The time for full reflection on what exactly transpired across 6 ¹/₂ seasons as a Knick will come once his career is finally over, but Carmelo Anthony offered up a preview Thursday when he arrived back home in Brooklyn.
More than a year after he was traded away from what ended in a toxic situation with the Knicks, Anthony looked back on his tenure there in a positive light.
“Honestly, I didn’t have a bad experience there,” Anthony said Thursday before his Rockets prepared for Friday’s game against the Nets at Barclays Center. “I had a great, great experience in New York. The last couple years was a little tough as far as losing and what I had to deal with, but other than that, I had a hell of an experience in New York.
“What we were able to create there, that energy with the fans, with the team, with the players that came through there … the last couple years is what it is, but overall it was great.”
Anthony left New York without a championship, forced to settle instead for what he called the “woulda-coulda-shoulda” thoughts. There were three trips to the playoffs in his first three years — culminating in the 2013 Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Pacers — before things took a turn for the worse.
He played under five coaches and four general managers, most notably Phil Jackson, the team president with whom he publicly feuded. He was there for the end of Amar’e Stoudemire’s All-Star run and the start of Kristaps Porzingis’ rise, but never got a big-splash free agent to join him.
“I think just the business, just everything that was going on, kind of the notion of, the perception of New York Knicks basketball — not basketball, but the organization — I think it probably scares a lot of people away,” the 34-year-old forward said. “Not knowing the nuances and the ins and outs of what was going on, who was in charge. So it was more than just basketball when it came to making those decisions.”
Anthony wasn’t alone inside the Nets’ practice gym Thursday on briefly thinking about what could have been for the Knicks. Mike D’Antoni is his boss again — which the coach described as “anticlimactic,” after first reuniting with Anthony on the 2012 Olympic team.
“I just hated we didn’t win,” D’Antoni said of his Knicks tenure. “We didn’t get lucky on a couple things early, going after guys or not drafting maybe just one spot before …”
D’Antoni was presumably referring to the Knicks being one pick too late on Stephen Curry in 2008, but laughed while adding, “I probably would have screwed that up too, so it doesn’t really matter.”
For now, D’Antoni and Anthony have their hands full trying to get the Rockets back on track. The team that had the best regular-season record (65-17) in the NBA last year enters Friday at 1-5.
They have been without James Harden for two games — his hamstring injury has him doubtful for Friday — and Chris Paul (suspension) for two games, while Anthony is trying to adjust his game to a new system.
“Last year was a unique situation and we just gotta figure what’s going to work for this team, for us,” Paul said. “I’m grateful it’s not a football season, 17 weeks. … We still got time. I don’t think anybody around here is going to hit the panic button.”
D’Antoni largely chalked up the struggles to missing shots. In six games (two starts), Anthony has averaged 13.2 points while shooting only 39.3 percent from the floor. Paul had to make a similar adjustment to D’Antoni’s up-tempo, 3-point-happy offense last year before settling in, a transition he’s discussed with Anthony.
“If anything’s bothering him or what not, y’all would never know. Hell, it’s hard enough for me to know,” Paul said. “He’s going to be fine.”