Dearest Carmelo Anthony,
Recently I heard the news that you had second guessed your decision to stay with the Knicks. I’m writing this to inform you that, unfortunately for you and millions of Knick fans, you’re stuck here.
I’d like to use an analogy to make your situation clear: you’re like a woman with the savior complex who’s in a bad relationship. You have entered into a union that’s doomed. Actually, it was doomed from the start. The Knicks are that handsome guy, that treats women like garbage. The evidence was all there before you made your decision. This team, the one that you chose over any other, treated everyone that entered a relationship with him like crap. But when you looked at him, you ignored the logical part of your brain and only saw the potential. You decided you would be the one to fix him.
When you were in Denver, with a good coach, a decent cast, and a competent front office, you thought you deserved more. You treated the team you were with like crap, because it wasn’t as attractive as some of the other destinations. It was a good team, in a good situation, but it would never be good enough. Good guys finish last. No matter what Denver did, they would never match your ideal of how life would be like in New York. So your lust won over.
To get with the Knicks, you burned every bridge you could find. You forced their hand, and they had to get rid of everything of value that they had, so they could be with you. So now you’re wondering why you’re here by yourself? Well, half of the good stuff had to go before you would walk in the door. And anyone who was more than decent has left since.
Donnie Walsh? He was here keeping the franchise sober until he saw you’d drag them back to the bar. Tyson? Gone because one of you two had to go to shake things up. Lin? Gone on your behalf. Kidd? Saw the writing on the wall. Mozgov? Had potential, and now is more likely to have a ring than you. Shumpert: ditto.
The combination of your greed and the team’s stupidity has kept anyone with any sense away. The recent rumor is that the Knicks are going to give the max to Greg Monroe. Why? To paraphrase Rick Pitino: Kevin Durant isn’t walking through that door. Kevin Love isn’t walking through that door. Anthony Davis isn’t walking through that door. Marc Gasol isn’t walking through that door. LeBron James isn’t walking through that door.
Everyone can see the toxicity of this situation. So the only option the Knicks have left is to overspend on mediocrity. They have to pay an extra fee in order to get anyone else to join this mess.
In a recent article, former teammate J.R. Smith attempted to defend you, then went on to describe LeBron James.
Playing with LeBron is different in the way he demands nothing less than the best of his teammates, and doesn’t have to have an individual focus on scoring to maximize his impact.
He expects us to be accountable, and doesn’t hesitate to make plays that ensure that we do well before he does. LeBron is both willing and able to carry the load. From the very first time you meet the man, it’s crystal clear to you that he is very much aware of what he needs to do to get the most out of his teammates. LeBron sacrifices his own scoring stats to grab every rebound, to make every smart pass, to defend every possession – all in the name of winning.
LeBron James saved Cleveland. Then he saved Miami. Now he’s saving Cleveland, again. You thought you could come to New York and have the same effect. The problem is the savior complex only works when you are willing to make that sacrifice.
So, ‘Melo, you’re wondering if it was a good idea to stay here. Well it wasn’t a good idea to come here in the first place. Not in the way you came. This isn’t the team for you. You’re a valuable player, no doubt. But you’ll never be the most valuable player in the NBA. And you’ll never make the sacrifices needed to make this team a championship caliber franchise, neither in your contract nor on the floor. As long as James Dolan and his logic defying cronies are in charge, this place is going to be a wreck. One that you’re married to.
Sincerely,
Mike Kurylo
KnickerBlogger.Net
