The 1.8 assists per game Anthony is averaging is deceptive. It illustrates why I long ago decided to trust what I 
see on the court over what I see in the box score. If “hockey assists” were an official NBA statistic, Anthony would be near the top. For proof, look no further than J.R. Smith’s go-ahead basket Thursday night.
The Knicks trailed by 12 points in the fourth quarter and Anthony had a poor shooting night. With less than two minutes remaining and the Spurs ahead by a point, Anthony – who hadn’t made a basket in the entire quarter – received a Jason Kidd pass behind the 3-point line.
At that moment, his instinct was probably to shoot. What better way to redeem a poor shooting night than to make the go-ahead basket? Instead, Anthony pump-faked, drove the lane, and found Felton on the box. Once the defense collapsed on Felton, he found a wide-open Smith for a 3-pointer, and the Knicks didn’t look back.
Anthony’s two decisions – the first to not shoot, the second to pass to Felton – don’t show up in the box score. But without that play, the Knicks probably don’t win. If you want to really see Anthony’s contribution to the Knicks’ best start in about 20 years, you’ve gotta look past the numbers. Coming into this season, he’s spoken about trusting his teammates and making a difference in areas other than scoring.
So far, so good.
For the Knicks, I expected Kidd to be good and I expected Felton to seek redemption. Under Mike Woodson, I expected them to continue to be a good defensive team.
But I didn’t expect Brewer to be such a vital cog or Wallace to play many meaningful minutes. And I certainly didn’t expect Anthony – a guy who’s been a better player despite being statistically poorer in some areas – to emerge as a basketball paradox.
I also didn’t expect the Knicks to start out 6-0 and I certainly didn’t expect a win in San Antonio on Thursday night, especially after they fell behind by double digits in the final period.
But with this team and its depth and this Carmelo Anthony, I may need to revise my expectations.
I guarantee you, after Thursday night’s win, the rest of the NBA’s media circuit has.
Moke Hamilton is a Senior NBA Columnist for SheridanHoops.com whose columns appear here on Fridays. Follow him on Twitter: @MokeHamilton.
Great read Moke. The Knicks seem focused and ready. It’s a good mix of veteran leadership and youthful hunger. Looking forward to a great season.
Excellent, razor sharp on point article. My first read of Moke.