They’re 7-11…and clearly their performance has not equaled the sum of their parts.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we’re talking about none other than the New York Knickerbockers.

They were the talk of the town during last year’s stretch run…headlined by a star-studded trio assembled through two transactions: a $100-million free agent signing and a long-rumored mid-season blockbuster trade.

While one of the trio has departed for what seems to be greener grass (Billups to the Los Angeles Clippers), the other two have remained as the projected centerpieces of a basketball revival in the city commonly viewed as a hoops hotbed.

But to say that things haven’t gone smoothly in the Big Apple would be a vast understatement thus far.

And now this: A couple of nights ago, Carmelo Anthony has gone on record and done something that we never thought he would have.

“We as a team need to do a better job getting Amar’e the ball. I have the ball in my hands. Maybe it’s on me. Maybe I have to give him the ball a little more, help him out with that. We’ll talk probably [today] and try to figure it out together. If I’m doing too much, I want him to tell me. I want the guys on the team to tell me if I’m doing too much.’’

‘Melo continued:

“Maybe I need not to take so many shots. That’s just a bunch of thoughts that go through my mind. Coming down, taking less shots. Figuring out ways to make other guys better. Should I pass it more?’’

That’s right – ‘Melo is actually double-guessing his shot selection.

Since coming home to New York, Anthony has had very little to smile about.

The game following these comments, Melo posted a career-low 1 point outing in a lambasting of the Charlotte Bobcats, 111-78 – the Kincks’ largest margin of victory in a decade. Anthony was 0-11 from the floor, however, the New York bigs (Stoudemire and Chandler) played especially well.

But right when the team appeared to find a winning formula, they come out tonight and succumb to the rebuilding Cleveland Cavaliers by 10. Carmelo put up 15 tomight (on 14 field goal attempts) and actually led the team with 6 assists.

The voices concerning ‘Melo’s shot selection have certainly reared their heads in the wake of New York’s early season struggles. But does New York really expect Anthony to be a playmaker? The former Orangeman has always been one of the more complete offensive players in the league, and has been a black hole when the rock makes it to him. He only makes kick out passes as necessary, and he has never purposed himself to be a creative force for others on his team.

The situation at hand clearly reveals a more damaging truth that New York has failed to address – their need for a true point guard. There have been very few NBA point guards that exist within the bodies of forwards: a short list that includes Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen and LeBron James. It’s a mold that Carmelo Anthony definitely cannot fit into, and he shouldn’t even entertain any thoughts of it.

With a pair of 20-point scorers on the roster – and neither of them being a point guard, New York has to make the acquisition of a floor general a priority. Depending which one is on the court, their current trio of Iman Shumpert, Mike Bibby and Toney Douglas is either too shot happy, too slow or too inexperienced. The team is holding its breath and hoping for the best with the return of Baron Davis, but his overall decline in health and athleticism makes him more of a liability than an asset.

So, the ‘Melo-drama’ will likely continue until the Knicks pledge to find a solution to their real problem – how to find the missing piece that can allow two All-Stars to shine at the same time.