NBA stars sometimes take breaks during games. It’s just a fact in the NBA. Sometimes they facilitate on offense early in the game to conserve energy and sometimes they take a couple plays off on defense.

It’s a necessary evil for NBA teams and especially important because it’s a rough 82 game season schedule not counting an even more rigorous playoffs. The further you advance, the more intense the games are. However, there’s a fine line between a player taking a break and not trying.

Carmelo Anthony is the modern example of this mindset. He obviously cares only about offense and gives very little effort. I’ve watched Melo with perpetual frustration these last two seasons as the “superstar” gives his all on offense fighting for post up position, attacking the rim with ferocity, going after offensive rebounds with vigor, and then barely go through the motions on defense.

This early play against the Sacramento Kings the other night (in which the Knicks eventually lost in overtime) might be an extreme case of Meloitis, but it displays Anthony’s one-way player approach:

When the Knicks turned over the ball, Carmelo starts out way ahead of Rudy Gay, but ends up losing the race not just to Rudy Gay, but to Shane Larkin, who was actually trying to get back on defense.

If the tables were turned and Carmelo was on offense with a defender in front of him, would he have slowed down then? We all know the answer to that.

Offensively, Carmelo Anthony is very much like Allen Iverson. I wasn’t the biggest fan of how AI’s approach and how he forced the 76ers into living and dying with him on almost every offensive play, but at least he gave effort on defense and because of that, his team went to the NBA Finals in 2001 (losing to the Lakers 4-1).

That’s a lot more than I can say for Carmelo Anthony. If ‘Melo gave half the effort that he does on offense, the Knicks would be way better for it. It’s not like Melo is a rookie; so that means he’s pretty set in his ways. Until he shores up his defense, Carmelo Anthony isn’t a primary player that will lead the Knicks anywhere near a championship, much less a conference title.