Carmelo Anthony has not been the cold-blooded scoring assassin he was to start out last season. Through three games, Anthony is averaging 21.0 points on just 37.7 percent shooting.
After missing the game-winner in Chicago Thursday, Anthony started Sunday versus Minnesota 1-of-7 before heating up briefly to help a Knicks comeback that fell short. He finished with 22 points but shot 8-of-21 with 17 rebounds and five turnovers.
He admitted after the 109-100 loss to the Timberwolves he has got to get cracking.
“I don’t know, man, I’m trying to get in sync offensively,’’ Anthony said. “I’m a beat off offensively. That time will come.’’
Anthony joked that he is no longer currently the best player from Syracuse, raving about 76ers rookie sensation Michael Carter-Williams before the game. And afterward, Anthony cracked, “He can have the torch. I have no problem passing the torch.’’
“I’ve been telling people all along, whoever gets him is going to get a steal,’’ Anthony said. “The first couple of games he’s proven that. He’s only going to get better in my eyes.’’
Tim Hardaway finished 0-for-7 from the 3-point line in a 3-of-12, six-point performance. Coach Mike Woodson said afterward Hardaway needs to learn to not always hoist the 3-pointer but use his dribble move to dart to the bucket.
“”We have got to stay patient with him,’’ Woodson said. “He is a young rookie trying to figure it out. He had some good looks but he has to learn when pressure is coming at him. He has to use his escape dribble to make plays.’’
Hardaway is shooting 33 percent
Woodson is still figuring out the ground rules regarding the Amar’e Stoudemire-Kenyon Martin platoon at backup power forward and admitted it’s “tough for both of them.’’
Even though there were two days off between games, Woodson went only with Martin and played him well more than the 10-minute cap. Martin played 16:10, was 3-of-4 from the field with six rebounds. But he gave up a four-point play to Kevin Love in the first quarter, with a foul and technical foul.
Last week, Woodson said he’d be able to play both Martin/Stoudemire in the same game as long as there were two days between games. Woodson said Stoudemire will play Tuesday versus Charlotte.
The Knicks held a moment of silence for former center Walter Bellamy, who played four seasons with the Knicks.
Woodson was an acquaintance of Bellamy as they both went to Indiana and lived in Atlanta. He called Bellamy “one of the greatest big men whose ever graced our game.’’
Bellamy is best known for being the piece traded in the late 1960’s for Dave DeBusschere — the last piece to the championship puzzle.