Anyone Else Starting To Feel Sorry For Carmelo Anthony?

With the New York Knicks’ season going nowhere and speculation about his future mounting, is anyone else beginning to feel sorry for Carmelo Anthony?

It’s really easy to take shots at Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks.

I’d know, because I’ve been doing so since back in the day, when he was a stat-stuffing All-Star with the Denver Nuggets.

It’s not that he’s overrated, it’s more than I’ve always thought his skill set was best suited as the second best player on a contending team. I mean, if Kevin Durant is joining an organization and isn’t necessarily their go-to guy (as this proves), what does that say about Anthony?

Now, that’s not to say that this was Melo’s fault either. I mean, who else was going to become the go-to guy for the Nuggets?

A young J.R. Smith? Kenyon Martin? Even with the Knicks, Amar’e Stoudemire’s knees didn’t hold up too long.

Jan 19, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) gestures after a three point basket during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Once it was clear he was never going to be the same again, who was there to help carry the load? Smith, again?

Exactly, so Carmelo hasn’t had some of the same luck/planning his peers have had in terms of high quality teammates to help him reach the later stages of the postseason.

That being said, it’s always felt like he’s chased financial security and prime location over championships. Whether that’s true or not, he’s got plenty of money, endorsements and a lovely house in New York. But not a lot else.

So yeah, with the Knicks  being19-25 and finding new and more gut-wrenching ways to lose games, it’s easy to poke fun at Anthony.

Yet, despite all of the outside noise currently surrounding this team, he is still doing what he’s always done.

He’s still continuing to speak as graciously as possible when interviewed, and bringing up his no-trade clause was a smart move, at least from a PR perspective.

If Anthony is open to discussing that crucial part of his contract, it at least gives the illusion that he’s transparent, and that he wants what’s best for the team.

Whether that’s true or not, he is also still showing up offensively every night, taking the difficult shots and dominating the ball. This is exactly what the Knicks knew they were getting when they gave away their future to secure his services back in 2011.

He was never a great mover of the ball, or even somebody who would want a power share with another star player.

Again this is not new information, so why then are the Knicks and a section of their fans annoyed that Carmelo has continued to act the way he always has?

Thursday’s loss to the Washington Wizards was no different, with Anthony pouring in 34 points in 35 minutes, while also going 3-for-7 (42.9 percent) from three-point range.

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Monday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks is an interesting comparison in just how Anthony can’t seem to do anything right though, even when he does all that he can.

In that loss, another close one, his tame buzzer-beating effort to win them the game was wide of the mark from six feet out.

Derrick Rose also seemed to get fouled going to the basket earlier in the play, but that was not called.

Some lamented the fact Anthony could miss such an open look to win the game, or even that he took the shot at all (although with the clock winding down, he had no choice).

Back to the loss against the Wizards, and with the game in the balance, Anthony elected to give up a tough look to put them back in front with seconds to go.

Instead he gave the ball to Courtney Lee, who failed to get a shot off himself, leading to a poor pass, breakdown of the play and another loss.

The ending to both games is a microcosm of how Anthony is viewed by most as a member of the Knicks right now. If he takes and misses a shot, he’s the greedy star who insists on sticking to his hero ball ways. Pass up that same effort, and he’s accused of shrinking his responsibilities as their star player.

Expanding this to his broader career narrative, and if he refuses to waive his no-trade clause, he’s seen as a guy who is only interested in money and endorsements, but not winning. Elect to move on however, and then he’s run away from the mess he created, most likely to chase rings on a contending team.

He can’t win, and this looks to continue no matter what he does next. It may be difficult to comprehend, but I pity that situation.

He’s become a relic of sorts in New York, and person who, along with Rose and Joakim Noah, is blocking the ascent of Kristaps Porzingis to rightful centerpiece of this team.

That no-trade clause is a blessing for him as a player too, because the truth is very few teams, if any, would actually want him if he was available.

But this is a sorry state for a one-time franchise-altering player to be in, and somebody who still gets you 22.3 points per game (the 18th best mark in the league).

Those same difficult fadeaway efforts, or that seemingly impossible three when he’s being double-teamed, that’s all still there (video via 3ball.io).

It’s just not appreciated anymore, because the league moved on, and because the Knicks are bad in a way that is totally different, and yet completely the same.

Which is why my stance has softened on Carmelo Anthony and how we should all view him.

He hasn’t changed, but the league has. He still continues to score lots of points, and do so in ways that still make me marvel at how gifted he is.

But now, 14 and a half seasons in, that same style that made him a hot commodity has become less desirable.

It’s hard to know if this could have gone any differently if he’d moved to the Chicago Bulls when he’d had the chance, but it’s clear now Anthony has outstayed his welcome in New York.

Only nobody else wants him, or can even have him either. So he’ll continue to say the right things, and use the ball a lot and put up a ton of points.

But he’ll also lose more games than he’ll win, and New York will continue wheeling out past their prime guys with a mix of enthusiastic youngsters.

Round and round in circles until he retires and people give him grief for wasting his talent. Or until he allows himself to be traded, and people give him grief for throwing in the towel.

What was it they said the definition of madness was again? Carmelo Anthony, I feel for you.

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