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Kenyon Martin watched the New York Knicks' horrific 17-win season unfold from afar.

And the more the Knicks lost, the worse Martin felt for Carmelo Anthony.

Martin played eight-plus seasons alongside Anthony in Denver and New York, and he knows his former teammate isn't built for rebuilding.

"I feel bad for him," said Martin, who recently looked back on his career with ESPN.com. "He cares and wants to win and to be put in a situation like that with that kind of talent, he don't deserve to be a part of a rebuilding process by any stretch of the imagination."

Shortly after the Knicks drafted 19-year-old Latvian Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth overall pick, Anthony expressed displeasure about Phil Jackson's pick in a phone conversation with Tim Hardaway Jr., sources confirmed to ESPN. The conversation was first reported by the New York Daily News.

Hardaway Jr. was traded on draft night to pick Notre Dame point guard Jerian Grant. Anthony later expressed excitement over seeing what Porzingis can do.

Still, Anthony is so far removed from the first season he and Martin were reunited in New York late in 2012-13. The Knicks won 54 games before losing in the Eastern Conference semifinals to Indiana that season. The following season, the Knicks won just 37 games. Jackson was hired and the team was stripped down with Tyson Chandler, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Amar'e Stoudemire all moving on last year.

Anthony re-signed with the Knicks for $124 million over five years last summer and his first season of the new contract was a disaster, ending with a left knee surgery.

This offseason, the Knicks added complementary pieces such as Robin Lopez and Arron Afflalo around Anthony in free agency but did not land any big-name impact players to help their franchise player.

"I hope they can get it together for him this year," Martin said. "Because you can let go and sit back and be quiet about it."

As for those who say Anthony is not a winning-type of star to build around, Martin defended his former teammate.

"Everybody has an opinion," Martin said. "Everybody got one and they all stink. I think I have spent the most time of anybody on one team (with Anthony). We spent like eight years of our careers together. He wants to win. One of the most competitive people I have been around.

"I was having a conversation with a few people the other day about going to the NBA is all about having dog in you and who has got that dog in him. And our list is very, very short. But he's on it. It's in him. He wants to win. The situation hasn't been ideal, but I hope they get it together."

CharlesOakley wrote:Who cares? He chose New York. He signed up for a rebuild unless he thought an unknown superstar was coming through the door to play second fiddle to him. What did he think was going to happen? He wanted out of Denver and to play for the Knicks. There has never been any evidence that we were a well-run or talented team before he got here or after he got here. If I took a job to work at a horrible company I shouldn't complain when I'm not happy with my career.

NoLayupRule wrote:its true

he deserves to compete for a title every year

so do we as fans


as was noted in the Times yesterday the biggest chance he had to compete for a championship and be on the knicks when when he forced the trade from Den


Had he said ill sign in NY no matter what then we wouldn't have been forced to compete with BK/NJ to get him and thereby give up so much asset. A problem we've been walking back from ever since

this was on him in large part


he's been a good soldier his whole time here unlike so many other super stars elsewhere who never shut their complaining and threatening up

but he's in part to blame for the mess

in part

Damas wrote:

CharlesOakley wrote:Who cares? He chose New York. He signed up for a rebuild unless he thought an unknown superstar was coming through the door to play second fiddle to him. What did he think was going to happen? He wanted out of Denver and to play for the Knicks. There has never been any evidence that we were a well-run or talented team before he got here or after he got here. If I took a job to work at a horrible company I shouldn't complain when I'm not happy with my career.

Now hold on. When he got there, Amare was playing at an MVP level and so Melo had expectations that the team would be solid.

No one would predict the failures that the Knicks would have. Melo does not deserve this crap and he certainly doesn't deserve his best basketball years wasted on a terrible team that might or might not scrap by into the playoffs and then get destroyed by the Cavs.

Besides that one excellent season we had, wtf has the Knicks done to allow Melo to play for a chip?

The answer is nada, zilch, nothing.

DE FENSE wrote:We're finally on the right path to building the right kind of team and now everyone wants to bitch non-stop about it.

Clyde_Style wrote:

Damas wrote:

CharlesOakley wrote:Who cares? He chose New York. He signed up for a rebuild unless he thought an unknown superstar was coming through the door to play second fiddle to him. What did he think was going to happen? He wanted out of Denver and to play for the Knicks. There has never been any evidence that we were a well-run or talented team before he got here or after he got here. If I took a job to work at a horrible company I shouldn't complain when I'm not happy with my career.

