In an online article written by Charley Rosen, Phil Jackson’s seeming troll-by-proxy, wrote that Carmelo Anthony “has outlived his usefulness in New York.” The Rosen piece included reviews of all the Knicks, and given that his take on Sasha Vujacic was “needs more playing time,” his analysis is questionable. So is his claim to solely be expressing his point of view and not Jackson’s, given that Rosen and Jackson are in contact and these Phil Files come out every year, though Rosen does offer a rebuttal to claims he’s Phil’s mouthpiece.
So when Rosen wrote about Melo’s “sticky fingers,” dead legs, “one-on-one adventures,” IDGAF defense, “humongous contract,” and “recurring complaint…that everybody blames him for every game the Knicks lose,” it’s natural to wonder if he’s just saying what Phil is thinking. For perhaps the first time publicly, Melo himself seemed to suggest he’s connected those two dots when asked about the “usefulness” quip.
“If that’s the case than that’s what’s coming from that side, I guess it’s a conversation we should have,” Anthony said. “If they feel like my time in New York is over I guess that’s a conversation we should have.”
This is all weird yet transparent. The Knicks very possibly maybe want to trade Anthony. Maybe Phil thought he could turn things around with Melo on-board. Maybe he thought keeping Melo would entice future free agents to consider New York. Maybe that’s why he gave Anthony a no-trade clause, something no other player in the league enjoys. Maybe since then, things haven’t worked out, and maybe he wants to trade someone he can’t, so he can’t go on the record with his feelings, so acolytes like Rosen are a valve to release that steam. Maybe.
Anthony more than maybe doesn’t seem like he wants to be traded. Remember, he didn’t sign his five-year extension after the semi-magical 2013 season. He re-upped after the tanktacular 2014 campaign, when dreams of Kristaps Porzingis being good were just a speck in our eyes. So when he addresses speculation about waving his no-trade, as he did yesterday, and he says “Fans and media want me out?” I’ve never even thought about that” and “…that seems to be the trend when you start losing, people want to start searching,” it’s possible he means what he says. That may seem a Pollyanna mentality in an industry where players are both celebrated and condemned whether they leave their teams for a better chance to win a title like LeBron James and Kevin Durant or stay somewhere they have no chance to win such as Russell Westbrook. But I think Melo really does love New York.
The most disappointing transparency in all this he-said/he-said is how Jackson comes out looking. One of the first things Phil was expected to do when he was hired as Knick president was change the culture. But at his introductory press conference, one of the first statements he made was a criticism of the New York media. That always struck me; it sounded straight out of the culture of James Dolan. Nearly three years after that press conference and nearly six after Carmelo was traded to the Knicks, Anthony is still out there every night, still the focal point of the offense, still the bridge between the future with Porzingis and the dreams of past glory a.k.a. Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.
Anthony is still out there dealing with the fans’ hopes and dreams, the media’s expectations, the endless speculation about where he might or “should” move when the man doesn’t have to go goddamn anywhere if he don’t want to. Meanwhile, as was the case during the Rose AWOL scandal, Jackson is nowhere to be seen, nowhere to be heard. All we hear are echoes of Phil via his posse. I’ve never thought Carmelo needs to be traded to benefit the team, but I’m starting to feel he should force a trade for his own well-being. He deserves better than this.
Tom Harvey Blog 