The following post is a Knicks fan’s take on the current state of affairs and who to place blame on for the 18-24 record, the losing, and the failures in the past season.
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It’s hard to take blame for something.
It rarely happens in the sports world and rarely happens in any world.
However, you are at fault for the current state of the Knicks. And so am I, along with every other Knicks blogger who begged for Carmelo Anthony’s arrival. And every Knicks-gloryifying friend you have who wanted to rock that #7 jersey with pride. And every person that worships, follows, or cares about the Knicks in the slightest way who wanted Carmelo Anthony on the Knicks.
James Dolan is a businessman. He believes that he should take what the people believe in, in this case Carmelo Anthony, and monetize it.
This becomes a problem, however, when what the people believe in does not equate to wins.
In theory, two players that have won many games as the best players on their respective teams – Amar’e Stoudemire as a Knick and Carmelo Anthony as a Nugget – should be able to win more games together.
Superstars are adored in the NBA. Fans buy their jerseys. Fans want them on their team. Good businessmen also, therefore, should want them on their team.
So while the world should rightfully blame James Dolan for “loving” Melo, realize the reason he does have such affection for Melo is because Melo makes James Dolan money.
(What Dolan is failing to realize, of course, is that profits would be even higher if the Knicks have the best possible team on the floor and that’s why he should truly delegate his power to the general manager. But of course, that would be too much to ask.)
Yes, Dolan is who I place blame on chiefly. It’s only because you and I have an obsession with a flawed player does this happen. You, and I, collectively gave James Dolan that power.
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Before Mike D’Antoni and Carmelo Anthony had ever played a game together, their styles clashed. We were just standing in the stands hoping it would work.
When it didn’t, we got frustrated.
And we prayed for a point guard savior in the form of Baron Davis.
When Jeremy Lin came along, Carmelo Anthony was sitting on the sidelines.
When Anthony came back, wins were far away.
The truth of it is that Mike D’Antoni and Carmelo Anthony were two different people who had two different ideas of how to play basketball.
Anthony never showed he could play in D’Antoni’s system. The organization, also known as James Dolan, had more stocked in Carmelo Anthony succeeding than D’Antoni.
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Now, a new era of the Knicks has started with Mike Woodson at the helm.
Carmelo Anthony will now get to play his style of basketball: isolation heavy.
Succeeding could ruin Mike D’Antoni’s legacy. Failing could ruin his own.
