Jim Boeheim: Carmelo Anthony should have gone to Chicago Bulls, stayed because of Phil Jackson

As free agency began, it looked like New York Knicks’ forward Carmelo Anthony would be leaving for the Chicago Bulls. After visiting the Bulls, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers, he decided to re-sign with the Knicks.

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His college coach, Syracuse Orange head coach Jim Boeheim, believes he would have been better off in Chicago.

“Just from a basketball point of view it would have been better to go to Chicago because they’ve got better players,” Boeheim, who coached Anthony on Syracuse’s national championship team in 2003, said on Monday via Ian Begley of ESPN New York. “But he wanted to be in New York and he wants to see if they can turn it around there. I think that’s a great thing.”

Boeheim believes the hiring of Phil Jackson is why he stayed.

“I would think so. He stayed because he believes Phil,” Boeheim said. “Derek Fisher, he knows the game. If you’re going to pick a coach who hasn’t coached, he would be the guy I would pick. I think he’s a great choice. I talked to Derek a little bit. I think he’s really smart. I think he’ll be a really good coach. I think they’ll show significant improvement this year. If they get a couple of guys down the road, I think they’ll be good.”

Anthony put up 27.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game and shot 45.2% from the field, 40.2% from beyond the arc and 84.8% from the free throw line last season. In his 11-year career, Anthony has gone for 25.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 45.5% from the floor, 34.5% from beyond the arc and 81.1% from the charity stripe.

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