Carmelo found timing of Jackson's ball-handling comments unnecessary
Carmelo Anthony doesn't want to start a holiday season Melo-drama, but he didn't understand the timing of New York Knicks president Phil Jackson's recent comments that he holds on to the ball too long.
"At the end of the day we're playing good basketball," Anthony said Friday, according to the New York Daily News' Stefan Bondy. "That's the only thing that matters at this point. So any negativity that's coming towards me or towards the team, I don't think we need it at this point."
According to Bondy, Anthony intimated Jackson's comments were the reason for two Instagram posts Thursday, preaching lack of ego and being unfazed by criticism.
"I didn't talk to him so I don't know where he was coming from with those comments," Anthony said. "If he wants to talk about it, cool. If he don't, cool. In my eyes it's over."
Jackson - who has been criticized for more than one thing he's said lately - told CBS Sports earlier this week that Anthony can slow down the Knicks' offense with "a tendency to hold it for three, four, five seconds, and then everybody comes to a stop."
The Knicks' loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday snapped a four-game winning streak, but New York has still won seven of its last 10. Since Nov. 20, they've been scoring about a point per 100 possessions better than their season average, but still have the worst net rating of any team currently in playoff position.
"I feel like we're playing good basketball, and just to have a temporary black cloud over our heads,” Anthony said. "I don't know when the comments were made or the gist of them, I just know something was said ... my conversations with management is limited at this point. I've decided to focus on what I focus on and let them focus on what they focus."
Anthony added that he is a big fan of quotes, likely the impetus for his Instagram statements.
"I'm a big quote guy so there's a million quotes in my phone," he said. "Sometimes it just pops up at the right time."
The Knicks kick off a five-game Western Conference road swing in Sacramento Friday night.