The New York Knicks are always in turmoil as long as they keep losing, and Carmelo Anthony will always be in the center of that storm.
The superstar from Syracuse has been thrust in the NBA rumor mill which stated that he is displeased with the offseason moves of Phil Jackson and his team and will eventually demand a trade out of New York. He spoke to ESPN to vehemently deny these.
"I never said that s---. Whatever rumors that you guys heard about me or about Phil [Jackson], about Porzingis, about anybody -- it's all false."
The reports stated that one of the issues was the Knicks opting to draft Kristaps Porzingis. This was not well-received by New York fans, but Melo claims he's not part of that bandwagon. He actually likes Porzingis.
"He's a down-to-earth guy, a humble guy," Anthony said. "You can tell that he's got a chip on his shoulder, which I love that. ... You kind of have to have that being in New York."
Melo understands the situation in New York and he explains: "When you look at the draft, you want somebody that you can develop right away. Porzingis is a guy who has some upside to him. Did we get one of the top three [draft picks]? No, we didn't get one of the top three. Whoever we drafted, it was going to be an issue anyway. That's just what happens in New York and the draft."
Anthony also assessed the free agent signings in the same manner. They did not get the big names, but they got very good pieces. He made special mention to Arron Afflalo, his teammate in Denver as well as Derrick Williams, whom Anthony wants to "get right."
All is well in Madison Square Garden, for now.