<
        >

          New York Knicks

          Burning Q's: Who has the most pressure?

          Without a Robin by his side, can Carmelo Anthony make Phil and Fisher's dream come true? Getty Images
          • Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN Staff WriterSep 15, 2014, 11:47 AM ET
            Close
              Ohm Youngmisuk has covered the Giants, Jets and the NFL since 2006. Prior to that, he covered the Nets, Knicks and the NBA for nearly a decade. He joined ESPNNewYork.com after working at the New York Daily News for almost 12 years and is a graduate of Michigan State University.
              Follow him on Twitter »  Ohm's chat archive »
            Follow on X

          With training camp a few weeks away, we’re examining the burning questions facing the New York Knicks.

          Today’s question: Who has the most pressure on him?

          You could say it’s Phil Jackson, who is being paid a fortune to turn the Knicks around. Or you could say it’s Derek Fisher, who is coaching for the first time in his life and is also being paid millions to get the Knicks back to the playoffs.

          Without a doubt, those two will have pressure on them. But the one Knick with the most pressure is Carmelo Anthony. And there are more than 124 million reasons why.

          Anthony was the center of NBA free agency this past summer. The Knicks had to sweat it out before Anthony spurned the Bulls, Rockets, Lakers and Mavs to re-sign with the Knicks to the tune of $124 million.

          While he did take $5 million less than the max to give Jackson a helping hand with the cap situation in the future, Anthony will shoulder the maximum amount of pressure as long as he’s a Knick.

          Jackson has to build the entire franchise around Anthony. And whatever pieces Jackson surrounds Anthony with, the franchise star will have to make it work.

          Carmelo not only has to adapt to the triangle and perhaps make some sacrifices to his individual game, but he also has to find a way to make his teammates better.

          He has the pressure of trying to follow in the footsteps of great individual scorers who had success with Phil such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Anthony has to make alterations to his game and sacrifice for the team -- a Jackson must. All the while, Anthony has to do this while helping Fisher transition into coaching.

          Sure, the pressure on Anthony won't be as great this season as it will be in the future because the Knicks aren't going to contend this season. They can and should make the playoffs. But they aren't built to win the East right now. Not yet anyway.

          But if Jackson is able to add another star or two very good complementary pieces, all the pressure will be on Anthony. He won’t have any excuses if Jackson can somehow find him the necessary reinforcements to contend with LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving for the future.

          And let’s say that Jackson isn’t able to get two stars to join Anthony. The pressure is still on Melo. After all, the Knicks signed him for $124 million. Instead of just trying to rebuild completely, the Knicks kept Anthony to keep the Garden packed and to stay in contention. He’ll have to shoulder the load and keep the Knicks relevant.

          That’s just what comes with the territory of being a superstar making basically max money.

          Let’s face it: Anthony could have left for Chicago for a greater chance at winning it all. He opted to stay in New York. He bought into Phil’s plan. He will make a lot of Jim Dolan’s money.

          Melo is at a critical juncture in his career. At 30, Anthony has to show that he can be more than just a great scorer.

          The pressure is on Anthony to prove he can win and be the player Phil wants him to be, not to mention the pressure of delivering for 124 million other reasons.

          Question: Which Knick do you think has the most pressure on him?