Carmelo Anthony wants to manage expectations for teammate Kristaps Porzingis.
Melo thinks the pressure on Young Taps to be great is far too great, and premature.
Carmelo Anthony wants to pump the brakes on the Porzingis expectations https://t.co/DukbY8lEVq
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) October 17, 2016
Anthony, 32, says the second-year stud needs time to develop.
Per the NY Daily News:
“It’s going to be a learning process. It’s a learning curve for him, too,” Anthony said. “Last year, no one knew what to expect from him. It was all new to everybody. This year he’s going to be a focal point in scouting reports and people are going to try to figure out ways how to stop him. So just a matter of being smarter and learning the game a little more maybe. He still don’t know the game that much. He’s still young. He’s a second-year player. I think you put too much pressure on him to be great so fast. I just want him to just to — give him an opportunity to grow as a player.”
“I understand his situation, I understand that the pressure that is put on him,” Anthony added, “because I feel I deal with those things.”
Teams were successful getting physical with Porzingis, shadowing him with Zach Randolph and Thaddeus Young. In Saturday’s preseason loss to the Celtics, he was guarded by high-motor 6-4 point guard Marcus Smart. […] “That’s one thing that I have to be ready for. They put him on me and soon as I got the ball, it was a double team,” said Porzingis, who was limited in practice Monday because of a groin strain but expects to play Wednesday at Boston. “So I don’t know if that’s what they’re going to do in the season but they tested it out during the preseason and I have to be ready for things like that, and I have to be ready to make plays not just for myself but for my teammates.”
