In years past, Carmelo Anthony has been accustomed to having the majority of shots and being the go-to-guy in the final seconds of games for the New York Knicks. With key pieces like Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Courtney Lee added to the team's roster this season, Anthony now has a lot of help and will not have the ball as much anymore.
It will mean a big adjustment for the nine-time All-Star but he made it clear he is fine with it and is not complaining at all. Melo also said that his goal is only to have familiarity with his new teammates and win more games.
Per ESPN's Ian Begley:
“You don't see me complaining about it. You didn't see me out there making a face. [It's] something that I embrace. I look forward to just being out there with guys who can control the game and make plays, and when it's my time, it's my time.”
“We know that the ball doesn't have to be in my hand every single time down the court for us to make things happen. There will come a time where that has to happen, but right now, we're just trying to get comfortable with one another and play off of each other and guys do what they do best.”
Their game last Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies proved even more that Anthony's desire is for more team success rather than his own. The shots were distributed to the squad and it paid off well as the Knicks won their first game of the season, 111-104. Melo did lead his team with 20 points and 15 field-goal attempts, but he didn't put up numbers alone: three other players had 13 or more points and double-digit field-goal attempts as well.
With Anthony not forced to carry the Knicks' offense on his shoulders alone, he will be able to save his energy for the end of game to give him more advantage against his defenders. If they play like how they did last Saturday, it could spell a lot of trouble for their opponents and will be a big boost to their quest of making it back to the playoffs.
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