The New York Knicks started the NBA season with a remarkable win over the Milwaukee Bucks. While this victory has had the hopes of the fans and followers of the NBA team raised a bit, it remains to be seen whether the New York Knicks can sustain their performance. Moreover, some sports analysts believe that the New York Knicks are not getting their money's worth when it comes to Carmelo Anthony's skills on the hardwood court. With the entrance of the promising Kristaps Porzingis to the NBA team, it looks like speculations are once again widespread on the possibility of Carmelo Anthony exiting the New York.
The 122-97 win of the New York Knicks over the Milwaukee Bucks saw Carmelo Anthony contributed a measly 11 points. Staying in the hardwood for 29 minutes during his first NBA game this season, Carmelo Anthony pitched in six rebounds and five assists. While these numbers are not exactly astoundingly disappointing, fans expected more from the face of the franchise. Moreover, the contract of Carmelo Anthony has him earning $124,064,681 in his five-year stay with the New York Knicks, according to Sportrac. Given the said amount, the power forward has a base salary annually of $22,875,000, giving him a dead money value of $101,606,280. Taking into consideration the number of players in the NBA hankering for higher pay, some sports analysts feel that Carmelo Anthony is not earning his keep.
"Is Carmelo Anthony a liability for the New York Knicks?" noted Josh Benjamin of Forbes, noting the recent performance of the basketball star about his salary. He further pointed out, "Anthony has also earned a reputation as a player who can score a lot of points but lacks the same strong leadership abilities as other max contract players like LeBron James. Moreover, his approach to the game is more that of a scorer rather than a great all-around player who makes his team better, making his performance in individual games inconsistent at times."
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks appear to have found themselves a breakout star in the first game this NBA season. The decision to allow Kristaps Porzingis to start for the NBA team had been questioned since it was announced. However, the New York Knicks stuck to the move, and it looks like they are reaping the rewards.
"Any time he's on the floor, good things can happen,'' shared Derek Fisher, referring to rookie Kristaps Porzingis. The New York Knicks coach further said, "He's really versatile on both ends, changes shots defensively, rebounds. Offensively he can do a lot of things. His level of aggression is remarkable for a young guy his size but doesn't carry a lot of weight.''
