Exclusive: Carmelo Anthony on the Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns’ Inconsistency and LeBron James

Carmelo Anthony’s Legacy With the New York Knicks

Carmelo Anthony's most notable tenure during his 19-year NBA career may have been with his hometown New York Knicks.

It was during his stint with the Knicks that Anthony won the lone scoring title of his career during the 2012-13 season (28.7 points per game), a year in which he led New York to their first playoff series win since the 1999-00 season.

He also led the Knicks back to prominence, leading them to their first playoff appearance in seven seasons during the 2010-11 season and three straight playoff berths in the process.

Anthony played seven seasons in New York, clinching two All-NBA bids and his last six All-Star appearances in the process.

The Knicks’ Current Rise in the Eastern Conference

Fast forward to the present day and the Knicks are making noise in the Eastern Conference, led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. New York is looking to advance to its first NBA Finals since 2000 after advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals last year.

Anthony gave his thoughts on the Knicks, the MVP race, the Lakers and more in this exclusive interview with Casino Guru News.

Carmelo Anthony on the Knicks’ Recent Form

Q: I want to get your thoughts on your former team in the Knicks, one of the top three teams in the East right now. What are you seeing from them?

Carmelo Anthony: "Over the past month or so, the Knicks are one of the best teams in the NBA, one of the top three or four teams in the NBA, and they've been doing it defensively. They're right in position, and I'm excited to see what they're going to do towards the end of the season, because what Detroit is doing and Boston, those two are at the top of the East. Then you have Cleveland and New York right there, too, that's lingering around. Those four teams in the East, man, it's tough. I'm interested to see the Knicks and what they're about to do to gear up towards the end of this season."

What the Knicks Need to Do to Win the East

Q: I want to get your thoughts as far as what the Knicks need to do, because the Pistons have been the favorites in the East all season long. What do they need to do to get over them, get over the Celtics and hold off the Cavs? Where do you rank them in the East hierarchy right now?

Anthony: "The (standings) say it's Detroit, Boston, Knicks, Cleveland, right? But when you really think about it, the market says Cleveland is number one. But they're fourth in the East. So it depends on where you want to go. I just want the Knicks to -- right now they're in third -- continue to get better, continue to get healthy, continue to tighten some things up, as far as on the defensive end, on the offensive end. Simplify the game a little bit more. Let's lace them up and let's see what happens."

Karl-Anthony Towns and the Pressure of Playing in New York

Q: Gotcha, so health and defense are key. I want to get your thoughts on how tough it is playing in New York. You know how the media can be, how the fans can be. There's some criticism that surrounds Karl-Anthony Towns. I want to get your thoughts on some of the criticism he faces.

Anthony: "To me, it is what it is, right? Some days you're great, some days you're not. I think what everybody wants from KAT, it's consistency, right? That's what I see with a lot of the narratives around him, it's just consistency. I think people want to see that, fans of the game want to see that. Fans of him want to see just a little bit more consistency. But I don't think KAT is worried about any of it. I think he understands that we got to gear up and we gotta be ready come playoffs. Because once the playoffs hit, it's 0-0 now, and there's no excuses at that point."

Why Consistency From KAT Could Raise the Knicks’ Ceiling

Q: Like you said, consistency is key. If KAT shows that consistency, then that's kind of the key thing as far as getting the Knicks over the hump?

Anthony: "Absolutely, KAT playing at that level on a consistent basis, it definitely enhances the Knicks' ceiling. I’ll tell you that it raises the ceiling."

Anthony’s Relationship With Karl-Anthony Towns

Q: Out of curiosity, do you talk to KAT at all? I know you're in the media and whatnot, but do you have a relationship with him? Have you given him any advice?

Anthony: "Yeah, I talk to KAT when I see him. I talk to him, I communicate with him. That's why I know he understands what this is and what's happening. For him, it's just keeping his mind strong and keeping his confidence, and keeping his toughness going on out there for that team."

Carmelo Anthony’s Thoughts on the NBA MVP Race

Q: Where would you rank Nikola Jokic right now in the MVP race? I'm guessing top two with Shai-Gilgeous Alexander?

Anthony: "Shai is there, Shai will be still in the lead. But you also got Jalen Brown too. You also got Cade Cunningham, who's right there. This MVP race is a lot tighter than previous years, because you also have to take in consideration injuries and games missed. I don't care about the 65-game mark. We know who's the MVP when we see the MVP. The players know who's the MVP. To me that's the group right there. It's a tight race."

Q: Basically like you're saying, it's a wide open race -- there's no clear-cut favorite right now?

Anthony: "There's no clear cut favorite right now, but Shai would be in the lead."

Anthony on the Lakers, LeBron James and the Luka Pairing

Q: Thoughts on one of your former teams, the Lakers, and your good buddy, LeBron James? They're hanging around in sixth place in the Western Conference. There's a lot of talk about the Luka-LeBron pairing and how it maybe is not working to its potential.

Anthony: "When the playoffs come, it's time to get to it at that point. They're still figuring it out. JJ Redick is still trying to figure out different lineups out there, different matchups, who to play with, what to do with what? It's an ongoing kind of puzzle that JJ has to figure out once they get to the postseason.

"Health for them is the key. Nothing else. It's really health for them, because they really feel like they can compete with anybody that's out there in the NBA when healthy. In the seven-game series, the game slows down and the stars have to be the stars. That's what puts the Lakers as a scary opponent too."

LeBron James as the Lakers’ Third Scoring Option

Q: LeBron is obviously playing the third scoring option for the first time in his career. Do you believe that could work in the playoffs with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and then LeBron in that position and go far in the playoffs? Is it possible?

Anthony: "Absolutely. LeBron is one of the greatest basketball players ever who has played this game. He's going to adapt to whatever the situation is. I think people put a lot on that, but he's going to adapt to whatever the situation is. He knows Luka has to lead that team. He knows Austin Reaves' part, that he has to step up and be that second guy. So (LeBron) as your third option is not a bad thing going into the playoffs."