PHOENIX — Carmelo Anthony entered this season believing the Knicks could at least repeat as the Eastern Conference’s second seed. But after all the turmoil and losing, Anthony now says if the Knicks can somehow beat the odds and sneak into the playoffs as the eighth seed, it could wipe out a lot of the bitterness of 2013-14.
While some teammates may be more ambivalent, nobody is pushing the Knicks harder to make the postseason than Anthony.
Anthony has got a vested interest on many levels: 1) He has never missed the playoffs in his prior 10 seasons. 2) It will give him hope that perhaps the club isn’t so far away as he mulls free agency. 3) A postseason berth will prevent his former team, Denver, from picking in the lottery in this draft — the last piece to the blockbuster trade that brought Anthony to New York.
Asked if his view on the campaign would change if the Knicks made the playoffs, Anthony said, “Absolutely. Nobody really looks at the regular season. It’s over with. Everybody starts 0-0. Our goal is to get there.’’
If they get there, the Knicks will have a sub-.500 record. Even if they run the table in the final 10 games, the Knicks would finish 40-42.
“I’ve never had a losing record before,’’ Anthony said. “This year has been a very challenging year mentally, emotionally for me. I still find ways to remain positive throughout the situation and try to win basketball games. Through the whole season, we still have a chance to get in the postseason.’’
Anthony said new president Phil Jackson gave him a bit of a pep talk at the team’s morning shootaround at Staples Center before the Knicks faced the Lakers Tuesday, but their brief chat wasn’t related to his future. While Jackson has seemed nonplussed on whether the Knicks get in, he prodded Anthony.
It was the first time Anthony and Jackson, the two stars of the organization, spoke beyond introductions. They were holed up in the locker room for several minutes while the rest of the Knicks and coaching staff were on the court.
“He told me to get ready and play and try to finish out the season strong,’’ Anthony said. “We talked about him [relocating] to New York, him coming back from LA. The weather. A lot of generic.
“We haven’t had a tea party yet.’’
The roughest part of the Knicks’ five-game, make-or-break Western trip arrives Friday night against the Suns (43-29), who are vying for the eighth seed in the West. Then come the powerful Warriors (44-27) on Sunday. If the Knicks lose both, they’re wrecked.
The Knicks (30-42) trail the Hawks by 1 ¹/₂ games after Atlanta’s 100-85 loss to Portland on Thursday night. The Knicks’ April schedule, however, is beastly, with a game in Miami, two against the Nets and one each versus playoff teams Chicago, Toronto and Washington.
Perhaps for his résumé, coach Mike Woodson wants a playoff spot badly. The only shot for Woodson returning is getting in and perhaps upsetting the Pacers in the first round.
“I’ve been to [the playoffs] the last four or five years now, and to be home watching it on TV is not going to be any fun,” Woodson said. “So I’m desperately pushing these guys to try and get in there, because then a new season starts and anything is possible.”
Jackson will wait before he takes the temperature of Anthony’s view of the roster. Jackson has already hinted he wants to make substantial changes, saying the club is “in a talent hunt,’’ but he won’t have a lot of flexibility until 2015. Not only don’t the Knicks have their first-round pick, they are without their second-round pick too.
The chance of Anthony returning has increased significantly with Jackson aboard. Interested parties, the Rockets and Bulls have to get under the salary cap first before making a legit play for Anthony. The Clippers could only do a sign-and-trade, and the Lakers still aren’t certain Anthony makes sense with their cap space as a tandem with Kobe Bryant.
Plus, it’s hard to imagine Lakers president Jeanie Buss would want to steal Anthony from the Knicks and Jackson, her fiancé.
As team spokesman, Anthony has attempted to show leadership during this trying season and gave stirring remarks after the debacle against the Lakers about the Knicks taking out their “anger’’ on the Kings.
The one gaffe he has made this season was talking too much about his free agency and his future — which could have come off as not being in the moment to teammates. However, one of Anthony’s character traits is being too congenial; he almost never shoots down a reporter’s question.
Anthony seems on board with Jackson and nobody is fighting harder for a playoff berth.