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If you were to bet during the pandemic which player would be on the Knicks’ 2020-21 roster, Elfrid Payton or Carmelo Anthony, the smarter game was the former Syracuse star.
But there was Payton on a Zoom call from Portland on Sunday after the Knicks filmed talking about his game against Blazers superstar Damian Lillard – still Anthony’s teammate.
Payton stabilized the leader’s position in the Knicks’ 8-9 start. Anthony opted to re-sign with the Blazers for the NBA veteran’s $ 2.6 million minimum. The Blazers desperately need Anthony now with stallions CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic for an extended period.
Should the Knicks have played a more difficult role in Anthony given they were stuck with $ 18 million in salary cap space?
A case could be made, yes, because of their shortage of attacking talent – ranked 30th in the league averaging 101.3 points.
On the other hand, the case is stronger that Knicks president Leon Rose made the right choice by not moving all-in on his former client in November. The Post reported that Rose’s dream duo after taking the job was to add Chris Paul and boyfriend Anthony.
Anthony, at 36, still attracts attention. His presence could have been disruptive if things didn’t go as planned in terms of playing time and touches of the ball. Specifically, the Knicks have established an identity as a serious and defensive ball club. This is not Anthony’s calling card.
Could Julius Randle have this breakup season with Anthony, who plays both small and power forward, on the roster? Probably not. Randle needs the ball, he has it on most possessions. For much of his career, Anthony did the same.
Playing a lesser role in a Portland winning schedule starring Lillard and McCollum is an easier proposition as Anthony scaling back his role with an unstated Knicks cast that would have started the 2020-2021 campaign.
Randle may not have had the confidence to become the alpha male of the team with Anthony with him in the starting lineup.
Additionally, RJ Barrett was moved to a smaller forward role with Reggie Bullock at the start of the guard shot to give Barrett less ball handling tasks. Anthony’s presence would have removed Bullock and given Barrett the role of shooting guard.
Bullock, who doesn’t need the stone, started every game when he was healthy – 15 of the first 18. He was to miss Sunday’s game with neck pain. As long as Bullock was available, coach Tom Thibodeau remained with the same starting unit.
“I think we’ve got a pretty balanced man,” Payton said on Sunday. “Everyone gives themselves space to do what they do well. And guys are, RJ found a really good groove, he plays really well. Julius has been doing this all year. ”
Barrett, despite his 3-point shooting issues, has been a relentless bull with an engine that won’t stop. He may also have been delayed in an attack in which Anthony would want the ball – more to shoot than to create.
Barrett faced Anthony ahead of his rookie season in pickup matches at Columbia. Anthony could have been a great mentor, but you never know how it would have turned out.
Remember that his former Denver teammate Chauncey Billups accused Anthony of caring more about his stats than winning.
“It meant too much because he could have games where he had 20, 22 [points], we win the game and he’s crazy, ” Billups said in 2019.
As the coach of the Bulls, Thibodeau pursued Anthony when he was a free agent in 2014 and worked with him on the USA team.
“He’s had an incredible career – an all-time great,” Thibodeau said before the game. “The fact that he continues says a lot about who he is. A guy of character, well represented. He accomplished a lot.
In the early days of training camp, Anthony said the stars weren’t lined up for a Knicks reunion.
“At this point it wasn’t really much [of consideration]Anthony said. “The Knicks were making moves and trying to find the direction they wanted to go. I’m sure they have a plan. I don’t think coming and trying to mess up their plan was good for either party.
“They are rebuilding and figuring out what is happening in their near future. It was I who personally wanted to be part of a situation I was already comfortable with. I felt it was the right solution at this point where I am right now this year. ”
In his second season with the Blazers, Anthony is averaging 12.2 points, shooting 40.5% – 45 of 3. He has only recorded 1.2 assists in 25 minutes.
As Jeff Van Gundy noted, the Knicks are “not going anywhere” until they improve their “offensive talent.”
With a new order from Randle and Barrett established, adding Anthony to the trade deadline might not be crazy. Of course, the Blazers, who are proud to resurrect Anthony’s career last season, won’t be impatient unless current injuries torpedo their season before the trade deadline at the end of March.
Portland signed Anthony on a one-year deal with eyes on a deep playoff series. The Knicks are trying to avoid another lottery. They want to be at the heart of a playoff race for the first time since the 2013-14 season, when they were there until the final days.
With basically 10 teams qualifying, – the 7-10 seeded players go head to head in a play-in event – the Knicks could sneak in. They were eighth to enter Sunday’s action.
Refusing to make a big play for Anthony in November was the smart move. But don’t rule anything out in the future.
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