The biggest mystery the Knicks are facing at the moment is how Jeremy Lin and Carmelo Anthony will perform together on the court. When Anthony returns from a strained groin, he will be joining an entirely different team from the one he left. At the moment, this is Jeremy Lin’s team. Can Carmelo deal with that? On Wednesday, Anthony insisted he is not a selfish player and said he’s offended that people think that. His college coach at Syracuse, Jim Boeheim, for whom Melo won a national championship, couldn’t agree more.
“I’ve got to be honest with you, with all the things I’ve heard over the years, and you hear a lot of crazy things, this is the dumbest I’ve ever heard,” Boeheim said during an interview with the Michael Kay Show on Wednesday. “He won a national championship playing with guys here and took shots, but didn’t dominate the ball. He won on the Olympic team and didn’t dominate the ball, so he’s proven he can play with guys.
“I think sometimes in Denver he was put in position where he had to make plays, but he’s always shot a good field goal percentage. … Nobody’s ever said Kobe dominates the ball, I guess, or LeBron or those guys. Of course they do. The best offensive players are going to have the ball. I think the point guard situation will help Carmelo and help Amar’e because it gives them somebody to make plays.
“(Lin has) another weapon coming back. This is a great thing. Instead of passing the ball to a guy that’s a questionable shooter, he’s passing it to a guy that can shoot and score. … There will be no chemistry issue on offense whatsoever. Jeremy Lin’s a good point guard. He sets people up, and the fact that he can score makes him a better passer.”
From the sound of it, Boeheim feels more strongly about it than Anthony does. The questions about the two coexisting are as much a spotlight issue as they are an X’s and O’s concern. If Anthony can embrace the fact that the offense is going to run through Lin, the Knicks will be dangerous. If Boeheim’s prediction comes to fruition, the return of Anthony could make New York the best team in the Eastern Conference.
