Enes Kanter

The Knicks May Have an Upcoming Potential Issue in Keeping This Player

Enes Kanter and Kristaps Porzingis

Enes Kanter Beginning To Consider Opting Out Of $18.4M Contract For 18-19

It’s always on my mind,” Kanter told the Daily News. “But the season is going really well right now. It’s just a contract. I think people worry about it too much and it gets into their head. “People think about it too much and then it affects them, it affects their game, it affects their whole team. When the season is over, that’s the time to think about it.” – Enes Kanter
Just when there is a glimpse of a bright spot in New York and just when Knicks thought they could save some money with the departure of Carmelo Anthony, they have to re-strategize again.

Kanter is Playing Well

Knicks may have uncovered a hidden gem that fits well in the system and had complimented their big star  Kristaps Porzingis. New York is a lot better team than last year and thanks to a better rotation and better management.
Enes Kanter has averaged 25 minutes of play per game, the most in his last three years in the NBA. He is also scoring at an average of 13.8 points per game with a season-high 59.6 Field goal percentage and his rebounding average has also been the highest in the last three years at 10.5.
Kanter has been playing stellar basketball lately and has scored a season-high 31 points on 12-of-21 shooting (7-of-8 from the stripe) on Monday to go with a career-high tying 22 rebounds. These kinds of stats make the player and other teams wonder of bigger and better opportunity.
Enes Kanter at 25 years old was the 3rd pick overall by the Utah Jazz in 2011 and while has shown some greatness, he has not lived up to his calling as one of the top prospects in his rookie class.
While the New York Knicks have other big guys who can step in, like Kyle O’Quinn, promising young player Willy Hernangomez and let’s not forget Joakim Noah, Kanter is the player with the most upside and potential to be one of the pillars of the Knicks rebuilding journey.

Just in case Kanter decides to opt out, what do you think should the Knicks do? 

A Wheeler’s Opinion: Will the Knicks Finally Make the Playoffs?

They might. Or not

Kristaps Porzingis is no doubt, the new face of the Knicks. 
Heading into a season which started off by the New York Knicks finally parting ways with star forward, Carmelo Anthony who was sent off to the Oklahoma City Thunder via a trade that assembled another Big 3 in the West, the future of the Knicks- a team that used to spend big amount of time during the past few seasons, dwelling in the bottom of the East, looked gloomier, at least from the outside owing to the fact that they’ve just lost Anthony, an elite scorer. One may think that they will eventually return to the bottom at the end of the current season.
But no, folks!
At 8-7, the Knicks are currently at 9th place in the East, just a place behind the Eastern Conference champions, Cleveland Cavaliers. A few weeks ago, they were in the top 5 until their inconsistencies started to fire back and in effect, they’ve lost two of their last 3 games which include a 104-101 defeat at the hands of LeBron James and company. But that doesn’t make the Knicks a bad team either because they also beat the Cavs early on. So if you can beat a super team like the Cavs, then there’s no way you cannot beat other teams, right?
So here’s the question: Can Kristaps Porzingis lead the Knicks back into the playoffs?

Might. And Might Not

Make no mistake, folks. The departure of Carmelo Anthony finally enabled Kristaps Porzingis to show the world what he can actually do. He has become the leading scorer of the team, averaging 27 points per game- 4th in the league and 2nd among power forwards. He is also averaging 7 rebounds and 3 blocks per night and that’s a respectable stat-line, right?

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If anything, Kristaps Porzingis MIGHT be one of the reasons why the Knicks MIGHT have a chance at a return trip to the playoffs but let’s not forget that he’s not alone either. Tim Hardaway Jr. is averaging 17 points per game. Enes Kanter, a player that the Thunder traded for Anthony, is playing quality basketball for New York, averaging 13 points and 10 rebounds per game. One may even say that this is the most competitive the Knicks have become over the years. 

Conclusion

However, despite the emergence of Kristaps Porzingis, the Knicks might not make the playoffs, again, due to their inconsistencies. Yes, they beat the Cavs and yet they lost to the Houston Rockets. Mind you, folks. The Knicks also dropped their opening game against the Thunder. If you want to make the playoffs, you have to compile as many wins as you can and that includes wins against elite teams. Why? Making the playoffs is one thing. Making a deep run through the playoffs is entirely another thing. 

