The Knicks may be hard-pressed to make the postseason- FiveThirtyEight currently gives them a 2% chance of making the playoffs- but Carmelo Anthony doesn’t think that gives the team license to tank. Speaking to Laura Albanese of Newsday, Anthony said the Knicks shouldn’t focus on moving up in the draft lottery.
“As a player, you always disagree with that,” Anthony said, when asked if the Knicks should give up on the playoffs. “We’re the ones that are out there and playing and trying to win basketball games. I think it’s easier from the outside looking in, from a fan perspective, to say, OK, just tank, just lose games. I don’t know how you do that as a player.
I don’t know how you go into a game and say, ‘Today we’re going to try to lose this game or these next 15, 20 games. We’re going to figure out ways to lose and tank the season and start thinking about draft picks.’ That’s a terrible way to think and I don’t think any player in any sport should be thinking that.”
Anthony provides an interesting sentiment on the prospect of tanking from the player’s perspective. Clearly, producing sub-par lineups takes an emotional strain on highly competitive athletes. Unfortunately for Anthony, the Knicks appear content to make decisions without his input. According to Fred Kerber of the New York Post, Anthony wasn’t notified before Brandon Jennings was waived; a move detrimental to the team’s already fleeting playoff chances. What’s more, the team could always opt to sit Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis down the stretch, as Frank Isola of the Daily News alluded to in a recent column.
Anthony, who last made a postseason appearance in 2012/13, admitted he missed competing in the playoffs.
It’s something that I’ve gotten used to throughout my career,” Anthony told Albanese. “Just being there and giving myself a shot of at least seeing what can happen in the playoffs. I miss it. I miss it a lot. It’s something that I think about.”
You don’t have enough talent on this roster so the draft will give you s chance to infuse and to add talent
I appreciate a player being a competitor and wanting to win. Funny how tanking rarely works, yet so many teams do it. It also sucks for fans to have to pay the same price for games in which the team really hopes it loses. Doesn’t seem right.
He’s not wrong here. Tanking comes in the form of sub-optimal line-ups, and shipping talent out of town. No one can tell the guys on the court to play worse – people forget, these guys are playing for paychecks in a league that pays for performance.
the knicks suck, go celtics :)
If the Celtics strike out in free agency u will likely see him in Boston next year on his expiring deal!
For like 2 second rounders haha. Kidding, kind of. But yeah, I could see it.
TANK YOU FREAKIN IDIOT…i would like to see another good Knick team in my lifetime.
It’s not tanking, it’s just not winning to better one’s draft position.
I guess it makes sense for him not to want to tank since he will only be around for 1 more season. But the Zinger should be pulling for a tank since he’ll be able to enjoy the drafted players for the next 10 years.
Melo is right, but if i could tank for Fultz or Ball I am all in lol.
Ask how Spurs feel when Admiral went down. They were setup for the next 20 years with the Big Fundamental.