Carmelo Anthony no longer is on a team for which he is the focal point of the offense. In fact, he no longer is on a team for which he is a regular starter; he has come off the bench for the struggling Houston Rockets in four of six games.
So before the Rockets' practice Thursday at Barclays Center in preparation for Friday night's game in Brooklyn, Anthony took a walk down nostalgia road and shared some memories of his six-plus seasons as the centerpiece of the Knicks' offense. He also shared some "woulda, coulda, shouldas" and his sense that the team might have been better if a few things had broken their way or if they had been able to attract a big-time free agent.
Anthony said a negative perception of the Knicks' organization hurt the franchise when it was trying to attract top free agents. The biggest names the Knicks were able to sign the last couple of years were big men Joakim Noah and Robin Lopez.
"I think it probably scared a lot of people away," said Anthony, 34. "Scared some people away. Not knowing the nuances and the ins and outs of kind of what was going on, who is in charge, who is not."
The Knicks had four different general managers/executives _ Donnie Walsh, Glen Grunwald, Steve Mills and Phil Jackson _ during Anthony's tenure. They also had five different coaches _ Mike D'Antoni, Mike Woodson, Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis and Jeff Hornacek.
Despite the lack of continuity and the fact that the team never got past the first round of the playoffs, Anthony said he really enjoyed his time in a Knicks uniform.
"Honestly, I didn't have a bad experience there," he said. "Overall, looking back on it now, I had a great, great experience in New York. 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.
"That energy with the fans, the team and the players that came through there ... The last couple of years, it is what it is. But overall, it was great."
Anthony finished his Knicks career with 10,186 points, seventh on the franchise scoring list. He said his two greatest memories were scoring 62 points in a game at the Garden in 2014 _ which set the team and arena record _ and his first game as a Knick in 2011.
Anthony, who was born in Brooklyn, was introduced to the Garden crowd that night to the Puff Daddy song, "I'm Coming Home."
"Coming out there and hearing that song. That moment, I don't think it can get better than that moment," he said.
But things deteriorated by the end of his tenure and Anthony was willing to waive his no-trade clause before last season and go to the Thunder. After averaging a career-low 16.2 points per game, he was traded in July to the Hawks, who bought him out, and then signed a one-year deal with the Rockets, reuniting him with D'Antoni. He is averaging 13.2 points per game in his 16th NBA season.
He likes what he is seeing on the Knicks and is a big fan of coach David Fizdale.
"I think we all have to start from somewhere. And I think what Coach David is doing over there, he's getting it right as far as mindset goes," Anthony said. "The talent will come, but I think the mindset of how he approaches the game trickles down to the organization, how serious he takes the game, his approach to the game. You could just tell by the energy he brings. I've seen them play once or twice this season so far. Kind of just the energy they play with. Even preseason you watch them play and that energy is different from what we've seen in the past."
