Carmelo Anthony on Kristaps Porzingis: Nobody can come between us
By Tom West
Carmelo Anthony says nobody can come between him and Kristaps Porzingis, which is exactly what the New York Knicks need.
It didn’t take New York Knicks All-Star Carmelo Anthony long to be taken with his new rookie teammate Kristaps Porzingis. The 7’3″ power forward has gone above and beyond all expectations so far, and he’s transitioned from being the lanky Latvian guy, to put-back pro, to genuinely good player in a matter of weeks. Unsurprisingly, Melo is excited about this new partnership.
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports has reported Melo’s recent comments on Porzingis, and it’s clear how much he believes in their relationship and combined talent:
"“I know what we have as teammates. Nobody can come between us despite what anybody says. Nobody,” Anthony told Yahoo Sports."
Such a statement comes from ideas that Melo would be displeased with the idea of his team taking on such a big rookie project, as, to some, Porzingis looked like a player who was too far from developing into a good player to make an immediate difference. Anthony also discussed how fans treat players in New York, and how he wants to help Porzingis deal with the pressure he’ll face:
"“When things are going good, they put you way up there,” Anthony told Yahoo Sports. “When things are going bad, they kick the chair from underneath you. Those are experiences that he is going to have to go through. But if I can be there and be that guy who can grab him up and say everything is going to be all right, I’m going to do that …“I support him 100 percent. In New York they can run you in the ground with all that attention. I’m there to just let him know that when it’s good, it’s great.”"
“Nobody can come between us” may sound like the lyrics from an Adele song, but those strong words and the rest of Melo’s comments will do nothing but encourage and excite Knicks fans. Their franchise has lost all relevance recently, and that escalated even further last season as they recorded the fewest wins (17) in team history.
To emphasise their fall from grace even further, they went from 54 wins in 2012-13, to 37 in 2013-14, before hitting rock bottom last season. With that sudden collapse in mind, fans have every reason to get hyped about how well Porzingis (or Porzin-god, depending on how hyped you are) is playing right now.
Besides his incredibly soft touch from range for someone who’s 7’3″ and improved three point shot (35.4 percent), he’s shown incredible tenacity for crashing the boards and protecting the rim. He’s second among rookies in blocks (1.8) and rebounds (8.4) per game, and only narrowly loses out on 1st to Karl-Anthony Towns. The scoring and 20 points games is great too, but the defensive and physical element of his play has allowed him to prove all critics wrong.
An experienced veteran and elite scorer like Carmelo Anthony is a great player for Porzingis to study under as a 20 year-old rookie. From tips on how to post-up to advice on handling certain opponents, Melo can be a valuable tutor to the young big man.
Not only is this relationship what Porzingis needs, it’s also what the Knicks need. They may be better than a season ago, but the emergence of Kristaps as a future franchise player at both ends of the floor can help turn the team around to a far greater extent than anyone expected.