The New York Knicks had a very busy offseason. Fresh off a disappointing season, the team acquired several players in order to create what some of the players consider a “super team.”
Besides adding talent on the court, the Knicks may have added some much-needed leadership. At least according to forward Carmelo Anthony, they got a form of that in new center Joakim Noah (via Ian Begley of ESPN):
“He brings a different dynamic to the court,” Anthony said after Noah’s first practice with the New York Knicks. “Mentally, he pushes you; he forces you to compete at a high level every time on the basketball court. Everybody. Whether you’re the 14th, 15th man on the team, or myself, or Derrick [Rose] or anybody else.
“Like, he pushes you to go out there and compete every play. If not, you’re going to hear about. I think that’s something we’ve been missing, this team needed, this organization needed and I like it. We like it.”
“If you’re not on his team, you’re an enemy,” Anthony said. “I think that mentality, that’s going to kind of trickle down to everybody else. It’s a different mindset that you’ve got to have coming into the game, going into practice. Even in practice, if you’re not on his team, if you’re not on the blue or white team with him, you’re an enemy. That keeps the competitive edge for everybody out there on the court.”
The Knicks handed Noah a huge contract that probably does not match his on-court production at this point. The former Chicago Bull has been in a steady decline for a couple of years now. But his leadership and intensity (already showing through his claims that the team must beat LeBron and the Cavs) can at least give the Knicks a much-needed boost. Joakim Noah should be a great addition to the team.
