Carmelo Anthony: “I Do Not Expect To Win A Championship This Year”

The Knicks might not have the sexiest lineup on paper next season, but they’ve locked down franchise player Carmelo Anthony for the rest of his prime. Last summer mercurial owner James Dolan was pitching his team as a title contender. After their second-round exit at the hands of the Pacers in 2013, that title-contention didn’t need to be slathered in hyperbole to be digested by Knicks fans. Then their 2013-14 season turned into a nightmare exacerbated by the owner’s expectations, and so this summer ‘Melo was a little bit more realistic when talking to Puerto Rican newspaper, Primera Hora.

With Phil Jackson involved in his first summer as the president of basketball ops, a rookie head coach in Derek Fisher, and an offense — the Triangle — notoriously challenging to pick up, especially for veterans unused to all the movement, the Knicks might struggle out of the gate. Their summer league team in Vegas used triangle sets, and played well under Fisher, but the regular season is a big jump from the more relaxed atmosphere that pervade games in the warmer climes of summer.

That being said, ‘Melo seemed excited for the challenge following the signing of his near-max five-year deal totaling near $124.1 million.

“This is a new beginning for me in my life. Although I’m back with the same team after my contract extension, for me it’s a new opportunity for the team and for the city,” ‘Melo told Primera Hora (by way of Google translate).

Anthony continued, with emphasis ours (and keep in mind it’s Google Translate, so the syntax is janky):

“I think they’ve made some solid moves that impact the team. Management has done a good job of trying to square a team that may not be stars but if players are within the system to be implemented.

[…]

I do not expect to win a championship this year. That’s something that takes time and everything has to be in sync, from management to players. We have much work to do, but [it’s] something that drives me. I know we can start creating the foundation of what we do. It’s the start of a good process. Next year we will have enough money to spend within the salary cap. But this year it is important to take the necessary steps towards those who will in [sic] the next year. I want to concentrate on building what we want from this year.”

This is a mature ‘Melo statement. The Knicks aren’t title contenders, nor were they last year, but no one knew Mike Woodson was going to stubbornly refuse to play two point guards at the same time (more Pablo!) while neglecting the smaller lineups with a lot of shooting on the floor and Anthony at the four, which was so instrumental in their run to open the 2012-13 season.

This is upcoming 2014-15 campaign is a season in flux, with young players and old picking up an offense with so many twists and variations, it’s more like a mantra, or a set of commandments than a series of plays. It will take time for all the new Knicks — including Jose Calderon, Wayne Ellington, Cleanthony Early, Shane Larkin and others getting their first reps with the Knickerbockers — to grow accustomed to their new teammates and the offense.

With Amar’e Stoudemire ($23.42 million) and Andrea Bargnani ($11.5 million) in the final year of their contracts, Anthony is right to look towards the future, even though he turned 30 in May and missed the playoffs last season for the first time in his career. The Knicks figure to be big players in free agency next season, with a lot of free cap space and this year’s squad is about player assessment and picking up the intricacies of the Triangle, not winning a title.

If you’re like us, you’re just happy a James Dolan-owned team is taking a longer view of player and team development. Then again, if they drop their first 10 games and go into 2015 with a laughable record, there’s no telling what sort of panic moves Dolan might force on Phil near the trade dealdine. So far, it looks good, but there’s always something with the Knicks.

Do the Knicks make the playoffs next season?

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