Carmelo Anthony challenges Knicks' coaching staff to hold him accountable

Carmelo Anthony has been accused of not working as hard on the defensive end so he has enough energy to carry his team offensively. But Anthony seems to be trying to change that image.

Anthony said he's "challenged" the coaching staff to single him out and hold him accountable in film sessions and meetings if he's not doing the right things on either end of the floor. The Knicks' All-Star said that will be beneficial for everyone.

"I kind of challenged the staff to kind of push me and stay on me when I'm not doing something," Anthony said. "Call it out in the film session so everybody can see that and hear that. By them doing that, when that time comes, it kind of forces me to be at the top level of my game on both ends of the court.

"Right now it's just a couple clips here and there, but for the most part I want them to do that. I think it brings the best out of me and if you bring the best out of me I think it will bring the best out of everyone on the team."

Always a prolific scorer, Anthony appears to be working harder on the defensive end in the preseason.

He was asked if he's ever asked his coaches to call him out before. He said his college coach Jim Boeheim and former Nuggets coach George Karl had different ways of telling players when they did something wrong. With the Knicks, Derek Fisher isn't the only one talking during these sessions.

"It's more of a collective unit now," Anthony said. "More of kind of the assistant coaches and the video guys, just sitting down with them and sitting down with players and kind of just going through different scenarios, different situations and just kind of wanting to be held accountable out there."

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.