New York Knicks Now Have An Improved Carmelo Anthony


New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony is not the same player that he used to be, and that is a good thing for his teammates and the franchise, according to New York Daily News.

To the casual fans, Carmelo Anthony is the same player. He rocks the New York Knicks jersey with the #7, arm sleeves, sleeves of tattoos and a headband. Same as he wore last year.

To the observant NBA fans, however, Carmelo Anthony is a changed man. No longer is he just out on the court trying to score points and increase his career stats. He’s now unselfish.

In the past, when Carmelo Anthony was double-teamed by two NBA defenders, he would do something really athletic and acrobatic to escape their clutches and make an insane shot.

Nowadays, Carmelo Anthony will whip an incredible pass to one of his open teammates, who benefit greatly from the tough defensive attention that the former Syracuse star generates.

New York Knicks fans are also getting accustomed to seeing Carmelo Anthony allowing his teammates an opportunity to get themselves into the flow of the offense before taking over.

While he is still capable of putting up big numbers on offense, Carmelo Anthony no longer feels like the guy that wants that to be the highlight. He’s looking to get the win for his team.

Aaron Afflalo
Aaron Afflalo [Photo by Elsa/Getty Images]
This new version of Carmelo Anthony is one that other NBA players will want to play with. Free agents will no longer avoid the New York Knicks every summer like they have recently.

Aaron Afflaflo was one of the few free agents that truly wanted to sign with the New York Knicks last summer. He’s pretty happy to see this version of Carmelo Anthony on the floor.

Since Carmelo Anthony is so good at drawing NBA defenders towards him, Aaron Afflalo is having one of the best seasons of his career. Afflalo seems like a legit offensive threat now.

When Robin Lopez decided to sign with the New York Knicks last summer, the belief was that he was simply there to rebound and defend. He’s received more shot opportunities now.

Lance Thomas plays the same position as Carmelo Anthony, but he has been thriving off the bench. He’s improved so much that he might be too expensive for the team to keep around.

And then there’s Kristaps Porzingis, the rookie that New York Knicks fans heavily booed during the NBA Draft last year. Porzingis has done a whole lot better than expected as a rookie.

Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis [Photo by Elsa/Getty Images]
A big reason why Kristaps Porzingis has developed as quickly as he has in the NBA is because of the presence of Carmelo Anthony. Porzingis statistically does better with Anthony.

Many have wondered what the motive is behind why Carmelo Anthony has decided to transition himself into the unselfish player that New York Knicks fans have been yearning for.

Some feel that it is a transition of must, as the 31-year-old New York native is coming off of knee surgery and is naturally aging. At times, that does appear to be the possible case.

However, a lot more people believe that Carmelo Anthony has adapted his game because he knows that the window of opportunity to win an NBA Championship is closing up on him.

Carmelo Anthony knows that he needs his New York Knicks teammates to develop quickly. He also knows that his reputation needs to improve so that free agents will sign with them.

Whether or not this change by Carmelo Anthony leads to an NBA championship for the New York Knicks, it is good to see that players can still grow so late in their careers.

[Featured Photo by Elsa/Getty Images]

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