Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony has been unable to rejuvenate the lowly New York Knicks. Courtesy of CarmelClutchBlog.com
A fresh start with the New York Knicks may mean the world to former Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, but he isn’t Atlas.
Ever since the Denver Nuggets traded Anthony and teammate Chauncey Billups to the New York Knicks back in February, the duo’s stats have slackened. Still, at an average of 24.3 and 18.6 points per game, respectively, they have been a great addition to the struggling Knicks, on paper anyway.
But points aren’t everything. Anthony has to work to better fit in with his new team, which means he needs an attitude adjustment. Two weeks ago, after an embarrassing loss to the Detroit Pistons, ‘Melo blamed teammate Jared Jeffries for not passing him the ball, though he had only made two of his 12 shots.
Though Anthony has the numbers, his performances have been quite pitiful in the Knicks’ recent losses. If the Knicks want to have a chance against Miami, Chicago or Boston, any of whom they could face in the first round of the playoffs, then ‘Melo needs to adapt and become a more integral part of this New York team.
Let’s not forget about the Nuggets, though. The Nuggets have won 10 of the 14 games they’ve played since Anthony’s departure. Forward Kenyon Martin’s iron will and powerful attitude has helped him become a leader for the team.
Martin’s pure drive isn’t scoring them 107.6 points per game, though. Seven other Nuggets players, who all average between 10 and 15 points, are responsible for that feat. And did I mention that the Nuggets are ranked as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference?
In other news, the New Jersey Nets, to nobody’s surprise, will not be playing in the playoffs this year. Point guard Deron Williams, who was recently acquired from the Utah Jazz, was not able to make a difference and is out indefinitely with a strained right wrist. The team’s dismal 93.8 points per game, however, was probably more responsible for the Net’s elimination from playoff contention than Williams’ injury.
Ondo is a member of
the class of 2014.
