Carmelo Anthony admits change will be hard

At Carmelo Anthony’s official introduction at Madison Square Garden last night, the 26-year-old forward saw one tiger-patterned sport jacket (that of Walt “Clyde” Frazier), a lineup of 21 cameras, and the expectant faces of more than 200 reporters and Knicks guests and officials.

Amid the charged atmosphere prior to his Knicks debut, Anthony offered a realistic appraisal of what Monday’s 13-player trade, which brought him and Chauncey Billups from Denver, means for the Knicks.

“I’m ready to do business right now,” Anthony said before the Knicks hosted Milwaukee last night.

While his delight at a union with Amar’e Stoudemire was evident (together, their scoring average is 51.3), he promised no championships for franchise that hasn’t celebrated one since 1973.

“We’re going to lose some games due to the lack of chemistry,” Anthony said (the Knicks are currently the East’s sixth playoff seed).

Chauncey Billups, the 34-year-old point guard who will replace the departed Raymond Felton, accepted the job of bringing the new group together, but stressed its degree of difficulty.

“For me, as a point guard, my job is probably the hardest,” said Billups, a Denver native who said he was reluctant to leave his family behind but was ready for “a difficult challenge.”