New York Knicks: How Carmelo Anthony impacts training camp
By Eric Snyder
When the New York Knicks open training camp, Carmelo Anthony will be the most important player there. Yet, his importance goes beyond talent or the circus around him.
The upcoming New York Knicks training camp is the most important event on the offseason schedule. Any team with multiple young players needs as much training as the league will allow. Furthermore, head coach Jeff Hornacek is now emboldened to run the type of offense he finds most comfortable.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported Thursday the Knicks will likely bring Carmelo to training camp. Obviously, the media will come with Carmelo and a circus will emerge around the young Knicks.
Last season, locker room leadership was non-existent partly because of Phil Jackson. Now that a youth movement has been initiated in Madison Square Garden, a leadership vacuum remains. Minus the accomplishments of Joakim Noah, there isn’t much veteran success for young players to learn from.
Even so, training camp will go on and Carmelo will be caught up in the vacuum for however long he remains a Knickerbocker. Luckily, his ability to be a good teammate is one of the few traits that hasn’t been overrated.
Never a problem
Many accurate statements have been made about Carmelo throughout his career with the New York Knicks. Ball-hog and ball-stopper often prove to be true depictions of how Melo plays basketball. However, one thing that Carmelo has never been called is “bad teammate.”
Last season, Phil Jackson tried his best to break Carmelo and run him out of New York. Yet, Phil got fired and Melo is still around, at least for a few more weeks. Moreover, Steve Kyler wrote the following concerning what kind of teammate Melo is:
"“Knicks players repeatedly said this summer that even as bad as it got last season, Anthony was never a problem with the coaches or the staff and that he was liked by his teammates. Assuming none of that has changed, it’s not like the Knicks would be bringing a toxic element into their locker room with Anthony, but it would create an external circus the entire team would have to manage, at least initially.”"
So, the reason the Knicks aren’t rushing to trade Melo before training camp is because they know his character as a teammate. His choice to waive his no-trade clause for only the Houston Rockets or Cleveland Cavaliers has proven problematic to Steve Mills. Yet, it is clear Knicks management sees no reason to avoid bringing Carmelo to training camp.
Leading by example
One thing social media has proven this offseason is that Carmelo Anthony is working out. At times, “hoodie Melo” appears and other times it’s regular Melo, but either way, he is grinding. Coaches can teach strategy, shooting form and sideline plays, but they cannot teach work ethic.
Fortunately, Knicks players will see Carmelo working the way a true professional works. The long-term effects of witnessing his work ethic will influence young players long beyond whatever the future holds for Melo. Frank Ntilikina‘s professional basketball experience is impressive but he has never seen how an NBA superstar prepares his body and mind.
The New York Knicks have nothing to fear once they get Carmelo inside the building for training camp. Outside of camp will be a media circus the likes of which many Knicks players have never seen. Yet, it is another aspect of NBA basketball for Kristaps Porzingis and teammates to learn.
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Once the basketball hits the floor for the first time inside training camp, much of the outside noise will mute. When the volume turns back up for preseason and regular season basketball, the Knicks’ youth movement will officially begin. Even so, Carmelo Anthony is the most important player on the New York Knicks…for now.