Melo: I was in shape
Carmelo Anthony talks to the media as the Knicks clean out their lockers the day after being eliminated from the playoffs by Miami. (May 10, 2012) Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Carmelo Anthony agrees with Mike Woodson's offensive coaching philosophy but not his opinion about Anthony's physical condition.
Last week, Woodson said he needs to push Anthony to come back next season "in better shape." Anthony's conditioning has come up before and is a sore subject with him, as he showed Thursday.
"I think you guys looked at that a little bit too much, overanalyzed that," he said. "We all can come back in better shape, better condition.
"I'm not going against what coach Woodson said. But I felt like I was in phenomenal shape, especially coming down the stretch, late March, April, the whole month of April, even coming down to the playoffs."
It's up to Smith
J.R. Smith said he hasn't decided if he will pick up his $2.5-million player option for next season, but the New Jersey native said he doesn't want to go anywhere. "I wouldn't rather play anywhere else," he said. "This is my ultimate home."
Smith shot 31.6 percent from the field against the Heat, going 6-for-30 in the last two games. Some fans criticized him on Twitter, to which he responded, "Damn didn't know this many people didn't want me in #NY might just get what you asking for!" Smith said he was joking. "A lot of people was talking stuff on there," he said. "I was just messing there. It was nothing serious."
Novak hopes to be back
Steve Novak will check out the free-agent market after leading the NBA in three-point accuracy, but he hopes he can re-sign with the Knicks. Depending on what the Knicks do with their midlevel exception, they'll have only the roughly $1.8-million biannual exception to use.
"I would love to be back," Novak said. "What the market will bring and that kind of thing and what teams have will definitely be something myself and my family will have to look at. But there's no place I'd rather be than here."
Buzzer-beaters
Heat public-address announcer Michael Baiamonte apologized to Amar'e Stoudemire after saying he was "extinguished from the game" when he fouled out Wednesday night . . . Baron Davis had surgery to repair a torn right ACL and MCL and partially torn patella tendon . . . Tyson Chandler (left wrist) and Stoudemire (back) ruled out needing surgery this offseason.
