Please! The debate ends here: Carmelo Anthony or Kristaps Porzingis?
For more than 50 years, there has always been a pecking order on NBA rosters. There was no ambiguity that Bill Russell was the central figure of the Boston Celtics with his 11 NBA titles.
From 1956 through 1969, the list of Hall of Famers that contributed to the Celtics’ unprecedented success is staggering. Ditto for the Celtics of the 1980s, featuring Larry Bird, as well as the 1980s Lakers anchored by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson.
An analysis of the current NBA landscape reveals only two teams, the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs, that remotely resemble the aforementioned iconic crews and cohesive units with several multi-skilled, high-level performers. But in today’s NBA, it is trendy for fans and media alike to argue the question, “Who is the man?” on a particular team. So it not surprising, as ridiculous as it may be, that a debate has already ensued considering whether the Knicks are Anthony’s team or Porzingas’? Let’s end the discussion on this page now.
While Porzingas, winner of the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month Award for November, shows immense promise, Anthony remains the Knicks’ best player, as evidenced by his performance last Saturday night in Portland, hitting 13 of his 21 shots for 37 points, carrying the Knicks to a much-needed 112-110 victory over the Trailblazers and ending their four-game losing streak in the last game of a three-game West Coast road trip.
The Knicks returned home to the Garden last night (Wednesday) to face the Minnesota Timberwolves with a record of 11-14. With the Philadelphia 76ers on the road tomorrow and the Chicago Bulls at the Garden Saturday, the Knicks are on a winning pace well ahead of their 17-65 mark a season ago.
It’s likely in the seasons ahead Porzingas will indeed be the centerpiece of the Knicks. Today though, Anthony is the team’s best hope for immediate success.
