Knicks are stuck with Anthony
For the record, Charley Rosen said the views he expressed in an article on FanRag Sports published yesterday were “totally” his own. “I never spoke to [Knicks] President Phil [Jackson] about this,” he told the New York Post when sought for comment regarding his scathing opinion on top dog Carmelo Anthony. Taken at face value, the denial is significant, especially since the pro hoops analyst once worked as an assistant for, and remains a good friend to, the winningest coach in National Basketball Association championship history.
Nonetheless, Rosen is being referred to in some circles as Jackson’s “ghostwriter,” which may well be less a reflection of their tight relationship and more of their shared sentiments on Anthony having already “outlived his usefulness in New York.” After all, the Knicks honcho has periodically pointed to his resident superstar as a human black hole; just last month, he noted that the latter “has a little bit of a tendency to hold [the ball] for three, four, five seconds, and then everybody comes to a stop.” Strikingly, yesterday’s FanRag Sports piece talked of the one- time league scoring leader having “sticky fingers [that cause] whatever ball-and-player movement is in effect to come to a grinding stop.”
To be sure, all the sound and fury will ultimately signify nothing because of the no-trade clause in Anthony’s contract. Rosen’s item indicated a possibility of the restrictive proviso being waived in the case of a deal with the Cavaliers or the Clippers (where close chums LeBron James and Chris Paul respectively toil), and even went so far as to speculate on the viability of a move to few other franchises. Then again, it likewise acknowledged that “this scenario is highly doubtful.”
Given the timing of the writeup’s release, Jackson, through Rosen, could be laying the groundwork to force Anthony into leaving the Knicks. It’s not likely, though; while boasting of a single playoff series victory and suffering through extended offseasons in the last two years, he has steadfastly maintained his preference for the blue and orange. Which is far from surprising, considering that he was born in the state, and that playing in the media capital of the world suits his and his wife’s personalities. Oh, and there’s the matter of the 15% trade kicker; potential employers would have to offer talents with price tags totaling around $30 million in order to legally acquire his services.
In other words, the Knicks are stuck with Anthony, and vice versa. The $124-million accord he inked in 2014 is good for two more years. More importantly, he continues to profess his allegiance to the Big Apple; “I’m Thankful for ALL of it. The Highs. The Lows. The Blessings. The Lessons. The Setbacks. The Comebacks. The Love. THE HATE. Everything,” he tweeted over the weekend. True, as Rosen argued, “anything is possible… in the wonderful and wacky world of the NBA.” On the other hand, current circumstances expose his FanRag Sports contribution as little more than an exercise in finger pointing; as close to conventional wisdom as it may hew, it’s also ineffectual. Including yesterday’s one-point defeat against the Hawks, Jackson’s charges are 18 and 24 and losers of 11 of their last 13 outings. The impasse, if it is to be called that, figures to prevail for some time
to come.
The Knicks are stuck with Anthony, and vice versa. The $124-million accord he inked in 2014 is good for two more years. More importantly, he continues to profess his allegiance to the Big Apple; “I’m Thankful for ALL of it. The Highs. The Lows. The Blessings. The Lessons. The Setbacks. The Comebacks. The Love. THE HATE. Everything,” he tweeted over the weekend.