Carmelo Anthony isn’t having the best season. The New York Knicks aren’t in playoff contention and he’s currently averaging 21.5 points per game, his lowest average since his rookie season. And this missed dunk:
has everyone wondering whether the explosive player we knew and loved is over and done with. Apparently, his teammates understand why their teammate and leader has been frustrated as of late.
Rookie Kristaps Porzingis and Robin Lopez spoke to the New York Post in defense of their teammate.
From the New York Post:
“Melo is in a very different spot than any of us can really imagine,” said center Robin Lopez. “There are times on the floor where we’re putting a lot of pressure on him. We need him to do a lot of the heavy lifting for us.
“He’s in the spotlight in terms of the media and he’s the No. 1 guy on our roster,” Lopez said. “That’s a burden I couldn’t even imagine, so you really have to realize he’s going through something totally different than the rest of us.”
Porzingis also chimed in.
“Of course it’s difficult [to see]. You feel bad for your leader,” Porzingis said. “He’s been doing everything for us. He’s been scoring, he’s been rebounding, he’s been playing really good and we want to step up and play at his level and we want to help him win games.
It really sucks to lose in front of our fans. We want to win games. We’re giving 100 percent,” Porzingis said. “I feel bad for Carmelo. He’s doing everything for us. We all have to step it up and play at his level. He’s been a great leader. We need to step it up.”
