Melo: No need to use buddies' playoff success as motivation

LOS ANGELES -- For the fourth straight season, New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony will likely be watching the playoffs from home.

During that stretch, Anthony has watched his good friends LeBron Jamesand Chris Paulmake the playoffs each season -- and in James' case, win a championship. Another buddy, Dwyane Wade, has been to the playoffs twice since Melo last played in the postseason.

Asked if his peer group's achievements make him feel like he's missing out, Anthony said he doesn't need to compare himself to his pals to yearn for playoff competition.

"No, not even that," Anthony said at shootaround Monday, ahead of the Knicks' matchup with Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers. "Not even because of that point that you just made. I think it's more for kind of just me, and the competitor that I am, the person that I am. I want to be there. I don't have to look at someone else's situation and say, 'Oh, I miss that, or I want that, or I need that.'"

The Knicks are 27-42 and 6 games out of the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, essentially eliminating them from the postseason this late in the season. Anthony, 32, says he has been forced to reflect on his future with the Knicks, including whether he can ever win in New York.

"Honestly, I think about it a lot," Anthony said. "I try to put everything into perspective. I think about it all. I think about here. I think about the postseason. I think about my teammates. I just think about everything. It's not just one specific thing that I think about. I think about it a lot. I try to put everything into perspective.

"I try to hear other people's advice, other people's take on it. But at the end of the day, it's on me."

Given that Anthony has lived in Los Angeles in the offseason for seven years and reportedly was mentioned in trade talks with the Clippers before this season's deadline, he was asked if he has ever seriously considered playing for either Clippers or Lakers.

"No, no. I haven't thought about it," Anthony said. "I mean, there was an opportunity during the deadline, and there was always talk over the past couple seasons with me somehow being connected to the Clippers or Lakers.

"At first it was the Lakers, and then now it's the Clippers situation. So I try not to think about that, especially now when I'm still playing with the New York Knicks. I've got to go out there and prepare to play against these guys and other teams."

By sheer coincidence, the NBA's schedule-makers put the Knicks and James' Cleveland Cavaliers in Los Angeles during the same weekend. But Anthony said he, James and Paul weren't able to find time to get together.

"No. Unfortunately, no," Anthony said. "We didn't get a chance to meet up and talk like we wanted, to talk about the weather. We play tonight and we leave tonight. Nah, we didn't get a chance. Everybody's schedule is kind of hectic. Even though everybody is here, it's a little bit hectic."