KING ME: LeBron James reacts during Sunday’s 32-point effort in a victory over the Lakers, his fifth straight game with 30-plus points on at least 60-percent shooting. (
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They can chant “MVP! MVP!” from the Garden rafters for however long they want whenever Carmelo Anthony steps to the free-throw line. Maybe Anthony and the Knicks will play well enough after the All-Star break for the chants to be more than just cliché.
Certainly, there was a time when it seemed realistic Anthony and the Knicks could put together the kind of season that might help him top LeBron James in the voting for the league’s top player. But let’s put that to rest now.
After the way LeBron has played over the last five games, he is a lock to repeat as the league’s Most Valuable Player. Anthony is playing for second.
Second isn’t bad, really, especially when Kevin Durant is in the conversation. OK, finishing third wouldn’t be so bad either if it doesn’t go to Chris Paul or Tony Parker or Kobe Bryant — if by some miracle the Lakers finish strong.
But let’s face it. The MVP award is staying with James, who has only gotten better off his first championship and MVP season. LeBron haters might say handing him the award with roughly 30 games to play and the postseason ahead is a bit premature. But it will be tough to shake impressions of his last five games at a time when the Knicks seem to becoming less impressive by the week.
James has scored at least 30 points in five straight games. The latest was a 32-point showcase Sunday as the Heat beat the Lakers 107-97 for Miami’s fifth consecutive win. James was 12-of-18 from the field, the fifth straight game he converted at least 60 percent of his shots. He becomes only the third player in NBA history to score 30 points and shoot at least 60 percent from the field in five straight games, joining Adrian Dantley (1979) and Moses Malone (1982).
It’s not as if Anthony has been a slouch during the same span. He had 42 against the Clippers on Sunday, but the Knicks lost; this after he scored 36 in a win at Minnesota on Friday.
While the Heat keep winning, the Knicks haven’t played their best basketball of late, losing two of their last three games. It has ruined coach Mike Woodson’s goal of a 9-2 run before the break. The best the Knicks can do is 8-3 by beating the Raptors tomorrow at the Garden.
Anthony’s numbers remain spectacular. He’s averaging 29 points a game. He has scored 30 or more points 18 times and at least 40 points five times. But there are knowledgeable basketball eyes that say the Knicks are starting to depend too much on Anthony and he is starting to rely too much on himself.
The chants of “MVP! MVP!” at the Garden started early in the year when the Knicks had fresh legs and Anthony was making his teammates better. Now they’re banged-up, slower and struggling on defense.
The Knicks have started to depend on Anthony to bail them out and Anthony is starting to count on himself more as his teammates begin to struggle. The All-Star break can’t come fast enough. The Knicks need their second wind.
The perimeter defense, especially against the pick-and-roll, has to improve. That’s on Raymond Felton and Iman Shumpert. Jason Kidd’s good for a steal now and then, but younger, faster guards are flying by him. J.R. Smith has to be the player he was during the first two months of the season. Over his last four games, Smith has shot just 34.6 percent from the field and averaged 12.5 points a game. When Smith doesn’t score, it puts added pressure on Anthony.
There’s no question the Knicks will go only as far as Anthony can take them. But he needs help from Shumpert, Smith, Felton, Tyson Chandler and Amar’e Stoudemire, at both ends of the floor. It won’t be enough for Anthony to win the MVP, but at least he’ll deserve the chants.