Carmelo Anthony unsure of his role with Knicks

NEW YORK — Back in September, Carmelo Anthony was eager for this Knicks season to get started. After three straight campaigns of missing the playoffs, he believed things would finally be different.

“I don’t think there’s been this this type of excitement surrounding our team since I’ve been here,” Anthony said on media day.

On Wednesday night, Anthony stood in a silent Knicks locker room. He wasn’t trying very hard to hide his frustration.

“That was a long time ago,” Anthony said, when reminded of his preseason optimism.

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The Heat beat the Knicks, 105-88, on Wednesday night, eliminating New York from playoff contention. The team that started the season with such high hopes is done playing meaningful games, and it’s not even April yet.

Afterward, in a wide-ranging and convoluted interview, Anthony — who scored only nine points, zero before halftime — sounded fed up with the situation.

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He went through the full spectrum of emotions — anger, frustration, and even acceptance. He talked like a man who has had enough, and might finally be willing to waive his no-trade clause.

First, Anthony vented about his place on a team which now has only seven irrelevant names.

“I don’t even know my role,” he said. “I don’t know my role to be honest. I’m just here to help those guys and keep those guys positive and motivated and I’ll get in where I fit in at.”

Then he backtracked, saying he understood his role and that he's willing to do his best to help bring along the young players.

“At this point, I think my role is to be there for those guys,” Anthony said, “for the younger guys throughout this time and help them along the way and not just in the games, but in practice and other ways. Just to be there for them. I don’t think me going out there, trying to score 30 and 40 every night and playing that way is going to help them out at this point.”

But then, Anthony admitted that changing his style isn't easy or fun.

“It’s difficult because it’s hard to change the player’s game in the ninth inning,” Anthony said. “I’ve gotten here all these years playing the way I’ve been playing so it’s hard to kind of take that step back. It’s challenging, but I think it’s for the greater good for everybody on this team.”

But then, Anthony said that what happened on Wednesday night wasn't for the greater good of the team. Against the Heat, Anthony was basically a non-factor before halftime. He attempted only two shots and didn't score. And he didn't hide his frustration about it.

"It doesn’t do me any good," Anthony said of his two field goal attempts in the first half. "It doesn’t do the team any good. I don’t think that was by design tonight."

There was also a cryptic acceptance of the situation. The losing means a high draft pick — the Knicks are now tied for the fifth-worst record in the NBA.

Last offseason the Knicks made a push to win now, trading for Derrick Rose and signing Joakim Noah. But Rose, who watched from the bench Wednesday night with a sore left knee, will become a free agent.

The Knicks easily could be in the same situation next season. The focus may be on developing players and a system, not on winning now. And Anthony seems to know it.

“I see the writing on the wall,” Anthony said. “I see what it is. I see what they’re trying to do and it’s just me accepting that. That’s what puts me at peace. Just knowing and understanding how things work. I’m at peace with that.”

But while Anthony says he's at peace with it, he didn't exactly sound like it on Wednesday night. He admitted that the elimination stung.

“It was hard," Anthony said. "Even though we won’t be playing in the playoffs, or we really have nothing to play for right now, it’s still hard, especially when you still care about it, still care about the game, still care about coming in here and wanting to win games despite the situation. That makes it 10 times harder.”

And it seems less and less likely Anthony is willing to endure another year of that hardship.

NOAH BEGINS SUSPENSION: Knicks center Joakim Noah has been cleared to play by the NBA’s independent doctor, and began serving his 20-game suspension Wednesday night. Noah will serve eight games of his suspension this season and will have to sit out the first 12 games of the 2017-18 season.

Email: vasqueza@northjersey.com