The player and team that could use some good news finally received a bit, with an assist from the commissioner.
Carmelo Anthony is going to Sunday’s All-Star Game as the replacement for Kevin Love, who’s on the mend from knee surgery. Adam Silver elevated Anthony to the East team, ahead of players such as Hassan Whiteside of the Heat. It’s the 10th appearance in the game for Anthony, who’s averaging 23.2 points for a Knicks’ squad that may not have Anthony when the season resumes following the break.
For the last few weeks, Anthony and the Knicks have lived an uneasy existence partly due to perceived slights from team president Phil Jackson toward Anthony. There are rumblings about Anthony being on the trade block, and the deadline is a week from Thursday, although any trade must be approved by Anthony because he holds a no-trade clause.
The Knicks began Wednesday night sitting 10 games under .500 and on the outside of the playoff bubble in the East. There were higher expectations for the Knicks this season with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah joining the team along with new coach Jeff Hornacek.
But even in a conference that’s not terribly competitive, the Knicks have failed to gain any traction.
The good news is Anthony once again is an All-Star and a second-half surge could put the Knicks in playoff contention; they were 3 1/2 games out before Wednesday’s games.
