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Yahoo! Contributor NetworkDo Knicks Really Want ‘Melo Back? a Fan’s Take
The New York Knicks are surging. After starting out 8-15, they have won their last seven games to pull to .500 at 15-15. Without a doubt, this resurgence has been led by Jeremy Lin. He has led the team in scoring in five of those seven games, and had the most assists in each contest. There is little doubt among Knicks fans that Lin can lead this team to the playoffs, maybe even earning home court advantage in the first round if they continue this hot play.
These Knicks are very different than the Knicks that opened up the season on such a sour note. Lin shares the basketball, making his teammates better while creating open shots and easy lay-ups. While the Knicks haven't exactly been destroying teams, quality wins against the Lakers, Minnesota, and Utah all were important steps towards getting to where they want to be.
And now, the elephant in the room is what to do with Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks found that without Anthony, the offense flowed better and the ball was distributed to the right players at the right times. How will Mike D'Antoni adjust for Anthony's return?
New York is in an interesting position, and seeing how this plays out will tell us whether or not Carmelo Anthony can be a team player. George Karl in Denver made several comments earlier this year about his team being better without Carmelo, and the proof has been in the pudding in New York. While Lin might cool off, he has shown that he is an incredibly smart player with an ability to impact several aspects of the game. He is New York's favorite son right now, and Carmelo Anthony is going to find this Knicks team much different than the one he left a few weeks ago.
One thing is for certain: if the Knicks can't keep their winning ways after Carmelo returns to the lineup, a lot of questions are going to be asked. And when questions start getting asked, another Carmelo Anthony soap opera like we saw last year in Denver might be close behind.
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