It is a remarkable testament to how very bad the rest of the New York Knicks are that they can be just 17-27 while Carmelo Anthony is playing as well as he is.
On Friday, he scored 62 points in New York’s 125-96 win over Charlotte, breaking the record for most points at the hallowed basketball grounds of Madison Square Garden.
It was just the latest eye-popping feat from the one man on a one-man team.
Melo is the league’s second-leading scorer, dropping 27 points per game and trailing only Kevin Durant. He’s done this in part by posting the best three-point (42.0) and free-throw (85.3) percentages of his career.
He is playing the most minutes in the league, at 39.2 a game, doing everything in his physical power to carry the Knicks to competency.
But it’s just not happening.
With the exception of Tyson Chandler, who has been hurt for about half the season, and Tim Hardaway Jr, who is having a nice season as a rookie reserve, just about everyone on New York isn’t any good.
Andrea Bargnani is a passable offensive player who cannot play defence. JR Smith, Raymond Felton and Iman Shumpert might form the worst backcourt rotation in the league. Amare Stoudemire has been an effective offensive boost off the bench, but also can’t defend anymore.
Kenyon Martin, Metta World Peace and Pablo Prigioni probably shouldn’t even be in the league at this point.
Anthony deserves better. He’s been one of the 5-10 best players in the league. He’s objectively working more than any other player.
And he’s getting no support.
In this year’s Eastern Conference, a turnaround is always possible. New York City’s other team, the Brooklyn Nets, can attest to this.
But if things don’t drastically improve, Anthony, who is a free agent at season’s end, might finally leave this mess behind.
jraymond@thenational.ae
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Spec%20sheet
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The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Titan Sports Academy:
Programmes: Judo, wrestling, kick-boxing, muay thai, taekwondo and various summer camps
Location: Inside Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Telephone: 971 50 220 0326
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Russia v Scotland, Thursday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
