h*h 发帖数: 27852 | 1 Carmelo Anthony trade makes sense for NY Knicks in wallet says Garden honcho
, and may also lead to on-court success
One Garden honcho gives 'Moneyball' nod to Lin
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By Frank Isola / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
In almost record time Carmelo Anthony has become a polarizing figure amongst
fans, teammates and coaches. So it shouldn't be any surprise that Anthony
has created division within the ranks of Madison Square Garden's top
executives as well.
According to a team source, at least one member of James Dolan's inner
circle wants to trade Anthony for the same reason the Knicks acquired him 13
months ago: money.
Part of that thinking is Jeremy Lin's meteoric rise from anonymous bench
warmer to international phenomenon. "Linsanity" has created a financial
windfall for the Knicks unlike anything they've seen before.
The second-year point guard is a one-man money making machine for the Garden
, which is experiencing a significant spike in ticket sales, ratings and
merchandise since Lin became a household name in early February.
There is a feeling inside the organization that it makes business, and to a
lesser degree basketball sense, to severe ties with Anthony, the perennial
All Star who has struggled since returning from a groin injury. The Knicks
are 2-8 with Anthony back in the lineup including a six game losing streak.
The source would not reveal the name of the executive pushing to trade
Anthony but the Daily News has learned that Anthony still has two formidable
allies in his corner; Dolan, the Chairman of Madison Square Garden and MSG
President Scott O'Neil, who both played significant roles in bringing
Anthony to New York.
According to a source, Dolan is not ready to give up on his signature
acquisition. In fact, Dolan has let it be known that he does not intend to
move any of his top players prior to Thursday's trading deadline.
"He said he's not trading anyone," said the source, with direct contact with
Dolan. "He said it's up to the coach to figure it out."
LAWRENCE: MELO-FOR-DWIGHT IS RIGHT WAY TO GO FOR KNICKS
O'Neil, who himself has made the organization a small fortune through
sponsorship deals, helped broker the Anthony trade with the Denver Nuggets
due to his close association with CAA, the company that represents Anthony
as well as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and most recently, JR Smith.
Dolan isn't necessarily wrong to say it's up to the head coach to make it
Anthony, Lin and Amar'e Stoudemire work. And judging by what Mike D'Antoni
says and how he's coached recently it would appear that he's convinced the
Knicks are better off with Lin being the primary focus of the offense.
When Anthony was sidelined, the Knicks won six straight games or seven if
you include Anthony leaving the first quarter of a win against Utah with a
groin injury. The difference during that seven-game winning streak, besides
a softer schedule, was the emergence of Lin.
Meanwhile, Anthony, Stoudemire and D'Antoni have yet to mesh since they
became a forced partnership. Since acquiring Anthony, the Knicks are 32-42,
a record that supports many NBA scouts' original theory that Anthony and
Stoudemire are a bad fit. D'Antoni, meanwhile, has been criticized for
sticking with an offensive system that doesn't play into Anthony's strength.
Also, Lin has come back to earth recently. Although he had a good showing in
Monday's loss to Chicago and Derrick Rose, Lin was badly outplayed in
losses to the Nets (Deron Williams), Celtics (Rajon Rondo), Spurs (Tony
Parker) and Sixers (Lou Williams).
As a result, Lin has faced minor criticism and at every turn D'Antoni has
been there to defend him to the media. Earlier in the season, D'Antoni
afforded Anthony that same courtesy but no longer. Three weeks ago, D'Antoni
refuted various reports that it was Anthony would suggest to the head coach
that he give Lin a chance to play.
Anthony, though, was neither embarrassed nor upset when told of what D'
Antoni told reporters. In fact, Anthony has been careful to avoid being
publicly critical of D'Antoni which could have something to do with Anthony
realizing that public sentiment is turning against him and he doesn't want
to fuel the fire.
One Knicks players revealed that following Sunday's no-show loss to
Philadelphia, several teammates were complaining about D'Antoni but that
Anthony, who was benched for the entire fourth quarter, remained silent in
the locker room.
"We're a mess right now," the player said.
The mounting pressure could be getting to Anthony, who seems emotionally
detached. He was visibly frustrated at one point on Monday when Landry
Fields did not pass to him in the post. Anthony then sat on the bench during
the time out between the third and fourth quarters.
"I do that every game," Melo said.
And Stoudemire may or may not have been alluding to Anthony when he
questioned the preparation of some unnamed teammates.
"We gotta be in early, we gotta get warm, we gotta get ourselves mentally
prepared," Stoudemire said on Monday.
That said, Anthony's teammates aren't ready to blame the entire "mess" on
Anthony. Stoudemire's defense has been poor. Lin is averaging 14 shots per
game over his last 10 or just three fewer than Anthony, who is regarded as
one of the league's top scorers.
Also, Dolan created a leadership void by removing Donnie Walsh and leaving D
'Antoni, who has a 121-167 record, as a lame duck coach. The Knicks idea of
a shadow front office isn't working. It contributes to the confusion in the
locker room and in turn that's made Anthony the convenient scapegoat.
Let that be a warning to Lin if heaven forbid he stops making MSG money. |
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