New York Knicks‘ Carmelo Anthony’s been around long enough to know that with the playoffs out of reach it’s time for the young guys to play.
Carmelo Anthony has only scored less than 10 points on 13 different occasions during his tenure with the New York Knicks. The Knicks are 5-8 in those games. The most recent one was Wednesday’s loss to the Miami Heat.
Anthony scored only nine points on 12 shots in a 105-88 loss to the playoff-bound Heat. After another loss—New York’s ninth in their last 11 games—the ten-time All-Star admitted to ESPN’s Ian Begley that he knows the reality of his current situation in New York.
Now that the playoffs are no longer an option, it’s time for the young guys to take center stage. The veterans will take a backseat with only seven meaningless games remaining in another disappointing season.
“I see the writing on the wall. I see what it is,” Anthony said late Wednesday night. “I see what they’re trying to do, and it’s just me accepting that. That’s what puts me at peace. Just knowing and understanding how things work. I’m at peace with that.”
The 32-year-old understands that it’s “for the greater good” to give the youngsters more playing time. He’s also smart enough to know that at this point it’s more beneficial for his team to lose.
“I don’t think me going out there, trying to score 30 and 40 every night and playing that way, is going to help them out at this point,” Anthony said after failing to score in double figures for just the third time all season. “I think it’s more about getting that experience and letting them go out there and play through that right now. It’s challenging, but I think it’s for the greater good for everybody on this team.”
Up Next: The Knicks travel to Miami to take on the Heat in the second half of a home-and-home on Friday, March 31, at 8:00 p.m. ET.
