Just weeks after the Knicks matched the most successful season Carmelo Anthony ever had in New York, the future Hall of Famer announced his retirement.
Anthony, who came to the Knicks as the latest in a long line of hopeful franchise saviors, never got past game six of the conference semifinals during his time as the face of the organization, and earlier this month, New York fell in game six of the second round, almost exactly one decade after Anthony did the same.
Some, perhaps many, Knicks fans use Anthony’s sparing playoff success as a means for criticism, or calling the Anthony era in Gotham a failure. Such critique is misguided.
Anthony commanded attention when he had the ball on the offensive end. Some saw that as a product of selfishness. Instead, it was the product of being the primary, and many times the only, source of scoring for a team that failed Anthony much more than Anthony ever failed it.
Did Jalen Brunson’s heroics in game six in Miami weeks ago look familiar? It should. Much like Brunson (who went off for 41 points while the rest of the Knicks couldn’t buy a bucket) tried to will the Knicks to a decisive game seven, Anthony did the same a decade ago in Indiana. Anthony played 42 minutes and dropped 39 points in the season-ending loss, shooting 51.7 percent from the field while making all eight of his free throw attempts.
Still, many look back at that performance and only remember Roy Hibbert rejecting an Anthony dunk attempt that many say swung the game, and decided the series.
That argument conveniently ignores the fact that the rest of the Knicks that night shot a miserable 19-for-56 from the floor, and that moments after Hibbert’s block, a stagnant J.R. Smith completely lost Lance Stephenson under the rim, leading to an easy layup and a four-point swing. No, Anthony getting blocked by Hibbert shouldn’t be the lasting image of a season in which he won a scoring title. Rather, the shortcomings of what the Knicks put around him should be what is remembered when assessing Anthony’s career in New York.
Anthony was criticized for his lack of ball movement, yet how many times did he kick out to an open shooter in that game six, only for it to result in an empty possession? What if Smith wasn’t a miserable 2-for-9 from downtown that night? Is Anthony’s time in New York viewed differently?
Anthony’s time with the Knicks is often summed up by incredible individual performances in losing efforts. Game six against the Pacers, or game two against the Celtics in 2011. Take a step back and remember that Anthony’s supporting cast shot 29 percent from the field in that game two loss to Boston. Sound like Brunson dealing with ice cold shooters earlier this month? Then why is Anthony viewed so differently?
Instead, let’s view Anthony for what he was: one of the only stars of his era who embraced the challenge of calling Madison Square Garden home. Too often during his time here, fans longed for the next star that would save the franchise, rather than appreciating the one who wanted to take that responsibility.
In the end, it wasn’t enough to reach an NBA Finals. With what was around Anthony, it was never going to be enough, no matter what he did. In spite of criticisms from the fanbase, and even the organization at times (Phil Jackson), Anthony largely handled those darker times with class, which should always be enough to earn the adoration of New York fans.
Anthony was asked to shoulder the load of poorly constructed Knicks teams, then was blamed by many when the weight of that load dragged him down. But while the trade package for Anthony was criticized, did he use the amnesty clause on Chauncey Billups? Did Anthony pull the trigger on a disastrous trade for Andrea Bargnani?
No, Anthony’s Knicks tenure didn’t live up to our expectations. But the organization didn’t live up to their side, while Anthony more than performed, averaging 25 points a night through the consistent turmoil that surrounded MSG. So, instead of remembering Anthony as the Knicks star who fell short, he should be remembered as the star who kept the team watchable while the pieces around him fell well short.
Anthony’s legacy is clouded, but putting the bulk of the responsibility is off the mark, like many shots from his supporting cast during his time in a Knicks uniform. Anthony is one of the top scorers of all time, one of the greatest Knicks of all time, and his No. 7 should be hanging in the rafters at MSG.
Hearing the overwhelmingly positive response from the fans this postseason when Anthony was in attendance at MSG was heartening. It was a hopeful sign that the passing of time will bring more perspective in terms of what Anthony brought to New York. Because Anthony brought much more to the franchise than what the franchise brought to him.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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