Carmelo Anthony did a better job spinning in the postgame interview room late Saturday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse than spinning in the lane for a bucket in the fourth quarter of ill-fated Game 6.
“It’s a learning curve for us and we’ll be back better and stronger next year for sure,’’ Anthony said, adding, “We had a hell of a year.’’
But getting better — at least by changing the roster — will be a challenge.
The most depressing part of Saturday night’s Indy heartbreaker is the Knicks may have topped out. Next season is boom or bust, and it will be a challenge for Knicks GM Glen Grunwald to upgrade a roster that didn’t get out of the second round. Today they hold “Trash-Bag Day’’ in Tarrytown instead of Game 7 at the Garden.
There will be no Chris Paul or Dwight Howard, the two marquee free agents, coming to the Knicks’ rescue. Under CBA rules that take effect July 1, it’s unlikely the Knicks will be permitted to execute a sign-and-trade for free agents because they should be $4 million over the luxury-tax threshold.
Moreover, the window on this alleged title drive could close after next season. Anthony can opt out of his five-year deal next summer and probably will if the Knicks are second-round losers again. Amar’e Stoudemire will finally be a trade candidate next summer in 2014 because he will have an expiring contract. Tyson Chandler may have to be traded then, too, if the Knicks blow it up.
VOTE: WHO SHOULD THE KNICKS KEEP FOR NEXT SEASON?
The Knicks will give it one more crack with the same core, but Grunwald may be hard-pressed to keep two of his point guards — Pablo Prigioni, a free agent, and Jason Kidd. The future Hall of Famer may decide his 10-game playoff scoreless streak is the signal for retirement with two years left on his pact. Kidd disappeared after Saturday’s elimination loss, maybe to find his jump shot.
If the Knicks make a big move this summer, it could be prematurely trading Chandler for two or three lower-salaried rotation pieces. But Chandler’s market value is at its nadir after his playoff stinker.
On July 1, the Knicks will have only their $3 million mini-midlevel exception to add a decent free agent and they may have to use it to re-sign effective rookies Chris Copeland and Prigioni.
The Knicks’ best chance of adding a major piece to the roster is Stoudemire — that is Stoudemire circa 2008.
If Stoudemire stays healthy, returns to close to his All-Star form and gets his starting power-forward position back, the Knicks will try to make this Melo-Amar’e tandem work. It’s a longshot but they can’t be so reliant on streaky Sixth Man Award winner J.R. Smith, who is expected to re-sign, for better or worse.
Stoudemire, who played just 29 regular-season games and was ineffective when he returned in the middle of the second round, is already clamoring for a bigger role next season, saying he needs to speak with coach Mike Woodson.
The Knicks will have the veteran’s minimum of $1.4 million to try to upgrade a roster that came up well short of expectations. The Knicks also have the 24th pick in the draft, with which they’ll attempt to land a point guard or a 3-point shooting wingman. Expect European scout Kevin Wilson to weave more minimum-wage magic as he added three players from overseas last summer in Copeland (Belgium), Prigioni (Spanish League) and James White (Italian League).
The moment of truth for Anthony may have come in the fourth quarters of all three losses in Indianapolis. He folded in all three road games, missing his first five shots and committing three turnovers in Game 6. He looked too much like an All-Star not quite great enough to carry a team on his back in a long playoff run. But Knicks owner James Dolan has committed everything to him.
“My career is far from over,” Anthony said late Saturday night. “So I’m not really concerned about that. I still got a lot more time in this league.”
The Knicks should now be able to re-up with Smith after his playoff disaster damaged his market value. Teams under the cap looking to outbid the Knicks probably have lost interest, especially with the resurfacing allegations of his excessive partying. Smith said after the Game 6 defeat that he wants to “retire a Knick.’’ Grunwald can offer him a four-year contract starting at $5 million and the Knicks have no choice but roll the dice.
The East should get better with the returns of Derrick Rose to the Bulls, Danny Granger to the Pacers and Rajon Rondo to the Celtics.
The Knicks may actually get worse.
The Knicks’ youngest player gave the most honest assessment:
“We failed,” Iman Shumpert said.
marc.berman@nypost.com