Spurned star: Phil and Co. stabbed me in the back
IMMERSED in disappointment and unprecedented losing, Carmelo Anthony maintained the same mantra his first two seasons under Phil Jackson: ‘Trust in Phil.’ Except Anthony felt the faith wasn’t reciprocated, and he gave up on the Knicks — just as they gave up on him.
“I’m out here doing everything I can and I’m still getting stabbed in the back,” Anthony told reporters in OKC. “I’m not trusting in (Phil) anymore.” In multiple interviews ahead of Thursday’s revenge game against the Knicks, Anthony portrayed his status as persona non grata during his final season in New York.
Much of his animosity was aimed at Jackson, whose contact with Anthony was minimal before publicly placing him on the trading block.
“He was willing to trade me for a bag of chips,” Anthony told the New York Times.
Instead, Anthony outlasted Jackson in New York. But the relationship with the Knicks had deteriorated to the point of no return.
“There was no support from the organization,” Anthony said. “When you feel like you’re on your own and then from the top you feel like you’re being pushed out.”
It was a nasty divorce but Anthony said he holds “no grudge” against his former franchise. That’s partly because he landed on a borderline title contender with the Thunder, which coincidentally hosts the Knicks in the season opener.
Paul George understands what the game means to his new OKC teammate.
“Melo wants this, as he should,” George told reporters in OKC. “Melo wants this game and we’re going to go out and get it for him.”
The bookmakers have set Anthony’s over/under point total at 25½ for Thursday. It would be an interesting bet considering the circumstances: although Anthony would love to bury New York, it will be his first game trying to develop into a secondary role with the Thunder.
“Who knows, who knows?” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. “I think probably just like anything else, there might be some (extra motivation for Carmelo). But they also have to work on how they’re going to play. It’s the first game of the year, everybody had short training camps, so I’m sure they’re probably just trying to get into their flow and how they’re going to play in all these games. So it’s probably a combination.”
Anthony said he’s hoping the game will bring closure to his complicated Knicks career.
This is an important game for me because it’s an opportunity to close that chapter. I don’t think that chapter has been closed yet,” Anthony told reporters. “I think (Thursday), with me running out on the court in a different uniform, kind of closes that New York chapter for me.”
JAX MINIONS DEMOTED
The transition from Phil Jackson to the Steve Mills/Scott Perry leadership didn’t result in an overhaul of the front office. Almost everyone who worked under Jackson remains with the organization.
But there were a couple telling changes to job titles.
Clarence Gaines, who worked as Jackson’s right-hand man the last three seasons, has been demoted from Vice President of Player Personnel to scout. Mark Warkentien, who essentially brought with Carmelo Anthony from the Nuggets in 2011, is no longer the Director of Player Personnel. He is now listed as a consultant. Those are newly-created positions because Perry and Mills made five hires: Gerald Madkins (assistant GM), Craig Robinson (VP of player development), Harold Ellis (director of player personnel), Michael Arcieri (director of basketball strategy) and Fred Cofield (scout).
POINT OF ROTATION
After missing all but one preseason game because of a knee bruise, Frank Ntilikina said he’s “100 percent” ready for the opener.
However, Ntilikina is unlikely to start ahead of Ramon Sessions at point guard. And it’s a crowded position with Ron Baker also in the mix.
“We have some guys at the point guard spot so hopefully we can get him in there some minutes. We have a lot of guys that we have to make some decisions.” Hornacek said. “And they have to be ready in case something happens. ”