from the top of the floor, content in the knowledge that the ball will almost inevitably come to him. He posts up smaller defenders and actually complies with the notion of a re-post -- passing the ball out to the perimeter so that he might establish deeper position and start his post-up anew. He's abandoned the obsessive focus on shot creation that led him to bleed the shot clock dry in years past, and he quickly redirects possessions once his initial efforts go sour. He's now a cog in the Knicks' army of swing-passers, never hesitating in turning down a good shot for a teammate's better one.

And, perhaps most uncharacteristically, he's passing out of double teams with an accuracy and enthusiasm never before seen in his game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luvzkrQPSZw&feature=youtu.be

Those justaren't passes that Anthony would have made a year ago, much less five years ago. Much of his career has been informed by the Kobe Bryant methodology of shooting over double teams rather than working around them, but the infectious spirit of the Knicks' ball movement this year has refashioned a shot-forcing gunner into a more useful creator.

Beyond that, we've seen a very clear evolution in terms of where Anthony's shots come from and how effective he is from those ranges. Throughout his career, we've seen him get better and better. His footwork in the post has evolved. His shot has genuinely improved. His handle is tighter, and his vision is broader. In terms of offensive skills, his growth has been fairly linear. But this is genuinely the