Now hold on. When he got there, Amare was playing at an MVP level and so Melo had expectations that the team would be solid.

No one would predict the failures that the Knicks would have. Melo does not deserve this crap and he certainly doesn't deserve his best basketball years wasted on a terrible team that might or might not scrap by into the playoffs and then get destroyed by the Cavs.

Besides that one excellent season we had, wtf has the Knicks done to allow Melo to play for a chip?

The answer is nada, zilch, nothing.

Your response is not surprising. A couple of days ago I started reading the beginning of the original KP Drafted thread. You were one of the first to respond with this:

"One of the worst picks in franchise history. This set us back from any potential come up in the East.

Phil Jackson is trash. **** this team."

You're not down with what Phil did this off-season obviously. You immediately concluded Porzingis is a bust and we're doomed.

denterprise wrote:Melo came into this situation with his eyes wide open. If he did not want to be part of a rebuilding team he should have left last summer. If he wants out he needs to speak now or forever hold his peace.

Clyde_Style wrote:

Damas wrote:

CharlesOakley wrote:Who cares? He chose New York. He signed up for a rebuild unless he thought an unknown superstar was coming through the door to play second fiddle to him. What did he think was going to happen? He wanted out of Denver and to play for the Knicks. There has never been any evidence that we were a well-run or talented team before he got here or after he got here. If I took a job to work at a horrible company I shouldn't complain when I'm not happy with my career.

Now hold on. When he got there, Amare was playing at an MVP level and so Melo had expectations that the team would be solid.

No one would predict the failures that the Knicks would have. Melo does not deserve this crap and he certainly doesn't deserve his best basketball years wasted on a terrible team that might or might not scrap by into the playoffs and then get destroyed by the Cavs.

Besides that one excellent season we had, wtf has the Knicks done to allow Melo to play for a chip?

The answer is nada, zilch, nothing.

Your response is not surprising. A couple of days ago I started reading the beginning of the original KP Drafted thread. You were one of the first to respond with this:

"One of the worst picks in franchise history. This set us back from any potential come up in the East.

Phil Jackson is trash. **** this team."

You're not down with what Phil did this off-season obviously. You immediately concluded Porzingis is a bust and we're doomed.

Damas wrote:Now hold on. When he got there, Amare was playing at an MVP level and so Melo had expectations that the team would be solid.

No one would predict the failures that the Knicks would have.

Marty McFly wrote:

NoLayupRule wrote:its true

he deserves to compete for a title every year

so do we as fans


as was noted in the Times yesterday the biggest chance he had to compete for a championship and be on the knicks when when he forced the trade from Den


Had he said ill sign in NY no matter what then we wouldn't have been forced to compete with BK/NJ to get him and thereby give up so much asset. A problem we've been walking back from ever since

this was on him in large part


he's been a good soldier his whole time here unlike so many other super stars elsewhere who never shut their complaining and threatening up

but he's in part to blame for the mess

in part

or, he could have just signed outright. that supporting cast would have atleast gotten him to the ecf.

Damas wrote:

Clyde_Style wrote:

Damas wrote:
Now hold on. When he got there, Amare was playing at an MVP level and so Melo had expectations that the team would be solid.

No one would predict the failures that the Knicks would have. Melo does not deserve this crap and he certainly doesn't deserve his best basketball years wasted on a terrible team that might or might not scrap by into the playoffs and then get destroyed by the Cavs.

Besides that one excellent season we had, wtf has the Knicks done to allow Melo to play for a chip?

The answer is nada, zilch, nothing.

Your response is not surprising. A couple of days ago I started reading the beginning of the original KP Drafted thread. You were one of the first to respond with this:

"One of the worst picks in franchise history. This set us back from any potential come up in the East.

Phil Jackson is trash. **** this team."

You're not down with what Phil did this off-season obviously. You immediately concluded Porzingis is a bust and we're doomed.

I wanted Mudiay. Plain and simple.

Until Porzingis produces, I will stand by my statements. This isn't the Lakers or Spurs where young players can flourish, this is the Knicks.

The same Knicks that seen Shumpert erode into a crap player and the same Knicks that degraded THJR into a scrub. Remember all the hubba about those two? The countless threads about their potential and how amazing they were going to be? I can gladly scroll back and enjoy those threads for the joke that they were.

So miss me with the optimistic crap. We could have had our point guard for the future but instead chose a skinny power forward who shoots 3s. What more needs to be said?

Melo is wasting his prime here and I completely agree with Martin.