Carmelo Anthony made his return to the New York Knicks lineup on Monday night, but he wasn't able to do enough to stop the New Jersey Nets from leaving Madison Square Garden with a victory. Melo's most interesting contributions came after the game, however, while talking about Jeremy Lin.
Nets Vs. Knicks: Carmelo Anthony Wants Jeremy Lin To Have The Ball
Lin and Melo haven’t played together much since the point guard burst onto the scene, but the Knicks’ All-Star made it clear after the game to Sports Illustrated’s Ben Glicksman that he wants Lin running the offense ... for the most part.
“I want Jeremy to have the ball,” he said. “I want him to create for me. I want him to create for Amar’e. There are gonna be times where I’m the distributor, but for the most part, I want Jeremy having the ball in his hands.”
Those comments likely came after reporters asked Anthony whether he was disappointed with his role in Monday’s loss, considering he scored just 11 points (on 11 shots) and turned the ball over six times in 37 minutes of playing time. Melo’s lack of shots weren’t necessarily Lin’s fault, however, as the point guard dished nine assists to go with 21 points -- though his 18 shot attempts led the Knicks in the category.
It'll be interesting to see if Anthony keeps the same attitude if losses begin to pile up, but, as of now, it seems he's okay with his role in Jeremy Lin's offense.
For more on these two teams, visit Knicks blog Posting and Toasting and Nets Daily. Also be sure to check out SB Nation New York and our very own Lin stream.
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