, with the likes of Stoudemire already in place; they never got a third member to create a “Big Three.” Head coaching has been a problem and lack of a dependable consistent point guard has been a long-term issue.
The NBA trade deadline is on February 20, 2014. With the deadline so close, the Knicks need to figure out, sooner rather than later, their game plan for their superstar Small Forward’s future. The franchise will need to make a deal to bring in players to help Anthony get the championship he has been chasing or they should try to work out a trade, which could serve in both parties’ favor. That way, Carmelo is not walking out the door leaving New York high and dry. Especially after that 62-point performance, Melo has an extremely high value on the player market.
Recently, Melo’s wife, La La Anthony, said that she believes he will stay in New York. If this is true, no one can be sure. What I can be sure of is that there are much sweeter dealers that New York can currently provide, that will present itself to Melo in free agency. He wants a championship and is going to go for one. Even after a 62-point performance, many critics still believe he needs validation as a winner. That is where his true motivation lies and that will be the deciding factor in where Carmelo plays basketball in the future. He will go where he believes he will win.
The Knicks do have some players worth value that they can trade, like Iman Shumpert, Tyson Chandler, J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin. Any trade they would make without Melo would have to be to bring in a “Big Three”, which was promised back to him back in 2011. That is what will help make the Knicks look like an attractive winning team for him to stay on.
Otherwise, I believe all roads have Carmelo joining the Chicago Bulls. Carmelo saw what happen when Dwight Howard joined the Los Angeles Lakers and I believe that makes it unattractive destination. Teaming up with another ball-hog type player, like Kobe, does not seem like a good mix of skill sets.
Courtesy: ESPN
The Bulls have opened up cap room by trading away Luol Deng, they have the chance to amnesty Carlos Boozer this summer and Derrick Rose should be back by the start of the 2014-15 season. Right now, the Bulls are the most attractive location for Melo; it also is the best place for him to make a championship run.
Derrick Rose could be the point guard that Carmelo has always needed. Coming back from his second major knee injury, the Bulls can lighten his offensive burden by going all in on Melo. They have a strong center in Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson has matured enough to take Boozer’s starting role and I believe Head Coach, Tom Thibodeau, would be a great defensive match up for Melo.
It might be long shot to see a deal between Chicago and New York before the deadline, but then again, such things have happen before. If Carmelo plays the season out as a Knick, it will most likely be his last.
Carmelo is his own worst enemy when it comes to the success of the New York Knicks. His constant need for the spotlight and lack of a complete game, is the reason his team sits at the bottom of the standings this season. Sure there’s been injuries but unlike other teams in the league, the Knicks don’t have a leader who can motivate his guys to be the “next guy” up. Look at Chicago. No Rose, Deng, or Hinrich, yet they still managed to compile a 9-4 record since trading Luol Deng. Joakim Noah is a great example of a guy who leads with his unselfishness. Along with Lebron James, Chris Paul, Andre Iguodala, and even Lance Stephenson, Noah shows up every night and gives it his all. The other guys that I listed also give it their all and don’t need to take 35 shots per game to help their teams be successful. Melo takes those 35 shots and the Knicks are still terrible. At this point in his career I honestly think that he should come to terms with the fact that he will never be an NBA champion.