New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony claimed that he is being overlooked in the NBA, while coach Derek Fisher wants his team to focus on defense next season, NY Knicks roster & rumors update indicated.
Anthony is considered as one of the biggest stars in the NBA, but the 30-year-old said that he is the "most underrated" superstar in the league, but he is not losing sleep about it.
"I think I'm the most underrated superstar that's out there, but that doesn't matter to me," Anthony said via ESPN.
The All-Star forward reiterated in the NY Knicks roster & rumors news that he is not bothered by criticism against him for failing to lead his team to success over the past several years.
Most analysts believe that Anthony is not in the same level as Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James and Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant, who are considered as the top two players in the league.
James has already won two NBA titles in five final appearances, while Durant has reached the final and was named MVP once in his career. Anthony, on the other hand, has only advanced past the second round of the playoffs once in his career, but he is still convinced that he is in the same class as James and Durant.
"I know what I'm capable of doing. I know the grind and the hard work I put in to this," Anthony said. "I know how consistent I've been over my career. To do it day in and day out and night in and night out on a very consistent basis year in year out, I know what I can do."
Meanwhile, Fisher, who will be coaching in his first season in the league, expects the Knicks to improve in the upcoming 2014-15 NBA season.
In his first practice session with the squad on Tuesday, all eyes were on how he will introduce the vaunted triangle offense, but Fisher focused on their defensive sets instead.
"There will be a lot of talk about who we are offensively and what we're trying to do on the offensive end in terms of running the triangle. But defense is the anchor," Fisher said via NY Daily News. "That's the foundation to all good and great teams."
The Knicks, who will be entering in their first full season under Fisher and new team president Phil Jackson, failed to advance to the playoffs last season after finishing with a 37-45 regular-season record.
