At the beginning of the season, Carmelo Anthony was intent on being a “big brother” figure for New York Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis. This next phase of Knicks basketball is contingent on Anthony and Porzingis as the standing pillars.
The chemistry between Anthony and Porzingis has looked great on the surface, and Anthony confirmed it when talking to ESPN’s Ian Begley about his relationship with the Latvian rookie:
“Sometimes throughout the course of the game, it’s a running conversation. Sometimes he has question: ‘What you think about this, what you think about that?’ I give my input. Obviously he accepts it because he keeps coming aback for the advice and the input. I’m more than welcome to sit there and talk to him. What we have is not forced, it’s organic. I try not to force it, he tries not to force it. it just comes naturally.”
The last thing the Knicks would need right now is for Carmelo and Kristaps to not like each other. Many project Porzingis to be a major impact player in this league for years to come. Having him learn from and develop under Carmelo Anthony isn’t so bad considering ‘Melo has been a top scorer in this league. Frankly, Porzingis is good enough for Carmelo to pick up a few things from also. They can only make each other better.
Their challenge and ultimate priority, of course, will be to attract the necessary extra talent to warrant a playoff team in the next few seasons. Carmelo is prepared to do heavy recruiting, and Porzingis’ mere presence in New York becomes a major selling point. The nice thing is, if the Knicks are able to hit a home run and assemble a formidable roster, their two best players are in good standing with each other. That’s one of just a handful of positives for the New York Knicks as the offseason approaches.
