Thanks to non-calls and a two game losing streak New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony is finally starting to show a little frustration.
New York Knicks (10-12)
Utah Jazz (9-10)
NBA, Wednesday, December 9, 9:00 PM on MSG, ROOT
EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City
By Robby Sabo
As many a New York Knicks fan knows, it was bound to happen eventually. The thought of Carmelo Anthony going through a full NBA season and not showing one ounce of frustration might be the most positive outlook over the course of a decade.
All kidding aside, Melo has a legitimate gripe this time.
As the Knicks were storming back late in the game against the Dallas Mavericks Monday night, Anthony felt like he was fouled by Wesley Matthews. Actually, he was fouled. Matthews held Melo’s right arm down as he tried to pull up from about 15-feet away on the wing.
The play resulted in a no-call and a critical Anthony technical foul shortly thereafter. New York fell harmlessly to the Mavs that night, 104-97. Kristaps Porzingis’s 28 points were wasted as one of his idols, Dirk Nowitzki, went home happy.
When speaking to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Melo had some revealing things to say.
“It’s hard to say what has to change (in referring to the two-game skid),’’ Anthony said. “This road trip is a big road trip for us. That’s the only thing I can say. It could go two ways — good for us or bad for us. We have an opportunity to try to do something good on this road trip.’’
He even delved into how his surgically repaired knee felt at this point in the season.
“Some nights the pop is there, some nights it’s not,’’ Anthony said. “It’s still going to take time coming off the surgery. At a point in time, I shouldn’t have to be dealing with this. Right now it’s still a healing process. I want to be doing better. I want the team to be doing better.’’
More revealing than his frustration about losing was his candid comments about not getting fouls when he clearly gets the hammer. Many have pointed to this obvious situation for the last several years.
Melo simply doesn’t get the “star treatment” say a LeBron James does.
Via Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News:
“I always get fouled. That’s what frustrating me. You play so hard, work so hard, then you don’t benefit from that. Then you kind of look at other guys and you touch them, you look at them wrong, you get fouls,” Anthony said. “So that’s the frustrating thing for me as a guy who likes to go to the basket, as a guy who likes to go to the paint and be physical and play physical.
“I don’t know. It’s really nothing I can say about that but I’m human. Those frustrations kick in at times. Especially when you’re down there banging and you know you’re getting banged on. I don’t know what else I can do. I don’t know how to play any other way.”
“I don’t know how to flop. I think that’s the thing. Nowadays players know how to flop, they put their head back. I don’t know how to do that,” he said. “A lot of times I get hit and I continue to get to my spots just because I’m big and strong. A lot of guys get hit and they stop and I’m not saying they’re flopping. But they’re lighter than I am. So I can take a lot.”
He’s 100 percent correct. He doesn’t flop.
Put on a tape of James Harden or Dwyane Wade and study them carefully. After about a good half-hour you’ll come away thinking each were deserving of the Oscar for best NBA performing artist.
Anthony, on the other hand, does bang with the best of them.
Still, this doesn’t excuse a technical foul in the worst of situations.
At 31-years old and at this stage of his career, it is what it is. He doesn’t do a great job of “selling” calls to the officials like say an LBJ does. It’s an area of his game he’s never excelled in.
So, the only prudent thing to do is roll up your sleeves and continue banging down low with the big bodies. Focus on health and shooting the lights out.
Melo must lead this team into the new year on a high note. It starts tonight in Utah against the Jazz.
[su_button url=”https://elitesportsny.com/2015/12/09/new-york-rangers-excellence-henrik-lundqvist/” background=”#000080″ size=”10″ wide=”yes” center=”yes” radius=”0″]NEXT: The Excellence Of Henrik Lundqvist[/su_button]
