Carmelo Anthony is very close friends with LeBron James, which has led many to believe that Anthony would not support David Blatt being hired as head coach of the New York Knicks. It’s no secret that Blatt and LeBron didn’t get along in Cleveland, so would Anthony be open to working with the former Cavs coach?
According to a report from Marc Berman of the New York Post, Anthony would be open to playing for Blatt because he believes the four-time Israeli League Coach of the Year could help develop Kristaps Porzingis.
Berman cites a source who claims Anthony feels Blatt, with his impressive track record of coaching in Europe, could help Porzingis develop into an All-Star faster than Kurt Rambis can. Reports have claimed Phil Jackson has already made up his mind about sticking with Rambis as New York’s head coach, but there must be a reason Anthony has publicly urged the team to interview multiple candidates.
Furthermore, Porzingis was reportedly unhappy with the way Rambis was using him when the interim coach first took over, though the situation is said to have improved later in the season.
Knicks fans were devastated when their team only earned the No. 4 pick in last year’s NBA Draft lottery, but Porzingis was extremely impressive in his rookie season. The 20-year-old Latvian averaged 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.
Jackson has been vacationing at his house in Montana while speculation continues to grow about who the next coach of the Knicks will be. In the meantime, another coach who has ties to New York became available.
