MILWAUKEE — Carmelo Anthony has a long way to go before ever receiving the compliment Mike D’Antoni bestowed recently on Tyson Chandler as the Knicks’ “most irreplaceable player.’’
On the flip side, Anthony has looked more like their most replaceable player.
It showed in San Antonio on Wednesday when the Knicks looked like all the other defense-poor teams of years past without Chandler.
In games Anthony has played this season, discounting the first five minutes of the Utah win, the Knicks are 11-17. When Anthony has been out, the Knicks are 7-4.
The Knicks limp into Milwaukee tonight on a three-game losing streak, clinging to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference at 18-21. Once the NBA’s Linderella story, Anthony’s Knicks have sunk back to mediocrity and likely face an 0-4 road trip if Chandler (hamstring, wrist) is out again tonight. The center is listed as questionable.
As feared, The Melo Effect has spoiled Linsanity.
D’Antoni has allowed the offense to revert to Anthony’s liking, where he controlled the flow in San Antonio with 24 shot attempts. Point guard Jeremy Lin did not make an impact as Anthony became chief decision-maker. Anthony’s lack of defensive instincts is also contributing to the losing as the club plays with less spirit on that end.
With the NBA trade deadline Thursday, the Knicks don’t need to add another player to their overcrowded rotation, but they could use a chemistry kit for D’Antoni.
If the Anthony/Lin combo doesn’t click into victories, owner James Dolan will have to sort out the Lin-Anthony-D’Antoni triangle this summer. Dolan will have to decide whether to seek trade offers for Anthony or just get rid of D’Antoni while figuring out if Lin, a free agent, is the starting point guard of the future or a product of D’Antoni’s speedball offense. It has become clear Anthony doesn’t agree with D’Antoni’s system and it’s become clearer D’Antoni is afraid of criticizing Anthony.
Dolan is not on the road trip, but Hank Ratner, the Garden’s CEO, and arena president Scott O’Neill were there when Anthony pouted after his six-point dud in Dallas. Ratner has more influence on Dolan than anyone in the organization.
Since Anthony’s return from a groin injury, the Knicks are 2-5. That came on the heels of the Knicks’ 8-1 surge that sent Lin onto the cover of Sports Illustrated two straight weeks.
D’Antoni talked out of both sides of his mouth Wednesday. One moment he preached a balanced attack with Lin making the decisions. The next moment, he suggested the Knicks need to find a way to get Anthony the most shots and points.
After the San Antonio loss, Amar’e Stoudemire sounded as if he was transported back to the losing ways of January when he spoke about spacing and ball movement.
“You watch San Antonio,” Stoudemire said. “They don’t have nearly enough talent to compete with us. Our talent level, personnel, is off the charts. But what they do well is they keep the floor spaced and make sure those guys execute the plays. That’s something we’ve got to do, keep the floor spaced and keep the ball moving and get everyone involved.’’
The biggest problem with Anthony is his belief the Knicks can’t win unless the ball is going through him. He complained about the adjustment of “waiting for the ball’’ in the Lin-directed offense. His increased lecturing of Lin on the court appears counter-productive. It has made Lin tentative and deferential.
After the San Antonio loss, Anthony was asked about his oncourt conversations with Lin and said he was just trying to “keep his confidence at a high level.’’
“My message to him is don’t try to put it all on your shoulders,’’ Anthony said. “It’s a learning process. It’s new for him. It’s new for us having him out there, too. We’re in this together.”
D’Antoni seems powerless in trying to get the best out of Lin while keeping Anthony happy.
“The team’s complexion did change in his absence,” D’Antoni said. “And you have to work through that. But there’s no reason why it can’t coexist. We just got to find that right balance of everybody getting into their spots. Just everybody’s got to be a little patient.’’
Anthony said D’Antoni will figure out how to blend his talents with Lin’s.
“It’s going to happen,’’ he said. “I’m not concerned about that. I believe in Coach and how smart he is as coach.’’