Talent a talking point for Carmelo

ByOhm Youngmisuk ESPN logo
Saturday, October 4, 2014

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Carmelo Anthony believes the triangle system will alleviate some of the pressure on him to carry the New York Knicks, but he admits he will have to wait until team president Phil Jackson can find the team more help.

While Anthony believes he will benefit from Jackson and coach Derek Fisher's system, the Knicks' star knows that this current roster can use more talent.

"For this season, right now, we have what we have," Anthony said when asked if he feels he has the help he is looking for. "We're going to deal with that. That was a big discussion with me and Phil -- that was one of my things."

During free agency, Anthony told Jackson that he wanted and needed help. Anthony spurned the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers to re-sign with the Knicks to the tune of five years, $124 million.

He put his trust in Jackson that the Knicks president will be able to find him more help when the team has cap space next summer.

"I didn't want to have to do it night in and night out," Anthony said. "I wanted some nights when somebody else can pick up the load. Right now, with the way we're playing [in training camp], I don't have to do everything. But we haven't played one game. ... So we'll see what happens."

Anthony does think that the triangle will help him win while alleviating the burden of carrying the load like he has in the past.

"It will be less pressure on me," Anthony said of playing in the system. "I can see that now in training camp. I feel that. I can see what we're able to do with the little bit of time we've been together this week. I see other guys' roles and how they're implemented into the system and what they're capable of doing.

"I think it'll be easier. It's still going to be a dogfight [this season], but I think it'll be a little bit easier where everybody is not keying in and focusing on me every single time down the court. Now you put the pressure on everybody else, have to guard their man and there's movement. It's a good thing."

Anthony does think the Knicks' current roster has enough power forwards and that he will play small forward this season in the triangle after playing a lot at the 4 in the last two seasons.

"We got too many," he said of the power forwards on the Knicks roster. "I don't need to go down there and battle. For what?

"If it comes down to it, I'll go back there, but I doubt it. They're going to move me down there. ... I think in this system more than anything playing on the wing is where I like to be -- playing in the post is where I like to be -- and the way we play we're all over the court, so you never know where you're going to get the ball."

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