3 Benefits of the Carmelo Anthony Trade

How will OKC benefit from getting Melo?

Carmelo Anthony’s move to OKC will surely affect the West.
When the news regarding the completion of trade which sent Carmelo Anthony from the New York to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott along with a future draft pick, a lot of people were surprised that the Thunder were able to receive a player of Anthony’s calibre for players like Kanter who averaged 14 points per game and McDermott who only averaged 6 points per game last season.

While many people thought that Carmelo’s age has something to do with it, we all know that he can still score 40 or 50 at any given game. In fact, Oklahoma wasn’t in the talks during the early stages of the current off-season as they have already traded for Paul George and one of Carmelo’s rumored destinations was the Houston Rockets. Of course, there were some whispers involving the possibility of Carmelo joining LeBron James in Cleveland. None of those rumors came true. ‘Melo to Oklahoma it is!

Now that the deal has been completed, let’s list down the 3 main benefits of the said deal:

1. Another Superstar

Of course! Another superstar to join reigning MVP Russell Westbrook and newcomer Paul George. Having Carmelo Anthony on board will give Coach Billy Donovan another legitimate scorer on his team as Anthony, still, one of the league’s elite scorers, averaged 22 points per during the 2016-2017 season. Russell Westbrook, for one, will have another new superstar teammate to pass the ball to especially come crucial moments of the game. While the trio has yet to play a game together, many have been predicting that this new Big 3 in the West will have the firepower to challenge the Golden State  Warriors of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and of course, Kevin Durant.

2. Increases OKC’s Chances of Keeping Paul George

Paul George has already made it known to the public that he intends to play for the Los Angeles Lakers next season before the Thunder made the move which got them George from the Indiana Pacers to start off a very exciting off-season. And now that he has another superstar teammate to play with, if you are Paul George, would you still consider playing for the Lakers who are still undergoing rebuilding process?

Whether he admits it or not, Paul George himself knows that it’s already difficult to pass the opportunity to play alongside the reigning MVP and playing alongside ‘Melo will have a dampening effect on his desire to play for the Lakers- that if, he still desires it. 

3. Become a Threat to the Warriors

When Paul George was traded to OKC, most NBA fans still think that the move won’t transform OKC into a legitimate threat to the Warriors or at the very least, to the San Antonio Spurs. That mentality changed when the news of Carmelo’s trade to OKC broke. Here now stands, another Big 3 in the already loaded Western Conference.

Sure, the Thunder have no true deadly shooter like Curry and Thompson but both ‘Melo and Paul George can take turns in defending Durant and in fact, if we’re going to look back at last season, both ‘Melo and George average more defensive and offensive rebounds per game than Durant. If they can get more rebounds, they can throw outlet passes to Westbrook for quick points at the offensive end.

As mentioned, the trio of Westbrook, George and ‘Melo has yet to play a single NBA game together so none of us can say for now if the trade was worth it because no matter how good the players are– if they don’t learn to blend with one another and more importantly, to trust each other, then the trade may been nothing but for naught. 

Enes Kanter Speaks Out About Surprising Trade to New York

The 25-year-old center from Switzerland who will now play for his third team in the NBA has a heartfelt message to the city of Oklahoma.
The Thunders have been pulling the trigger and making high-risk movements as they go all in this conference. Today, Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a second-round pick was traded to New York in exchange for Carmelo Anthony.
Thunders are making these crazy moves to ensure they keep Westbrook who is in the last year of his contract.
Enes Kanter is one-half of the Stache Brothers that includes Steven Adams. He has fallen in love with the city and was rather thankful for the opportunity as he gives a video message to fans.
Enes Kanter to OKC: “When I lost family, when I lost home, you gave me that”


Enes Kanter was holding a charity event when the news about his trade broke out. Check out his live broadcast as commenters share the news with him while he is playing with kinds in Oklahoma.