Derek Fisher’s Strategy: Play Carmelo Anthony Less

The New York Knicks are seeing the minutes of their superstar player Carmelo Anthony being reduced. It is only a slight drop off, but it appears to be working.

First year head coach Derek Fisher is taking a page out of the old “more is less” help book; playing star SF Carmelo Anthony and it is working. The 5 time NBA champion knows a little something about winning basketball, so it is not really much of a surprise when you think about it.

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Anthony, 30, is still very much in the prime of his NBA career. On Sunday night, he became just the 40th player in league history to notch 20,000 career points. The hallmark of his ability is his scoring prowess, and he has built up a reputation throughout his playing days as one of the better closers in the sport.

The is where the motivation appears to lie with Fisher. By reducing the average playing time of Anthony from 38.7 last season to 32.6 this year (the 34.5 MPG within the past 2 games is more indicative of what to expect), the team appears to be getting a higher level of efficiency from their leading man.

Specifically, we can take a look at the fourth quarter. Last season, Melo shot just 38 percent on an average time of 8:30. This year, he is at 54.5 percent, and it is coming on a full minute less playing time. What does this mean; closer games? Yes. It also makes for a fresher Anthony, which is what keeps the Knicks competitive late in games. It is a little too early to tell, but the team is playing effectively thus far; with a 2-1 start, including a victory in LeBron James’s Cleveland homecoming. That game, Melo knocked down a game winner in the closing moments.

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