The New York Knicks have been widely known to be a struggling franchise in the NBA. However, a number of basketball stars still target the team as a potential destination simply due to its location. Seated at the basketball mecca, the New York Knicks never fail to attract more than its fair share of players over the years.
One of the most notable additions to the New York Knicks roster is Carmelo Anthony. The fellow All-Star of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade is recognized as the face of the franchise, with the NBA team outspokenly building a team around him. Hence, basketball stars of high caliber had been traded or rejected by the New York Knicks once they prove to be incompatible with Anthony. The list includes Charlotte Hornets star Jeremy Lin and Amar'e Stoudemire of the Miami Heat. Both were ejected from the Arron Afflalo squad due to their failure to mesh with Anthony.
However, the New York Knicks appear to have stumbled upon a miracle find when they drafted Kristaps Porzingis. Initially rejected by the fans, the Latvian star eventually became one of the most highly loved player of the NBA team. Moreover, the noticeable easy chemistry of Porzingis and Anthony provided fans with hope that the New York Knicks might finally live up to their potential.
"I didn't know they were going to embrace me that fast, but I knew sooner or later, with my personality, and the way that I am, the way I am a hard worker, and with my game, they're gonna sooner or later, they're gonna start to respect me and like me, and I'll just try to be myself, not try to act like anybody. I think that's what New York has appreciated - the real mission and the hard worker," said Porzingis of the acceptance he now enjoys as one of the key players of the New York Knicks, according to USA Today.
While the comfortable dynamic of Anthony and Porzingis is pleasing the New York Knicks fans, some sports analysts believe that it might be time for the NBA team to break up the roster. With the entry of the 20-year-old rookie, many feel that the Robin Lopez squad might be better off without the veteran NBA All-Star. That is, it might be the best time to get rid of Anthony in an effort to clear up some salary cap space.
"[T]he idea of trading Anthony is attractive in some corners of the Knicks' fan base," noted Ian Begley of ESPN. He added, "The idea, of course, is to deal Anthony away and begin a rebuild in earnest around Kristaps Porzingis."
At the moment, no official confirmation has been provided by any of the parties involved. However, fans would not be too surprised to find out if Anthony tries his best to cast Porzingis in a bad light to keep his top dog post. Speculations on his maneuvers to eliminate Lin in the basketball team before remain rife. Hence, doing the same thing to the rookie might no longer be shocking to everyone.
However, comments from both the coaching staff and Porzingis himself belie any rumor that Anthony might try to one-up the rookie. In fact, the NBA All-Star starter exhibited a new brand of leadership in the past games. That is, Anthony appears to be no longer solely focused on scoring. Rather, the basketball veteran is now aiming to create plays for his teammates to score.
"He didn't try to take over the game," pointed out Derek Fisher. The New York Knicks head coach added, "He has been playing that type of basketball for several weeks now. When he's sharing the ball and making everyone else better, we're a much better basketball team."
