Phil Jackson: Carmelo Anthony can be Knicks' version of Michael Jordan
The latest version of the Phil Files is out at ESPN. You know what that means? More news on either ripping or hyping up one of his former or current players.
It seems like every time an edition of ESPN's series, a group of interviews published on delay in which a Jackson former assistant and current friend, Charley Rosen, is speaking with Phil about the Knicks, some news comes out—positive or negative.
This time, Phil is actually speaking well of one of his players: Carmelo Anthony.
Here's what Jackson had to say in what was essentially a series of scouting reports about most players on the team:
The Knicks' Jordan! Don't get to hyped up, though. I'm pretty sure he only means that in role, not skill set.
Anthony is obviously one of the best scorers in the NBA, assuming he's healthy after coming back from the knee surgery he had this past season. And his skill set actually does work well in the triangle. He could play multiple roles, as the go-to wing scorer or even as the distributor and scorer out of the high post who makes things happen from inside the three-point line. He's so talented on that level that he can facilitate scoring from everywhere. But we haven't seen it yet within Jackson's offense.
Maybe another year under the Knicks' current regime can show better things.
(h/t ESPN)
"He has an extensive rehab program [after undergoing left knee surgery] and he came back at full strength from a similar operation on his other leg. He's a quick healer so I don't expect him to be anything but 100 percent by training camp.
"Like Q, Melo is a leader by example, not by exhorting his teammates. He's also very into the triangle, and with a better supporting cast he has every chance to be the MJ and Kobe of our offense."
