Carmelo Anthony: We've got to keep believing

Carmelo Anthony wasn't naïve enough to believe just because Phil Jackson was calling the shots that the Knicks would be immediate contenders.

That doesn't mean Anthony expected them to be 2-6.

From the start of training camp, Anthony said he would have to be patient with the system. He's maintaining that same attitude with the Knicks mired in a five-game losing streak.

"I knew there would be some struggles just trying to figure everything out, everybody as a whole," Anthony said after practice Tuesday. "That's why I feel very optimistic, very positive about where we're headed and where we're going right now."

Anthony rejected ready-made playoff teams such as Chicago, Houston and Dallas in free agency and re-signed with the Knicks for five years and $124 million, so he has to be patient. The Knicks hope to make a big splash next summer when they're well under the salary cap.

That's a long way away. Right now the Knicks, who can end their skid Wednesday night when the Magic visits the Garden, have to try to get comfortable with the triangle offense and commit to playing good team defense. "I can sit and say, 'Hey, it's only seven, eight games into the season, it's early,' " Anthony said. "Or, I can say, 'Hey, it's going to get better. I know it's going to get better. We've got to keep believing. We've got to keep having faith in it. We've got to stay positive and keep working at it.' Because we can easily just let this loom over our heads."

Jackson said before Monday's game the team is making progress. The Knicks liked their defensive effort in the loss to Atlanta. But Derek Fisher wants to see the Knicks attack the basket more and get to the foul line. They have taken 96 fewer free throws than their opponents, an average of 12 a game.

Fisher has mentioned several times how the Knicks opened up against mostly playoff teams from last year. Six of their first eight opponents were in the postseason.

Tonight begins a stretch when they face six straight teams who failed to make the playoffs, and five of them had worse records than the Knicks.

"We've put together some solid performances against some good teams that already know who they are, that haven't had the change that we're going through," Fisher said. "We still believe we're not as far away as it seems right now."

"We're not getting the wins. It's still very early. We know for a fact that we're going to get better, and we're going to start to win some of these games."

But while they're going through this, Anthony said it's important for himself and other Knicks veterans to keep the young players' heads up.

"Hopefully in March and April," Anthony said, "we'll be looking back at this and saying we kind of needed that to get where we want."

Trying harder

After Monday’s loss, Tim Hardaway Jr. opened some eyes with this statement: “We’re out there trying. It’s not like last year. This year, we’re actually out there trying to give it our all.”

That remark was viewed by some as a knock at former coach Mike Woodson and an indictment to the team as a whole.

Hardaway Jr. later said he “misspoke” via his Twitter account: “To all Knicks fans I apologize I misspoke my words tonight. Every yr is a hard fought yr and we will continue to fight every game.”

Buzzer beaters

Anthony and his Foundation provided 800 families in Harlem with a 25-pound box of food and 10-pound box of personal care items Tuesday.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.