Phil Jackson says triangle will make Carmelo Anthony better but 'the ball can't stop'

The New York Knicks expect to improve in 2014-15.

Part of the reasoning is simple regression: based on talent, the Knicks probably weren't as bad as their 2013-14 record would indicate. Far more of it has to due with optimism from a deeper roster, coupled with a new system being put in place by head coach Derek Fisher and president of basketball operations Phil Jackson.

Namely, the team is expected to employ elements of the triangle offense, a system that should be beneficial for Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony. He'll likely see a boost in his assist numbers if he embraces the philosophy, and his scoring should at least be easier - if not necessarily more efficient - with more players in the mix on offense.

Jackson told the New York Post in an interview published Wednesday that, while Anthony should benefit, it could be an adjustment. Specifically, Anthony has to keep the ball moving more than he may be accustomed to:

It’ll give him opportunity to be a passer, a rebounder, and probably easier spots to score from than he’s had before. I think. I hope that’s true for a lot of the players.
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The attempt to score, the need to score, the pressure that he feels he has to score. … Does he take away from the team game? That’s what Danny’s talking about there. And that’s where Carmelo’s gonna move forward this year in that situation - the ball can’t stop. The ball has to continually move. It moves, or goes to the hoop on a shot or a drive or something like that. In our offense, that’s part of the process of getting players to play in that rhythm.

Anthony isn't necessarily a ball-hog, but his assist numbers pale compared to some other high-usage scorers. He's averaged 3.1 assists for his career and 3.1 assists over the last three seasons, but his 16.6 percent assist rate during those three years doesn't quite keep up with his 33.3 percent usage rate.

That can change - Kobe Bryant saw his assist rate spike in Jackson's first year with the Los Angeles Lakers, though that may have been natural development - but it's on Anthony to trust his teammates a bit more than he has the past few seasons. If he can do that, and his teammates reward his efforts, the Knicks offense may no longer be cause for sarcasm.