Melo has zero interest in tanking

The Knicks may be headed for another lottery finish, but Carmelo Anthony would be far from pleased if New York attempted to improve its draft position by purposely losing games.

"As a player, you will always disagree with that, because we're the ones that are out there playing and trying to win basketball games," Anthony told Steve Popper of NorthJersey.com. "I think it's easier from the outside looking in, from a fan perspective, to say, 'OK, just tank or just lose games.'"

While the Knicks have yet to ask the 11-time All-Star to sit out, Anthony realizes it's a possibility, and said it would be tough if he was forced to rest to improve New York's lottery odds.

"I love to play and it would be hard for me knowing that I can play, just sitting out, watching the games," Anthony said. "That'll have to come from the organization. It's not something I would make a decision. I haven't even ever thought about that."

Having missed the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons, Anthony is beginning to forget what's it like to play postseason basketball - he hasn't played a meaningful game since the 2012-13 campaign.

"It seems odd," Anthony said. "Yeah, something that you know, when you sit back and think about it, it is something you miss. I miss it. It's something that I'd gotten used to throughout my career, just being there, giving myself a shot of at least seeing what can happen in the playoffs. I miss it. I miss it a lot, it's something that I think about."