LEARNING CURVE
Analyst Anthony: Knicks should be graded on young core’s growth
Greg Anthony agrees it will be one of the most difficult seasons to judge whether this edition of the Knicks will be a success.
No, Anthony does not see this Carmelo Anthony-less team with a chance at a playoff berth. But he believes that doesn’t mean management can’t stamp 2017-18 campaign as worthwhile.
The former Knicks guard turned TNT analyst will be in the studio Thursday when the Knicks visit Carmelo Anthony in Oklahoma City for their season opener.
“I’m not looking at number of victories,’’ Greg Anthony told The Post. “It’s what direction these kids will go in terms of their development. The young core guys [Frank] Ntilikina, [Kristaps] Porzingis, [Willy] Hernangomez to sense what their ceilings are going to be. Getting wins is important to run with it, but bigger is their development and [to] determine what their ceiling is. It gives the organization an opportunity to set a path.’’
The new administration of president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry will be under a microscope. But the tandem can’t be any worse than ousted president Phil Jackson, according to Greg Anthony. Jackson was fired in June after a three-year, three-month reign of error.
“This season is more about the franchise trying to move on from that Phil, Carmelo era,’’ Greg Anthony said. “It was good for Carmelo to move on and play meaningful basketball and [it] allows the organization to hit the reset button.’’
Jackson would likely like to hit the reset button if he could. Instead some believe he hurt his glorious 11-rings legacy. “I don’t think he necessarily got it in the front office,’’ Greg Anthony said. “He would be the first to say if he had to do it again, he’d do it differently. He put way too much out in the public. When running a team, you don’t want to be the guy out-front. You want it to be about the players and coaches.’’
In Perry, Greg Anthony thinks the club picked the right guy for the upcoming task.
“I thought it was a really good hire,’’ he said. “He’s energy, passionate. He’ll go work well with Steve. What they have ahead of them, it’s a good approach.”
Greg Anthony met Perry when he was with the Pistons in the early 2000s.
“I know him through the grapevine,’’ Greg Anthony said. “He’s really, really smart. He gets it. Some guys get it — with vision. He struck me as guy that gets it in terms of what’s ahead.’’
If Carmelo Anthony is looking to pile up points on his former team Thursday, he’ll do so with mixed emotions, according to Greg Anthony.
“Personally it will be somewhat bittersweet,’’ Greg Anthony said. “He spent a long time in New York. It’s a place he wanted to go and it didn’t work out. But he’s probably in the best state mentally he’s been in a long time, since his first two years in New York.’
“If his New York legacy is based on getting to a championship, it’s got to be disappointing,’’ he added. “It’s definitely not going to be looked at as a highlight of his professional career. His hope is what happens in the next year and moving forward will leave behind some of the bitterness of not being part of a better tenure with the Knicks.’’ And now Porzingis gets his crack. “He’s now the face of the franchise,’’ Greg Anthony said. “He’s going to be asked for more responsibility offensively, more leadership. You want to see growth. If he keeps improving like he has year after year, he’ll be fine.’’
Though he predicts a losing record, Greg Anthony doesn’t view the Knicks as at rock bottom.
“You want to win games and get confidence, grow chemistry and establish leadership,’’ he said. “Ultimately I don’t see them as playoff team, but I don’t see them as the worst team in the league either. I don’t think they’re concerned with that. They want to see what they have so Steve and Scott could put together a blueprint to allow sustained long-term success.’’